Holy War: The Best Football Games In BYU-Utah Rivalry (W/Videos)

The BYU-Utah football rivalry, famously called the “Holy War,” is one of the best rivalries in all of college football.

The rivalry dates back to 1896, making it one of the oldest in the United States. To add to the intensity, the schools are located just 45 miles apart, often putting neighbor against neighbor, and dividing families as well. With BYU being a private university associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Utah being a public institution, many also refer to the rivalry as ‘church vs. state’.

Having been to some big rivalry games — including Texas vs. Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl — I can assure you that the BYU-Utah rivalry game ranks near the top as well.

Texas vs. Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl was an unforgettable experience. Wanted the game to go into overtime… didn’t expect 4 overtimes. 😂😂😂 #RedRiverRivalry #BoomerSooner #HookEm #RedRiverShootOut pic.twitter.com/EEzyqe1iEu

— Justin Giles (@JustinGiles_) October 11, 2020

With its rich history, passion, high stakes, and jaw-dropping finishes that not even Hollywood could come up with, the Holy War is a must-see event each and every season.

With that, here’s a look back at some of the most memorable football contests between BYU and Utah, with many of the games coming down to the final play of the game.

Chris Yergensen + Ron McBride’s First Rivalry Win (1993)

Utah 34, BYU 31

With the game tied at 31, and faced with 4th-and-10 on the BYU 45-yard line, Utah sent out it’s field goal unit. With just 30 seconds left in the game, Utah kicker Chris Yergensen lined up and drilled a 55-yard field goal for a shocking 34-31 road victory at LaVell Edwards Stadium. It was Utah’s first win in Provo since 1971 and Ron McBride’s first rivalry win as well.

After making the field goal, Yergensen ran down the field in celebration as he helped the Utes not only win the rivalry game, but he also made the longest kick of his career. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, a number of Utah players were trying to tear down the goalposts in the north end zone, but stopped after a bunch of BYU players intervened, including star tight end Chad Lewis, who now works in the BYU Athletic Department.

Utah came in having lost 18 of the past 20 rivalry games, and the win turned the annual contest into a real rivalry from that point forward.

34-31 Again + Edwards-McBride Commercial (1994)

No. 21 Utah 34, No. 20 BYU 31

In a historic showdown, both BYU and Utah entered the game ranked in the AP poll for the first time ever. BYU (9–2, 6–1) came in ranked No. 20, while Utah (8–2, 5–2), was right behind at No. 21.

The game was a thrilling back-and-forth affair, featuring six lead changes. With just 2:15 remaining, BYU’s John Walsh connected with Mike Johnston for a 27-yard touchdown pass, putting the Cougars ahead by four (31-27). However, Utah’s freshman sensation Cal Beck responded with a stunning 67-yard kickoff return, bringing the Utes to the Cougar 32-yard line. Just three plays later, Utah quarterback Mike McCoy hit running back Charlie Brown for a 20-yard touchdown pass, reclaiming the lead with only 56 seconds on the clock.

In a frantic finish, BYU managed to drive to the Utah 34-yard line, but disaster struck when Bronzell Miller forced a critical fumble, which was recovered by teammate Luther Elliss with 10 seconds left in the game. The play preserved Utah’s victory, allowing the Utes to secure a 34-31 win for the second year in a row. The intensity and drama of this matchup showcased why this rivalry is one of the best in the nation.

After consecutive 34-31 rivalry games, Bank One created a series of commercials with the two head coaches.

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Ryan Kaneshiro: The ‘Doink’ Heard Around Utah (1998)

BYU 26, Utah 24

This was another thrilling finish in the rivalry.

After a BYU field goal gave the Cougars a 26-17 lead with just under three minutes remaining, Utah’s Daniel Jones returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to cut the deficit to two (26-24). Utah’s defense then forced a three-and-out and the offense took over near the 25-yard line after the punt.

Needing just a field goal to win the game, the Utah offense proceeded to drive all the way to the BYU 15-yard line with nine seconds remaining. With the ball in the middle of the field, Utah kicker Ryan Kaneshiro lined up for a potential game-winning 32-yard field goal only to watch the ball bounce off the right upright, preserving a 26-24 win for BYU at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The win gave BYU a spot in the WAC Championship game against Air Force. The Falcons ended up winning the game (20-13), and finished the season at 12-1.

