Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — I planned to start this column by writing about a guy who drove his family from Idaho to watch the Holy War. He makes a living in the dairy cow business. But then Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan marched into the postgame news conference and announced he wouldn't stand for any (expletive) — so here we are.
BYU beat Utah 22-21 on Saturday.
The Cougars were goners, folks. They were trapped deep in their territory and trailing by two points with 95 seconds left. It was fourth down and 10 from their own 9-yard line. The ball was snapped, and BYU's quarterback, Jake Retzlaff, was swarmed and sacked by a gang of Utes.
Utah fans celebrated.
Game over.
Except, there was a flag on the field.
"Defensive holding," Big 12 referee Kevin Mar announced.
BYU regrouped, pulled the rug out from under Utah, and went on to win. Harlan was so fired up after the game that the AD crashed the postgame news conference and went after the officials.
"This game was absolutely stolen from us," Harlan said. "We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight I am not. We won this game. Someone stole it from us. I'm very disappointed. I will talk to the commissioner. This is not fair to our team. I'm disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight."
Then, Harlan stood and left the room.
His words raised questions, however.
Did the Big 12 crew get the call right? Or was the conference protecting its undefeated team and top College Football Playoff candidate? Sour grapes? Or blatant shenanigans?
That defensive-holding penalty gave BYU a fresh set of downs. Two big pass completions and a few running plays later, the Cougars kicked a 44-yard game-winning field goal. It was a stunning finish. BYU might as well have driven a stake through Utah's heart at midfield.
The video replay of the controversial penalty will be examined, frame by frame, like the Zapruder film. There was some of the usual "handsy" contact between the defender and receiver on the play, but the contact didn't look egregious. I didn't think it merited a penalty. The game officials disagreed, however. They flagged it.
What's indisputable is that the 2024 rivalry game between BYU and Utah was unforgettable theater. It will be filed away in Holy War history — classified as a "thrilling comeback" to fans in blue and a "raging travesty" to those in red. I flew in to see what this rivalry was about, and it delivered a wild chapter.
Some other thoughts:
• The entire evening had a Holy War 'After Dark' murder-mystery feel to it. There were protagonists, antagonists, plot twists, wild accusations, and a big finish. Then, Harlan marched in as the credits rolled, poured some gasoline on the wreckage, tossed a lit match over his shoulder, and walked out.
• I'll bet the Utes didn't sleep. Down deep, they must know they could have made the officiating a moot point by playing a little better. Utah surrendered a 96-yard kickoff return for a TD, for example. The Utes' offense also got shut out in the second half. Tackle the kick returner or score three points and the AD is slapping backs and hosting the post-game party instead of summoning Hercule Poirot.
• Utah coach Kyle Whittingham wasn't happy with the officiating either. When asked about the impact of the late calls, he said: "They are what they are. It's a ridiculous situation. I'm not going to get into it ... things out there were ridiculous."
• What will Harlan's punishment be? A public reprimand from Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark? A fine? Both? Neither? Discuss. What's certain is that Harlan quickly and loudly aligned himself with Utah's fan base and his head coach by having their backs in the wake of Saturday night. I wonder if we'll see more of this type of reaction from athletic directors in the NIL era, particularly given the financial investment that fans are being asked to make.
• Will Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould reach out to Harlan on Sunday to ask how happy Utah is in the Big 12? I mean, Harlan didn't sound thrilled with his new conference. I'm sure he's just frustrated and venting, but the thought crossed my mind.
• Give BYU credit for finding a way. After the penalty, the Cougars completed two pass plays for a combined 42 yards, reeled off a back-breaking 14-yard running play, and then successfully kicked a high-pressure field goal to win. It was a high-wire act in high winds by coach Kalani Sitake's team.
• The Big 12 isn't a great league. Mountain West leader Boise State (8-1) is better than BYU (9-0). The Broncos' only loss came on the road at Oregon on a last-second field goal. That defeat still looks better than any of BYU's victories. And don't get me started — the Ducks would beat the Cougars by 30.
• Realignment is a wrecking ball. It killed some long-standing traditions, crushed a 108-year-old conference, and diminished a couple of generational rivalries. All in the name of media rights dollars. The BYU-Utah rivalry has been helped — not hurt — by realignment. The rivals will regularly play and fight for the same conference title.
• Utah is a beautiful state. It has visually stunning scenery. There's lots to see. There were 54,383 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday. It was a facility record. The state's focus on Saturday was clearly on the football game. The fact that the teams and fans had to wait until 8:15 p.m. local time to kick off the game was disappointing.
Again, I was poised to begin this column by telling you about a guy in the dairy cow industry. I bumped into John Andersen, his wife Caroline, and their kids on the stadium concourse at halftime. They live in Blackfoot, Idaho. The Andersen family piled into their Kia sports-utility vehicle on Saturday, pointed it toward Rice-Eccles Stadium, and drove for two and a half hours.
They root for BYU. John went to school there. So did his parents before him. So will his children after him. At halftime, the Andersen family was standing on the concourse. John was dressed in his BYU jacket and a baseball cap. He and his family were dressed in blue. They were hanging out with some close family friends who were rooting for Utah. Those folks were blanketed in red.
The Utes were ahead 21-10 at halftime. The stakes were high. But here were the rival fans, standing around, smiling, laughing, and snapping photographs together. It looked like a neighborhood block party. The scene flew in the face of everything I was told about the Holy War.
Where were the bad feelings?
The annoyed glares?
The insults between fierce rivals?
John told me: "Between friends and family, it's always friendly. But outside of that, it can get out of hand sometimes."
No bull, folks.
Read more of columnist John Canzano exclusively at JohnCanzano.com.
