21.11/17/01 – BYU rallies to stay undefeated: #8 BYU – 24, Utah - 21

 21. 11/17/01 – BYU rallies to stay undefeated: #8 BYU – 24, Utah - 21

The Utah Utes (7-2) came into Provo seeking revenge for their loss to the Cougars the previous year. They were also hoping to knock the #8 BYU Cougars (10-0) down a few pegs and keep alive their shot at the MWC title. The Cougars had even more at stake as they prepared to host their rivals. A win would not only secure the MWC outright, it would also keep their hopes alive for an invitation to a BCS bowl.

On their second drive, the Cougars used a mix of runs and passes to advance 62 yards to the Ute 12, where QB Brandon Doman fumbled the ball in the Blue Zone. On the bright side, the Cougar D was in top form, forcing the Utes to punt on each of their first quarter possessions, while allowing only one Ute first down.

On the Cougars’ first possession of the second quarter, Doman was picked off by Cr Dwinell in Cougar territory. Four plays later, Ute QB Lance Rice connected with Dennis Smith for a 13-yard TD reception. On the Utes’ next possession, they fumbled the ball and the Cougars regained their traction. Doman found WR Reno Mahe in the flat for a 20-yard reception on third down to keep the drive alive. Matt Payne’s 35-yard FG provided BYU’s first points of the contest. At halftime, both teams returned to their respective locker rooms looking for ways to kick-start their offenses.

Late in the third quarter, the Utes’ Offense started clicking. They marched 82 yards downfield, with Dameon Hunter providing the final 15 in a TD romp that extended the Utes’ lead to 11. BYU struck back right away. On the first play from scrimmage, Doman broke right and pitched the ball to RB Luke Staley on the option. Staley slipped through the defenders and raced up the right sideline and was finally dragged down at the Ute 26-yard line after a huge 54-yard gain. A couple of plays later, Doman spotted Reno Mahe in the end zone and threw a 23-yard TD strike that brought the Cougars back to within four - 14-10.

As the fourth quarter began, Utah orchestrated another long TD drive; this one 80 yards. On the 12th play of the drive, Adam Tate pounded the ball over the goal line to extend Utah’s lead to eleven again. With 5:47 remaining, BYU got the ball back at its 8-yard line. On their first play, Doman ran for first down. He then made a 16-yard pass to Luke Staley for another first down. A pitch to Staley netted another first down, this time for 15 into Ute territory. A pass over the middle to Mahe netted another first down near the Ute 20. A couple of plays later, now at the Ute 7, Doman ran back and forth in the pocket trying to find either an opening or an open receiver. He finally found Staley breaking for the end zone and hit him with a dart for a 7-yard TD reception with 3:22 remaining. Down by five, the Cougars decided to go for two. Doman pitched the ball to Luke, who plowed over the line to pull the Cougars to within 3. It was now up to the Cougar D, which rose up to force a three-and-out. The Cougars started their final drive with good field position at their own 41 with 2:11 remaining. Another pitchout to Staley netted a first down at midfield. On second-and-13, Doman dropped back and fired the ball to Soren Halladay, who secured another first down at the Ute 30. *From the shotgun, Doman started right on the option, then pitched the ball to Luke, who exploded untouched up the right sideline for a 30 yard TD sprint (#9). Unfortunately, they left 1:16 on the clock. To make matters worse, they missed the extra point attempt, which meant Utah could tie it with a FG. Fortunately, they were able to pin the Utes at their own 7 on the kickoff. Unfortunately, the Utes moved up the field to the Cougar 30 after converting a first down with a trick play on fourth-and-ten. *With 16 ticks remaining, Lance Rice dropped back and threw toward the sideline, hoping to stop the clock while getting within FG range. Jernaro Gilford read the play perfectly and jumped in front of the receiver to pick off the ball. He ran it all the way back to the Ute 30 before being tackled, but it didn’t matter - the interception had already sealed the Cougars’ 24-21 win (#25).

Luke Staley
Courtesy of BYU Photo

Brandon Doman
Courtesy of BYU Photo

Jernaro Gilford
Courtesy of BYU Photo

Beating Utah is always special, but clinching the Mountain West title with a last minute victory made it that much sweeter. During the game, Luke Staley broke BYU’s single-season rushing record en route to becoming the first Cougar to win the Doak Walker Award as the nations best running back. When all was said and done, Staley’s record-breaking season included: 1,582 rushing yards, 2,018 all-purpose yards, 28 TDs, and 5 TDs in a game (11/1/01), while leading the nation in scoring (15.5 ppg) and rushing (8.1 ypc). The Cougars winning streak would reach 12 games before they lost to Hawaii after losing Staley to a broken leg in a 41-38 win at Mississippi St. They finished the season 12-2 and a disappointing ranking of #25. The Utes finished 8-4 including a 10-6 win over USC in the Las Vegas Bowl.

 Game link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=294486608245997

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