LaVell Edwards Wins Last Rivalry Game (2000)

BYU 34, Utah 27 

In a dramatic finale to LaVell Edwards’s illustrious coaching career, BYU staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Utah 34-27, sending Edwards off as a winner in his last Holy War game. While the stakes were limited to bragging rights, this game is widely regarded by fans as one of the greatest in the rivalry’s storied history.

With just a minute left to go in the game and facing a daunting 4th-and-13 from its own 15-yard line, it seemed as though Edwards’s last regular-season game would end in heartbreak. But Brandon Doman wasn’t about to let that happen. The senior took the snap, dropped back under pressure, and launched a deep pass that found Jonathan Pittman near midfield.

On the very next play, Doman went to Pittman again, who made an incredible catch along the sidelines for a 35-yard gain. This put BYU on the 15-yard line with just 40 seconds left in the game. Two plays later, Doman took the snap under center and rolled to his right on an option play. He kept the ball and turned upfield and powered his way into the end zone to give BYU a 34-27 lead after a successful two-point conversion.

This victory marked the 257th career win for LaVell Edwards. Cougar players hoisted him onto their shoulders in what was a fitting tribute to one of greatest coaches of all-time.

BYU Stays Undefeated — Gary Crowton Wins First Rivalry Game (2001)

No. 8 BYU 24, Utah 21

No. 8 BYU came in with an 11-0 record and looked to stay perfect as the Cougars were looking to get a spot in one of the prestigious bowl games. Executives from the Fiesta Bowl and others were in town to watch the Holy War in what lived up to another down-to-the-wire finish.

After legendary head coach LaVell Edwards retired, BYU’s Gary Crowton took over and quickly got a taste of what the rivalry is all about. Down 21-10, with under four minutes to go in the game and on the 7-yard line, quarterback Brandon Doman kept the play as he escaped several tacklers before finding Luke Staley for a 7-yard touchdown pass. Staley then converted the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 21-18.

After forcing Utah to punt on its next possession, BYU quickly got the ball back and was determined to win the game. After driving down the field, the Cougars were at the Utah 30-yard line with 1:25 to go in the contest. Doman took the shotgun snap and ran a speed option play to the short side of the field before pitching the ball to Staley who burst down the BYU sideline for the 30-yard score which gave the Cougars a 24-21 win and kept its undefeated season alive.

Utah Ends BYU’s 361-Game Scoring Streak (2003)

Utah 3, BYU 0

It was memorable game for all the wrong reason as the Holy War showdown gave fans the lowest scoring game in rivalry history: 3-0. It was Urban Meyer’s first season as the Utah head coach who took his team to Provo to play the ‘team down south’ — a nickname he started which only intensified what was already a heated rivalry.

With freezing temperatures (around 20 degrees), it was cold, blustery, with snow falling throughout the game. With these conditions, there was a heavy dose of the run game as both teams could barely throw the ball. Utah quarterback Alex Smith threw for 113 yards and one interception. He rushed for another 55 yards. The Utes racked up 223 yards of total offense. BYU didn’t do any better as the Cougars had just 156 yards of offense. Fui Vakapuna led BYU with 56 yards on seven carries.

Utah kicker Bryan Borreson was the player of the game as he made a 41-yard field goal in what was the only points of the game. Not only did Utah get a win in Provo against their rival, they also ended the Cougars’ 361-game scoring streak. It was the first shutout for BYU in 28 years.

With the win, the Utes took home the Mountain West title, finishing the year at 10–2, which was their best record since 1994. Meanwhile, the Cougars (4-8), finished with back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1970-71. The last time BYU was shut out was in a 20-0 loss to Arizona State in 1975 — before any player on the BYU roster was born.

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“Harline Is Still Open” (2006)

No. 21 BYU 33, Utah 31

In a thrilling finish that remains etched in BYU football history, Jonny Harline’s game-winning catch against Utah in 2006 is celebrated as one of the program’s defining moments. With just over a minute to go in the game, BYU quarterback John Beck led a drive starting from the Cougars 25-yard line. The senior quarterback drove the Cougars down to the 12-yard line with just three seconds to go in the contest.

