clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

BYU went for 2 to beat Utah in the last minute. The play never had a chance.

This is a painful way to lose a rivalry game.

BYU and Utah played a pretty fascinating Holy War Saturday night. The two are rivals, and there's always emotion, and there was probably more of it after BYU got hit with back-to-back targeting ejections in the third quarter.

The Cougars trailed 20-13 in the last moments of the game, but Taysom Hill guided them down the field for a touchdown. An extra point would've tied the game, but BYU coach Kalani Sitake opted to go for a two-point conversion. Success would mean near certain victory, and failure would mean a loss. How'd that go?

BYU had Hill run a quarterback draw from 3 yards out, out of a nearly empty formation with just five linemen and one blocking back on his far right flank. It's a bold play-call, but there's a potential problem: If Utah were to blitz, BYU would be badly outnumbered at the line.

Well, Utah blitzed. Hill never had a chance, and that was that. Sitake's choice to go for it was admirable, but BYU called a play that turned out to be its death knell. Such is the risk you take.