#75 - 11/23/91 - Detmer first to 15,000 career yards while clinching WAC title: BYU - 48, Utah - 17

             As was often the case when the Cougars and Utes played in the same conference, the BYU Cougars (7-3-1) faced the Utah Utes (7-4) in their final regular season game with a chance to secure the undisputed conference title. Although the Cougars had already secured the Holiday Bowl bid with their 52-52 tie in San Diego, a loss to the Utes would place them in another tie with SDSU - this one for the conference title. The Utes were even more motivated. An 8-4 record, including a victory over the WAC champs, would look much more attractive to bowl game organizers looking for an at-large team than a record of 7-5. Furthermore, with BYU holding an 11-1 record over the Utes in recent years, most Ute fans would have considered a win over the Cougars even sweeter than a bowl game invite.

The Utes kicked off, and then knocked the ball free from the returner, recovering it inside the Cougar 20. Then, on the first play from scrimmage, while many fans were still streaming into the stadium, or getting their food and drinks, Ute QB Mike Richmond (filling in for the injured Frank Dolce) threw a 19-yard TD pass to Bryan Rowley. Reigning Heisman trophy winning Ty Detmer promptly threw an interception on the Cougars’ second play, setting up the Utes’ second consecutive possession starting inside the Red Zone. Two Cougar penalties set the Utes up at the 7 for a first-and-goal. That’s when the Cougar D asserted itself, forcing a FGA after a false start and three straight stops. Chris Yergensen booted a 28-yard FG to give Utah a 10-0 lead before even 3 1/2 minutes had elapsed. The Cougars got the ball back at their own 11. After a first down sack, the Cougars were backed up to their own 3. *On second-and-18, Detmer took the snap and immediately rolled to his right. Five yards back in his own end zone, without any blockers, and a Ute linebacker heading straight at him full steam,  Detmer let loose a long pass to Eric Drage along the right hand sideline - and then got clocked by the defender. Drage caught the ball at the Cougar 35 in full stride and ran straight up the sideline with a Ute trailing five or six yards behind. Drage kicked it into high gear and sprinted into the end zone untouched for a 97-yard TD reception; the longest passing play in BYU history (#38)! After a three-and-out, flush against their own goal line, the Utes’ punt  didn’t even reach midfield, and BYU started its next drive at the Ute 42. After advancing to the Ute 14, the Cougars faced a third-and-9. Detmer took the snap from the shotgun formation and looked for an open receiver. As the defense closed in, Detmer took off, pump-faked as he approached the line of scrimmage, then tucked the ball and ran for the sideline where the first down marker beckoned. The three Ute defenders in pursuit slowed, not wanting to get nailed with a roughing the QB call, but Detmer didn’t go out of bounds, turning and sprinting into the end zone for a 14-yard TD run. Unfortunately, the Utes came right back with a huge play of their own. Richmond connected with Rowley over the middle on third-and-14. Rowley sprinted up the field with 3 Cougars in hot pursuit. One of the Cougars caught him at the 5, but Rowley kept his feet long enough to stumble into the end zone for an 84-yard TD play. After one quarter of play, Utah led 17-14.

Eric Drage
Courtesy of BYU Photo

Early in the second, the Cougars started with the ball at their own 10. Detmer orchestrated a long drive to the Ute 11. He then fired a high pass to Tim Nowatski in the end zone, who leaped to grab it, but was pushed out of bounds by the defender before he could land in bounds. On the next play, Detmer stood in the pocket and fired an 11-yard TD pass to Micah Matsuzaki running along the back of the end zone half a step ahead of his defender. Unfortunately, the extra point kick was blocked. After BYU’s Lenny Gomes intercepted the ball near midfield, the Cougars advanced into Ute territory on an unconventional play. Detmer avoided a tackle, but the ball was jarred loose. Detmer knocked it into the air, reached up and grabbed it, located Peter Tuipulotu upfield, and completed the pass for a first down. On second-and-9, at the Ute 33, Detmer threw over the middle to Drage. The defender got a hand on the ball, knocking it into the air, but Drage snagged it and ran it in for a 33-yard TD catch. The Utes advanced 40 yards on their next possession, but were stopped on fourth down by the Cougar Defense. The teams traded interceptions, but neither could take advantage of the miscues and the half ended with BYU leading 27-17.

In the third, BYU corralled its third interception, courtesy of Lenny Gomes, and started their next drive at the Ute 42. On their first play, Detmer pitched the ball to Jamal Willis, who ran left, bringing most of the Ute defense with him. Willis then handed off to WR Tyler Anderson, heading the other way. Anderson turned the corner and sprinted up the right hand sideline behind Ty Detmer, who was running interference, until a Ute defender knocked him out of bounds at the 5. On the next play, Jamal Willis took the handoff and swept left, stiff-arming a Ute defender to plow into the end zone with a 5-yard TD rush. Near the end of the quarter, BYU was driving again. After reaching the Blue Zone, Detmer went back to his favorite target. Drage hauled in the 18-yard pass for his third touchdown of the game. The Cougars now led 41-17 with one quarter to go.

The Cougars began the fourth quarter with a huge defensive play by LB Scott Giles, who forced a fumble, and recovered it at the Cougar 34. Although the Ute defense swarmed the backfield Detmer exhibited several moves that would have made Harry Houdini proud. He closed out the 66-yard drive with a 25-yard TD pass to Tyler Anderson, who beat his defender up the left sideline, catching Detmer’s rainbow in the end zone. With a 48-17 lead, the Cougars turned the game over to the Defense, which continued to confound the Ute attack, recording: 5 interceptions (by Rocky Biegel and two apiece by Josh Arnold and Lenny Gomes), a fumble recovery, a 4th down stop and 4 punts.

Ty Detmer - College Hall of Fame
Courtesy of BYU Photo

With the win, the Cougars won the WAC outright with a 7-0-1 record, earning the right to face #7 Iowa in the Holiday Bowl. Ty Detmer, threw for 378 yards, becoming the first player in NCAA history to pass for over 15,000 yards in a career (15,031), while putting the finishing touches on a career that accounted for 62 NCAA records, earning himself a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame. Eric Drage, meanwhile caught 6 passes for 188 yards to finish the regular season with 1,082 receiving yards - the 8th Cougar to break the 1K mark in a season. The sophomore would finish his BYU career as BYU’s career leader with 3,065 receiving yards (currently 3rd) and 29 receiving TDs (3rd).

Game link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi_nh6U8pGU

*BYU Tv's Top 100 plays in BYU Football TV history (updated 12/12/20 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYzgPw-bQ_c)