Taking the snap on the last play of the game, Beck showcased remarkable calmness as he extended the play in what seemed like forever as he was buying time for his receivers to get open. Right before he got hit, Beck threw the ball back across his body towards the corner of the end zone where Harline was standing. Somehow the Ute defenders forgot about him as the senior ran towards the ball and made a sliding catch on his knees to give BYU a dramatic walk-off 33-31 victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

And yes, Harline is still open in case anyone is wondering.

Below is the text and video from crazy finish!

“Final play of the game barring a penalty. All the time in the world for Beck. Can anybody get open for him. He’ll roll right, let’s it go. Finds his guy. Touchdown! Jonny Harline comes all the way across the field… Beck finds him and it’s a touchdown and BYU swarms the field. They win it. Five in a row won’t happen. John Beck… put it in your books the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year, finds his senior tight end… victorious here in Salt Lake.”

Austin Collie: ‘Magic Happens’ (2007)

No. 25 BYU 17, Utah 10

With a Top 25 ranking, playing at home and looking to win back-to-back rivalry games, No. 25 BYU was favored to beat Utah. However, trailing 10-9 with just over a minute remaining in the game, combined with a 4th-and-18 situation, the situation looked bleak for the Cougars.

But as Austin Collie would say, ‘magic happens.’ Quarterback Max Hall took the snap, avoided a sack before running towards the Utah sideline to buy some time for his receivers. Lost in the commotion was Collie who was behind the Utah defense near the Utah sideline. While on the run, Hall threw off his back foot and found Collie for a 49-yard gain to keep the drive alive.

A few plays later, running back Harvey Unga finished things off with an 11-yard touchdown run, bowling over Utah defensive back Robert Johnson in the process, to give the Cougars the lead. Following a successful 2-point conversion attempt, the Cougar defense held on for a dramatic 17-10 win as fans rushed the field in celebration.

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Max Hall: “I Hate Everything About Them” (2009)

No. 19 BYU 26, No. 21 Utah 23

As Cougar fans would say, “Andrew George is still running.”

This Top 25 showdown more than lived up to the hype as the Holy War went into overtime. After No. 21 Utah was held to a field goal in extra time, No. 19 BYU had a chance to win it with a walk-off touchdown.

With the ball on the 25-yard line and on the second play for BYU, quarterback Max Hall threaded an absolute needle to tight end Andrew George over the middle of the field between Utah defenders Joe Dale and Stevenson Sylvester. Both Dale and Sylvester collided while George ran untouched into the end zone to give BYU a dramatic 26-23 victory at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

After the game and having played his final rivalry game, Hall made sure to let everyone know how he felt about Utah.

“I don’t like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, their fans. I hate everything,” Hall said Saturday. “It felt really good to send those guys home. I think the whole university and their fans and the organization is classless,” Hall continued. “They threw beer on my family and stuff last year and did a whole bunch of nasty things. I don’t respect them and they deserved to lose.”

“Brandon Burton Is Still Unblocked” (2010)

No. 20 Utah 17, BYU 16

While Andrew George may still be running, Ute fans can smile knowing that “Burton is still unblocked.”

After the heartbreaking loss to BYU the previous year, the 20th-ranked Utes were looking for revenge in Salt Lake City. This was the last year these two programs would play as conference members with Utah going to the Pac-12, and BYU going Independent. In addition, this was a year after the Max Hall tirade against Utah and BYU had won 3 of the past 4 games too. There’s always a lot riding on rivalry games, but this certainly turned it up a notch.

After going scoreless through three quarters, Utah entered the fourth quarter down 13-0. But the Utes stormed back, scoring 17 unanswered points to take a 17-16 lead with four minutes to go in the game. As BYU started marching down the field, Utah fans got uneasy after experiencing several heartbreaks the past few years. The Cougars moved the ball to the 32-yard line with four seconds left in the game.

BYU kicker Mitch Payne came on to attempt the 42-yard game-winning field goal. The ball was lined up down the middle of the field and it looked as though the Cougars were going to win once again.

