No. 9 BYU rallies to beat the Utah Utes

The BYU Cougars have rallied to beat the Utes, 22-21, on a field goal with 4 seconds remaining.

The Cougars' rivalry hopes looked dead when the Utah stopped them on fourth down on their own goal line. But a holding penalty gave BYU new life.

And Jake Retzlaff and the Cougars took advantage.

BYU kicker Will Ferrin capped it with a 44-yard field goal.

Afterward, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said the game was “absolutely stolen” from the Utes.

“This game was absolutely stolen from us,” he said. “We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight I am not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. I’m very disappointed. I will talk to the commissioner. This is not fair to our team. I am disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight.”

Utah 21, BYU 19

There were some nervy moments.

BYU QB Jake Retzlaff put the ball on the ground. The Cougars gambled and won on a fourth-down call from 6.

But Retzlaff was eventually able to punch it in from the 1-yard line to cut the lead down to two.

The Cougars tried a two-point conversion but the QB’s pass was picked off.

New stadium record

Rice-Eccles has set a new attendance record.

The U. says there are 54,383 people in attendance tonight.

Utah 21, BYU 13

Will Ferrin’s second field goal makes it a one-score game.

But the Cougars have already burned two timeouts in the second half – and there’s still 8:13 to play in the third quarter.

Halftime: Utah 21, BYU 10

The Utes needed an offensive spark.

Brandon Rose has been happy to provide it.

The sophomore quarterback is 8-of-10 for 87 yards and two touchdowns.

Tight end Brant Kuithe, meanwhile, has one receiving score and one rushing touchdown.

After a brief injury scare, running back Micah Bernard has returned to the field. His 7-yard touchdown catch gave Utah a 21-10 lead just before the half.

BYU runs it back

After a quiet first quarter, the scoreboard operator is having to do some work.

Fifteen seconds after Utah went on top, BYU wide receiver Keelan Marion was celebrating in the end zone having just gone 96 yards on the kickoff to reclaim the lead for the Cougars.

Rose to Kuithe

Brandon Rose has Rice-Eccles Stadium believing.

The quarterback ended the first quarter with a 27-yard rush up the center of the field.

Less than two minutes into the second, Rose found tight end Brant Kuithe in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown.

Utes lead 7-3 with 13:24 to play in the first half.

First quarter: BYU 3, Utah 0

BYU has a 3-0 lead after the first quarter.

Will Ferrin’s 23-yard field goal with 1:05 to play in the first provided the only points of the period.

The score was set up by a failed attempt at trickery.

The Utes threw a backward pass to wide receiver Damien Alford who then tried to squeeze a throw into double coverage on the other side of the field. The pass was intercepted.

A potentially bigger issue: Utah running back Micah Bernard looked shaken up after the interception and was taken to the medical tent.

The Utes ran Jaylon Glover on one of their only two plays after that.

Rose gets the start

Sophomore quarterback Brandon Rose earned the start against BYU on Saturday night.

It’s Rose’s first start of the season. H was used as a substitute two weeks ago versus Houston. The sophomore quarterback finished that game 7 of 15 with 45 passing yards and a game-sealing interception in the Utes’ 17-14 loss to the Cougars.

Rose split practice reps with Wilson during the bye week according to Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham.

Utah has now started three quarterbacks this season, with Wilson logging five starts and redshirt senior quarterback Cam Rising notching two before he suffered a right-hand injury vs. Baylor and a season-ending ankle injury versus Arizona State.

The Temecula, California native did not see action in any of his first two seasons with the Utes. Rose was injured most of last season, missing six to eight weeks with an undisclosed injury.

One ESPN host picks Utes to win

ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew spent a weekend hyping the Utes last season in Salt Lake City.

But only one member of the popular pregame show is backing Utah this weekend.

“I just think Utah’s issues on offense are going to be too much to overcome,” former Alabama coach Nick Saban said.

“I think BYU goes in there and is dancing all over the place,” analyst Pat McAfee added.

Desmond Howard, Lee Corso, even Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne predicted the No. 9 Cougars would leave Rice-Eccles Stadium with a W.

Kirk Herbstreit, however, likes Utah to pull off the upset.

“I’m going with the Utah team that started the year 4-0. They’ve lost four in a row,” he said. “It could save their season. This is what college football is all about: a rivalry type of game, saving your season. Utah, at home, pulls off the upset.”

The undefeated Cougars are currently a 3-point favorite on the road.

— Aaron Falk

Game info

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Broadcast crew: Dave Flemming, Brock Osweiler, Stormy Buonantony

Radio: ESPN 700 AM, 92.1 FM

Radio crew: Bill Riley, Scott Mitchell, Stevenson Sylvester

Pregame reading

• With a Jewish quarterback leading the Cougars, Utah’s rabbis have become rabid BYU fans.

• Utah coach Kyle Whittingham will keep his starting quarterback secret until game time.

• The rivalry game is back ... but for how long?

• Big 12 Power Rankings: It‘s BYU’s world and everyone else is just living in it right now.