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BYU head coach Kalani Sitake and the rest of the BYU sideline begin to celebrate as the Cougars defeat Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. BYU won 27-16, ending a nine-game losing streak to the Utes. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Mention BYU’s 26-17 win over Utah the last time the rivalry game was played, on Sept. 11, 2021, and one of the first memories that Cougars who played in the Week 2 affair is that it snapped the Utes’ nine-game winning streak in the series.
The second memorable event, to them, was how BYU students stormed the field to celebrate the breakthrough over the No. 18-ranked Utes.
“We already had that (field storming) planned coming into the game,” tight end Keanu Hill said Wednesday.
Noted BYU defensive lineman Blake Mangelson, who didn’t play much but was on the field for the last play and could see the students lining up to burst onto the playing surface at LaVell Edwards Stadium: “I do remember there was so much pressure on us to win, knowing the game wouldn’t be played as much after that. The monkey was off our backs.”
And just in the nick of time.
“My biggest memory is the excitement on the sidelines from my coaches and my other teammates and then having the field stormed and all that,” Mangelson said. “I think that is the one thing I remember the most about it.”
The tables have been turned for this year’s rivalry game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday (8:15 p.m., ESPN) as No. 9 BYU enters as the favorite and Utah the team looking to right a disappointing season.
“This is probably their Super Bowl,” said BYU receiver Chase Roberts, when asked if he expects a field-storming if Utah wins. “They don’t have a lot to lose. They are going to go out and play their best and do what they do. They are a good team. We just gotta do what we…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/monkey-off-backs-byu-seniors-001328170.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-11-08 00:13:28
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