COUGARS IN OVERTIME
Tonight marked the Cougars’ first overtime game since a Sept. 16, 2006 loss to Boston College. With the win, BYU is now 5-3 in overtime games, breaking a three-game overtime losing streak. The loss was the Cougars third consecutive overtime loss.
200TH WIN AT LAVELL EDWARDS STADIUM
The 26-23 win tonight marks the programs 200th win at home in LaVell Edwards Stadium since it was built in 1964. The Cougars’ home record during that time is 200-63.
TODAY’S UNIFORM
As part of honoring the 25-year anniversary of BYU’s 1984 National Championship season, BYU was wearing royal blue uniforms today. The uniforms will only be worn for today’s final home game and will later be available for purchase via auction on BYUCougars.com to help fund athletic scholarships.
AFCA COACHES TROPHY PRESENTATION
Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards and members of the 1984 team were honored at halftime today with the presentation of the AFCA Coaches National Championship Trophy. The Coaches Trophy has been awarded to the UPI or USA Today Coaches Poll winner since 1986 and to the BCS Champion since 1998.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and BYU president in 1984, and Glen Tuckett, BYU Athletics Director in 1984, made the trophy presentation.
19 SENIORS RECOGNIZED
Playing their last game in LaVell Edwards Stadium, 19 seniors were recognized at the start of today’s game, a group that included members of the 2004 recruiting class, walk-ons and junior college transfers. This group of veterans have played an integral part of BYU’s three consecutive 10-win seasons.
THANK YOU SENIORS!
BYU’s seniors had a strong showing today, collectively accounting for 134 yards passing. 82 receiving yards, 76 tackles and two sacks.
PULLING OUT THE CLOSE ONES
After a close 26-23 victory over the Utes, the Cougars have won 11 consecutive games decided by seven points or fewer, including three this season.
PITTA PASSES FORMER TEAMMATE COLLIE
With his 14-yard reception with 25-seconds remaining in the first half, tight end Dennis Pitta (2004, 07-09) surpassed former Cougar receiver Austin Collie as BYU’s all-time leader in receptions. Collie accumulated 215 receptions over his career from 2004, 2007-08. Pitta now has 216 career receptions.
PAYNE BECOMES MWC LEADER
Junior kicker Mitch Payne’s made extra-point following BYU’s touchdown with 10:11 to play in the third quarter gave him a career total of 151, surpassing the previous MWC career leader, his older brother, Matt Payne (2001-04).
UNGA REACHES CENTURY MARK
Unga recorded 100-plus yards rushing for the fifth time this season, totaling 116 yards on the night. The junior now has 15 100-yard rushing games over his BYU career.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK 1,000-YARD RUSHING SEASONS
Junior running back Harvey Unga’s 116 yards rushing tonight increases his season total to 1,016. Unga has now racked up 1,000-yard rushing seasons each of the past three years—the first Cougar to ever do so. He had 1,227 as a freshman in 2007 and 1,132 as a sophomore in 2008.
UNGA PUTS UP POINTS
Junior Harvey Unga scored BYU’s first touchdown of tonight’s game off a 2-yard run in the second quarter, giving BYU a 10-6 lead. Unga has accounted for the Cougars’ first touchdown in six games this season.
COIN TOSS
BYU won the coin toss today and elected to receive, marking the seventh time this season the Cougars have won the toss. BYU is now 5-2 when losing the toss.
COMPETING AS A RANKED TEAM
With today’s win the Cougars improve to 158-46 when nationally ranked in the Top 25. A ranked BYU team has won 27 of its last 32 games dating back to 2006.
10-2 THROUGH 12 GAMES
Since Bronco Mendenhall took over the program in 2005, BYU has closed the regular season with 10-2 records or better in three straight seasons. Defeating Utah gives the Cougars another 10-2 season record, marking the 14th time in program history and extending the current streak to four. Never before has a BYU coach led his team to four consecutive 10-2 records.
FLAG BEARER
BYU has a tradition of selecting a player before each game to run the team flag onto the field, as well as a former Cougar to carry out the alumni flag. As part of the 25-year anniversary celebration of BYU’s national championship, each alumni chosen to carry out the flag this year will be a member of the 1984 team.
Carrying the team flag today was sophomore offensive lineman Matt Reynolds with former BYU defensive lineman Jim Herrmann carrying the alumni flag. Herrmann was an All-WAC selection who played for the Cougars form 1980-84.
CONSECUTIVE CATCHES
All-American tight end Dennis Pitta caught his first pass of the game, a 17-yard completion, with 10:22 to play in the second quarter. The senior has caught a pass in 42 consecutive games dating back to Oct. 23, 2004 (at Air Force), prior to his mission. Those 42 games extend a BYU program record previously held by Glen Kozlowski with 38.
HE WHO SCORES FIRST...
Utah was the first to score today on a 39-yard field goal with 11:16 remaining in the first quarter. The Cougars’ opponents have been the first to score in six games this season, the others being Oklahoma, Florida State, Utah State, TCU and New Mexico . The Cougars are 4-2 in those six games.
CONSECUTIVE STARTS
Today marked senior defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen’s 51st straight career start. During that streak, Jorgensen has started every game of his collegiate career and set a new MWC all-time career sack record in 2008 with 22.5. Jorgensen’s first career start came against Arizona on Sept. 2, 2006.
SCORING HALL PASSES
Quarterback Max Hall recorded two touchdown passes against Utah today, giving him 30 on the year. Those 30 touchdown passes have been to 10 different members of the BYU receiving corp. Hall has now thrown a touchdown pass in 35-of-38 career games, including all 12 games this season.
PAPER OR PLASTIC?
Sophomore linebacker Jordan Pendleton recorded his third sack of the season for a 14-yard loss with 2:19 remaining in the first half. Senior defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen picked up a sack on Utah’s opening drive of the second half, giving him 6.5 on the year. Collectively the Cougars have recorded 25 sacks in their 12 games this season.
DON’T LOOK BACK
In the Bronco Mendenhall era, BYU is 42-4 when leading at halftime and 40-1 when taking a lead into the fourth quarter.
“FAN”TASTIC FANS
The 64,301 fans in attendance for the Cougars’ 26-23 win over Utah marked the 18th consecutive sell-out at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The current streak marks the longest streak of consecutive sellouts since the 1990-92 seasons. In four games this season BYU is averaging 64,215 fans per game. The last time the stadium was not sold out was against New Mexico on Nov. 18, 2006 when 63,814 fans were in attendance—231 short of a sellout.
COUGAR PICKS
Defensive back Andrew Rich picked off his third interception of the season, second in as many games, with less than one minute to play in the second quarter, returning it for 52 yards. With one final chance to score before the halftime break, Mitch Payne converted a 37-yard field goal to give the Cougars a 13-6 lead. The Cougar defense has snagged 13 interceptions through 12 games.
MENDENHALL TEAMS VERSUS RANKED FOES
Under Bronco Mendenhall, BYU is 3-7 vs. ranked foes, with its other wins being a 31-17 victory over No. 15 TCU on Sept. 28, 2006 and a 14-13 win over No. 3 Oklahoma on Sept. 5, 2009.
LONG PUNT
True freshman Riley Stephenson’s 59-yard punt halfway through the second quarter marked a new career long. He previously kicked a 57-yard punt in BYU’s loss to TCU on Oct. 24.
CHAIN GANG MAINSTAY RETIRES
Long-time chain gang member Keith Mason is retiring following tonight’s game after working 46 years. During that span he has never missed a single BYU game.