But as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast my friend.” Utah’s Brandon Burton used his speed to get around the edge and dove in front of the kick to make a game-saving block to give Utah the win in what was a heart-stopping finish.

Fandemonium: Crowd Rushes The Field Three Times (2012)

Utah 24, No. 25 BYU 21

“Wow. Unbelievable!” said the play-by-play announcer. “I’ve never witnessed anything like this” exclaimed the color commentator as the game came to a dramatic close.

Welcome to the Holy War!

With Utah holding onto a 24-21 lead and with just a minute to go in the game, No. 25 BYU was at it’s own 8-yard line with no timeouts. It didn’t look good for the Cougars, but in this rivalry game, expect the unexpected and that’s exactly what we got.

The Cougars drove to the 35-yard line and had one more play before attempting a field goal. On the next snap, the pass from BYU quarterback Riley Nelson got tipped and floated in the air for a bit. It appeared the clock had run out as the Utes used a little home cooking to their advantage. Fans rushed the field, however, the refs put one second back on the clock after reviewing the play.

This setup a 51-yard field goal attempt by Justin Sorensen which was blocked. However, the ball was still live as the Cougars were trying to run it back for a touchdown. Meanwhile, at the same time, Ute fans started rushing the field again. This resulted in a 15-yard live ball foul which gave BYU the ball at the 19-yard line and an untimed down.

BYU put in Riley Stephenson to kick the field goal this time from 36 yards out. The ball hit the upright and bounced away as Ute fans flooded the field for a third and final time. This happened right at midnight which led to many memes about the Cougars not playing on Sundays. What a game and what a rivalry!

BYU-Utah: Holy War In Sin City (2015)

No. 22 Utah 35, BYU 28

After taking a two-year hiatus (2014-15) during the regular season, Utah and BYU found themselves matched up in the Las Vegas Bowl. Both teams were 9-3, with Utah ranked No. 22.

Just like every rivalry game, this one was a script Hollywood couldn’t write itself either as it was bonkers right from the start. BYU turned the ball over on their first five possessions, including giving up two pick-6s and nearly a third after a Utah defender was stopped at the 1-yard line.

Utah converted all of those into touchdowns to take a commanding 35-0 lead halfway through the first quarter. The Utes set a Las Vegas Bowl record for points scored in a quarter and BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum also made history with three interceptions thrown, the most by any quarterback in Vegas Bowl history.

After spotting Utah 35 points, BYU kept chipping away and if the game had a couple more minutes remaining, the Cougars probably would have won that rivalry game with the way things were going. BYU beat Utah in nearly every statistical category such as first downs (22-14), total yards (386-197), etc., however, the 5 turnovers and pick-6s was too big of a deficit to overcome.

“I have never been involved in a start like that,” Whittingham said after the game.

Mangum, who earlier this season led the Cougars to last-minute comebacks against Nebraska and Boise State, never had a chance to do the same against the Utes. After bringing them within a touchdown with 3:23 left, he could only watch on the sideline as the Utes picked up two first downs to run out the clock.

The win was Utah’s fifth straight in the series and their 10th in the last 13 meetings. The win also gave the Utes another bowl win, their 12th in the past 13 bowl games.

Hindsight is ’20–20′ (2016)

Utah 20, BYU 19

Just when you thought you had seen it all.

Utah and BYU combined for nine turnovers as the The Holy War more closely resembled a game of hot potato than anything else. But like most games, it came right down to the wire.

After Utah kicked a field goal to take a 20-13 lead with just over two minutes to go in the game, it would all come down to BYU’s final drive at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

With star running back Jamaal Williams out for the game, BYU quarterback Taysom Hill used both his arm and his legs to march right down the field. With 25 seconds left and the ball at the 7-yard line, Hill avoided a sack and then ran untouched into the end zone to pull BYU within one at 20-19. BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, who used to be the defensive coordinator at Utah, decided to go for the win and try a two-point conversion.

With five receivers lined up to spread Utah out, BYU’s play call was for Taysom Hill to run the ball. Utah was prepared for it as they rushed six which allowed the Ute defense to swarm Hill and stop him from reaching the end zone. Utah emerged victorious despite committing six turnovers in the game.

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