A Game For The Ages...Unbelievable!

There were over forty-six thousand people at Rice Eccles Stadium last Saturday night.

I don't think any of us could have guess what would happen over the next four hours, and if they said they did, they'd be lying.

What a ride!

Most of us wore red. Those wearing blue were interspersed throughout the crowd. My friend Bob took me to the game as an early birthday present. I had planned on watching from the comfort of my home. For some reason, the game was scheduled to begin at 8pm late November. It snowed earlier in the day, but that night, the clouds vanished and the temperature dropped. We bundled up in layers and headed off.

Still--I hadn't been to a game in years. Getting to watch one of the true rivalries in all of college football live is an opportunity one should not pass up if possible.

The teams stormed the field, the coin was tossed, the ball was placed, the kickoff started the game. And then it all hit the fan.

I blogged before the game Saturday. I wrote that I did not know what was going to happen. I even stated that I wanted to be happy if BYU won--I'd be happy for their fans, their players, and their coaches.

For three quarters of football, those words kept playing in my mind, because it looked like that's exactly what was going to happen. BYU was mopping the floor with Utah. With only a few seconds left in the third quarter, BYU led 27-7. They were finally going to win--the streak was coming to an end.

Then, the wheels came off.

And a team that had not only been in control all game, but dominating blew a twenty point lead and Utah won the game, 35-27. It was unbelievable. And when the Cougars failed to reach the Utah 48-yard line in four downs with less than a minute remaining, it was all over and the streak instantly became a year longer.

At halftime Bob and I joked about leaving. It was cold, the Utes were getting hammered, but we remained. And we were a witness to history.

I did feel bad for my friends in blue. It was the worst way to lose a game--having a win so close and then having it ripped away. I was already resigned to feeling happy for BYU for their win. In the end, though, the emotional roller coaster that was the game stopped and we all went home, most were over the moon happy--the others felt the exact opposite.

Thanks Bob for the birthday present. Thanks to the Utes for showing real gumption and never giving up. Thanks to BYU for playing their hearts out and helping to make the game one spectacular event. And next year it'll happen all over again.

Can The 2018 Football Season Just Get Here Already...?

I haven't been home much at night due to a play starting. But tonight I was and after doing a little channel surfing, I found a pre-season NFL game, Vikings vs Broncos. Those are two teams I usually root for, the Vikings were the favorite team of my youth and there's a couple of reasons I usually want the Broncos to win--they're the closest team to where I live. They have drafted a few players who played locally, and when we lived in Colorado Springs for one year back in the 1990s, it was hard not to be a Denver Broncos' fan.

But, it's pre-season.

I wish the season were just here already. Last year I must have had more time in the summer because I read a lot of articles about some of my pro football teams, and I really researched and read up on the University of Utah Utes football team. Because of my experience last fall and winter, I vowed I would never do that again. I'd never buy into the hype of pre-season pro or college football. It's just too disheartening.

I remember being really excited about the 2017 U of U season. I mean, they were supposed to be SO good! They were picked to compete for the Pac-12 South championship and even have a shot at the Rose Bowl.

Needless to say, they did neither.

This year, I haven't read any of the articles or spent a lot of time reading articles or checking out sports takes, I've heard not only is the 2018 squad better, the same old promises and wishes are thrown about like free advice on the internet. It's worth about the price you pay.

I didn't watch the entire game tonight. I didn't see the Vikings destroy the Broncos, even though it was just pre-season. Maybe because I didn't want to get hyped up. Thankfully, I've had the the play to focus on instead of thinking about how cool it would be for the Utes to finally get that monkey off their back, win the south and play for the roses.

Who knows? Maybe this is their year. If so, I don't know much about it.