9.11/24/00 - LaVell Edwards’ last game: BYU – 34, Utah - 27

             One week after having Cougar Stadium renamed LaVell Edwards Stadium in his honor, Coach Edwards took the helm for the last time as his BYU Cougars (5-6) faced their most ardent rivals, the Utah Utes (4-6), for the 76th meeting in a rivalry that had spanned the decades since 1922. Over the previous 75 meetings (one every year save the three seasons canceled by WWII), the Cougars’ record was a paltry 26-45-4; however, since Edwards took over as head coach in 1972, the Cougars had dominated the rivalry, with a record of 21-7. Five of those losses, however had taken place during the 1990s, the decade in which the annual grudge match had evolved into a true rivalry - with each team as likely to win as the other. With neither team bowl eligible, this year’s contest was their bowl game. The Cougars’ motivation was augmented by an intense desire to send their legendary coach off into the sunset with a win. After all, Coach Edwards had only suffered one losing season (5-6 in 1973) in his illustrious 29-year career, and nobody wanted to send him off with a second.

            Things didn’t start off well for the Cougars. On the second play of the game, Andre Dyson picked off a pass by QB Brandon Doman, at the 24 -yard line, and ran it back for a quick Pick 6. Midway through the first quarter, the Cougars were able to drive deep into Utah territory. Owen Pochman nailed a 44-yard field goal for BYU’s first points of the game. On the ensuing possession, Jared Lee intercepted a Ute pass, giving the Cougars excellent field position at the Ute 31-yard line. On first-and-goal, from the Ute 3, Doman stumbled as he handed off the ball to Brian McDonald, but McDonald pounded his way into the end zone to give the Cougars the lead. Near the end of the first, the Cougars were again driving. Doman connected with senior WR Jonathan Pittman on a 42-yard pass that brought BYU within FG range. A few plays later, Pochman booted a 38-yard FG to give the Cougs a 13-7 lead. On the last play of the quarter, Utah fumbled the ball away at their own 20-yard line.

            Although the Cougars failed to make a first down on their first drive of the second quarter, Pochman banged another FG through the uprights (a 35-yarder) to extend the lead. On their next drive, the Cougars marched 75 yards, to the Utah 5-yard line. Even though they were denied the end zone again, Pochman’s 22-yard FG put them up by twelve points. Meanwhile, Utah’s offense looked pitiful. Their first five drives of the half had ended in 2 turnovers and 3 punts after netting a grand total of 39 yards. On their sixth drive however, they marched upfield 61 yards and kicked a 40-yard FG. The halftime score (19-10) made the game look a lot closer than it really was.

            The third quarter went much the same. Utah punted on their three possessions, while the Cougars managed to orchestrate a 77-yard drive that culminated with 36-yard pass to Mike Rigell, who was left wide open and caught the ball in stride as he jogged into the end zone. After three quarters, the Cougars led 26-10.

            As the fourth quarter began, the winds shifted in the Utes’ favor. On their first drive of the quarter, the Utes drove 54 before kicking a 33-yard FG. On their second drive, Thomas Fortune muscled his way into the end zone from two yard out for Utah’s first offensive TD. On their next next possession, they scored another TD, a 20-yard strike to Matt Nickel that tied the game. The extra point, by Ryan Kaneshiro, gave the Utes a one-point lead with 2:16 remaining.

Jonathan Pittman
Courtesy of BYU Photo

Edwards’ Cougars started their final drive at their own 20-yard line. On third-and-20, as Luke Staley was tackled, the ball popped out and Utah pounced on it. Utah fans roared with victory, but Staley was ruled down. *Facing a fourth-and-13 from his own 17-yard line, with just 1:04 remaining, Brandon Doman took the snap and scrambled backwards to his own five yard line. Expelling his pent-up breath, Doman launched up a prayer as a Ute defender bore down on him. In answer to his desperate plea, Jonathan Pittman turned back and caught the ball for a 34-yard completion just past midfield (#19). On the very next play, Pittman raced up the left sideline and Doman found him again, this time for 36 yards to the Ute 13-yard line. On first down, Luke Staley ran the ball up to the middle for nine yards to the Ute 4.

Brandon Doman
Courtesy of BYU Photo

*On second-and-one, with 30 seconds remaining, Doman scrambled right before suddenly cutting toward the end zone on the option keeper. With three Utes trying to haul him down, Doman dove for the goal line, barely crossing for the winning touchdown (#29). Doman then completed a 2-point conversion to Soren Halladay to put the Cougars up by seven. The Utes got the ball back with 0:23 remaining. A first down rush to midfield gave them a shot. On third down, with two seconds left, Ute QB Darne Arceneaux lined up in the shotgun formation and fumbled the snap. He picked it up and scrambled right. As he neared midfield, with the clock reading triple zero, he launched a Hail Mary that sailed into the end zone. Four Cougars and two Utes converged on the ball, and one of the Cougars swatted the ball to the ground to seal the victory.

The win gave LaVell his 257th career victory - 6th all-time in Division 1-A history. Edwards (257-101-3) was named to College Football Hall of Fame in 2004 after having pioneered

LaVell Edwards
Courtesy of BYU Photo

an aerial attack unparalleled in the history of football. Edwards was named NCAA District 8 Coach of the Year eight times, Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 1979, and AFCA National Coach of the Year in 1984. In 2013, he won the Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award. ESPN analyst Lee Corso once said, “LaVell Edwards...[is] a legend. And as good a football coach as he was, he's a better man and he did it the right way.”

Game highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB0cJ73qFZo

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