A wonderful symmetry has existed over the past 10 years of the BYU-Utah football rivalry, discontinued in 2014 but happily renewed in Saturday’s upcoming Las Vegas Bowl: Both coaches took over their respective programs at the same time.
Bronco Mendenhall — who will coach his final game for BYU before leaving for Virginia — gained his seat of power before the 2005 season. Kyle Whittingham similarly assumed control of his program in 2005, replacing Urban Meyer at Utah.
Over the years, Whittingham has gained the upper hand on Mendenhall, but BYU certainly got in its shots, especially during the six-season period from 2005 through 2010 in which these schools split their meetings (3-3). Only in the last three games did Whittingham and Utah unfurl a winning streak to create some distance from Mendenhall.
Without further ado, we present five memorable moments from Mendenhall v. Whittingham, the Beehive State court case which will have one more legal proceeding this Saturday in Vegas:
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2006: BYU WINS ON THE LAST PLAY
John Beck had 10 million years in which to throw a game-winning pass to Jonny Harline on the final play of regulation, as BYU triumphed in Salt Lake City, 33-31:
2008: UTAH REAFFIRMS ITS PLACE AS AN IMPORTANT COLLEGE FOOTBALL PROGRAM
If BYU has found it hard to play in a prime-time, major-league bowl game, Utah has been able to make its way to the big time on a couple occasions this century. Meyer led the Utes to the mountaintop and a Fiesta Bowl win in 2004, but Whittingham was able to put all the pieces together in 2008, en route to a Sugar Bowl thumping of Alabama. His best Utah team maxed out, running the table to the extent that it would have been able to play Florida for the national title had the College Football Playoff existed.
This demolition of BYU and quarterback Max Hall punched Utah’s ticket to that Sugar Bowl game against Alabama. It remains the signature achievement of Whittingham’s tenure:
2012: LIFE IS A REAL KICK FOR UTAH… AND A KICK IN THE HEAD FOR BYU
Utah has benefited so much in the Whittingham era from being better in the kicking game than its opponents. The 2008 team benefited from two gacks on the part of TCU placekicker Ross Evans, whose short misses enabled Utah to win the Mountain West and go unbeaten.
Against BYU, Utah also claimed the upper hand, especially in frenzied endgame sequences. The 2012 episode takes the cake as the nuttiest Holy War finish during the Mendenhall-Whittingham era.
You can watch all of the insanity of the final few minutes for yourself, but if you want the cliff notes version, BYU sent one kicker (Justin Sorensen) out to attempt a tying 51-yard field goal on the final play of regulation. It was blocked. HOWEVER… Utah fans rushed the field while play was still live.
15-yard penalty.
BYU got a chance to try a 36-yard kick with a different kicker, Riley Stephenson.
CLANGGGGGG! His shorter boot smacked the upright and bounced away, no good. Utah 24, BYU 21.
2010: BLOCK PARTY
About the whole kicking-game issue: Utah had blocked a field goal to beat BYU two years earlier in the series. This time, there was no penalty on the field:
BYU fans and Boise State fans do not like each other; weird, because the two fan bases have endured so many last-play-field-goal stomach punches in recent years.
2009: BYU THROWS ITS WAY TO VICTORY, AVOIDS THE THROES OF AGONY
When BYU surrendered a 20-6 fourth-quarter lead at home, Utah had to love its chances heading into overtime. The Cougars were whacked by Utah in 2008, so when the Utes rallied to force the extra period, it was easy to think that the visitors from Salt Lake City were living rent-free inside the Cougars’ heads.
After BYU’s defense forced a field goal on the first possession of overtime, Max Hall got sweet revenge:
If Utah has owned last-play kicks in this series, BYU has won twice with last-play passes. Hall’s dart on a short-intermediate ball to Andrew George enabled his receiver to stroll into the end zone and turn the tables after 2008. Hall had some, uhhhh, choice words about Utah after the game.
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Are you ready for Saturday? I know I am.
