Wednesday’s college football bowl game between BYU and Wyoming pitted a reunion of former WAC and Mountain West enemies.
The Cowboys hadn’t been to a bowl game since 2011 and the Cougars were looking to end a three-game bowl losing streak.
The game was a good one as BYU held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by the Pokes to escape with a 24-21 win in the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers.
But it was an ESPN reporter that stole the show for all the wrong reasons.
Paul Carcaterra, who joined ESPN for the 2010 lacrosse season as a game analyst, was the sideline reporter with Kelly Stouffer and Jason Benetti up in the box.
The game started out in a downpour with heavy rain sending fans for cover for much of the first quarter.
It also sent Carcaterra on a big rant during the game in one of the most bizarre sideline interviews in college football history.
As Stouffer and Benetti went down to get some input from Carcaterra, you could tell something wasn’t right with the former lacrosse analyst.
Carcaterra was explaining why the Wyoming players were changing their gloves and then for whatever reason walked off camera as he threw the glove down in disgust.
This sideline talk about gloves sort of devolved into "whatever, I'm wet, this sucks" #PoinsettiaBowl pic.twitter.com/5WeHHo7R2U
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 22, 2016
Then to start the fourth quarter, things got a little heated between the crew as Stouffer and Benetti asked Carcaterra about the field conditions.
Here’s how the lovely conversation went with Stouffer even butchering Carcaterra’s first name (calling him Parker instead of Paul).
Carcaterra: “One of the security guards told me that he hasn’t seen it rain like this in years.”
Stouffer: “Parker, are you complaining.”
Carcaterra: “That’s it, I’m taking Uber home. I’m taking Uber home. I don’t even want to be in the car with you guys. Both of you are singing at halftime and making fun of me that I am wet. You’re dry and enjoying the game.”
Benetti: “I think his (Carcaterra) mic is shorting out… we should turn that off.”
This dude is still complaining, announcers had to turn off his mic ? #PoinsettiaBowl pic.twitter.com/ryMj1M1B6j
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 22, 2016
Sitake Makes History
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake made history Wednesday night as he became just the first football coach in program history to win a bowl game during his first season. Sitake, already made history before the season even started after he became just the first Tongan head football coach at the Division I level.
BYU sophomore quarterback Tanner Mangum who already had two-game winning Hail Mary’s his freshman season, started under center after star quarterback Taysom Hill went down with his fourth season-ending injury in late November.
Mangum threw for 96 yards and a touchdown in a rain-soaked game. The sophomore showed off his magic as he somehow threw one of the craziest touchdown passes of the year in the third quarter.
VIDEO: Call it the hot potato play — @BYUfootball TE Tanner Balderee with the TD catch on a pass that was tipped twice in the end zone pic.twitter.com/DLfQzALpSN
— Brandon Judd (@brandonljudd) December 22, 2016
