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Show Page Provo Utah Sundav HERALD 8-- November 19 1978 Gomez Leads Utes Past Cougars, B MARION DL'NN Herald Sporu Editor It took the SALT LAKE CITY I diversity of t ub football team only 30 minutes to wipe out su years of frustration as the Redskins roared from behind in the second half Satur2 day to edge WAC champion BYl in one of the most tense games in this ancient collegiate rivalry BYl moved to a 0 lead m the first half and seemed to have the situation well in hand but the Utes simply crushed the Cougars offensive unit in the second half and took advantage of a bone-tire- d defensive team to score 16 in the fourth quarter and shatter E)ints dreams o! becoming the third school in history to go through the WAC season without a defeat - 23-2- 16-- even to pick up a couple of key first Utah would never have won the game But with the Cougars unable to move their defensive unit spent most of the half on the field and in the end it downs crumbled BYU is now for the season with a game at Hawaii next week, Nevada-L&Vegas in Japan the following week and Navy in the Holiday Bowl The victory assured Utah of its first winning season since 1973 The Utes are 2 in the WAC and 3 for the year with games at Utah State next week and then at San Diego State to end the WAC 3 s 3-- 6-- season. Utah quarterback Randy Gomez threw three touchdown passes against the Cougars to tie Don Van Galder s school record of 17 touchdown passes in a season set back in 1973 The game meant nothing but pride The game was played in nearly and home state glory. BYl had already football weather and the crowd perfect c linched the conference championship and Saturday Navy accepted a bid o of 29,326 was the second largest to meet the Cougars in San Diego's Holi- watch a game in Rice Stadium since it was rennovated. BYU was a 14 point day Bowl Dec 22. But the Utes badly damaged BYL s favorite. The Cougars scored 16 points in the ego by becoming the first Utah team to field goal by beat BYU since 1971. BYU finished the first half on a WAC at Brent Johnson, a Jim McMahon The key to the game was BYU's to Lloyd Jones pass, Johnson's PAT record field failure to move the ball in the second and a half. Had the offensive unit been able goal by Johnson Johnson followed that Ironically field goal by missing a try for point in the third quarter and that was the Utes winning margin But Johnson can t take the blame for the loss BYU just failed to handle Utah s defense in the final two quarters and that failure did the Cougars in. BYU had a 0 lead and needed only to protect it to win But that didn t happen 7 Utah cut BYU's lead to in the third quarter when Gomez hit flanker Jim Teahan with a touchdown pass and Jeff Hucko added the PAT. BYU almost erased that score when cornerback Dave Francis picked off a Gomez pass that had been deflected by linebacker Larrv Miller and returned it 16-- 16-- 22-1- 0 22-1- 7 Mendenhali for at least one week when he injure! his right knee and had to leave the game in the second half And be took a lot of the Cougars strength to the bench with him The Cougars se cond unit safetyman Rob Wilson also injured a knee and will miss at least the Hawau game Gomez was named the outstanding offensive player of the game good for a S1500 JoLene scholarship The Cougars seemed to make tne break that would insure them the win later when the ball was stroped from Gomez hands when he was scrambling and Doug Stromberg fell on it to end a Ute threat on the BYU 22 But on second down fullback Bill Ring fumbled the ball bark to the Utes on the 27 later Gomez fired an to spilt end Frank Henry ifl pass the left corner of the end zone and Utah was ahead for the first time in the A conversion try game. fizzled and that was the final score BYU picked up pnly 4 first downs in the second half and had onlv 12 for the day to Utah's 25 BYU rushed 28 times for a net gain of 59 yards to 182 for Utah for on 58 attempts McMahon was 249 yards passing while Gomez was for 265 yards throwing BYU ran a total of 66 offensive plays to 89 for Utah The possession time in each quarter tells what happened to the Cougars In the first period Utah had the ball for 10:09 to 4 51. In the second period it was Utah 8 34 to 6 26; in the third quarter Utah led 11 39 to 3 21, and in the fourth period Utah had the edge, 9:08 to 5 52. Utah's overall edge was 39 30 to 20:30 The Cougars lost the services of Six plays d 23-2- 2 (The3aillf!Heral SPORTS ol It BYl ink BYl 4 8 I 11-- 23 FG Johnson 20 BYl - Jones 37 pass from McMahon Johnson kick BYl -- FG Johnson 52 BYl -- FG Johnson 21 I'tah-Teah- an 25 pass from Gomei Hucko kick BYl -- Francis 20 interception return kick failed ttah-F- G Hucko 37 ttah-Lind- sav 42 pass from Gome Hucko ktcki 19 Utah Hear? pass from Gomez pass two-poi- 8 5--1. near-scho- to a touchdown in the same quarter Johnson missed the PAT and that was to be a big factor The fourth quarter opened with Hucko kicking a field goal to for BYU make it Then the game did a dramatic tur naround as Utah got the momentum and BYU never got untracked BYU punted to Utah on the Utes 35 and the Redskins drove to a touchdown in 11 plays The payoff came on 2nd and 27 on the BYU 42 Gomez dropped back to pass, was not pressured and with all day to throw fired to tailback Tony Lindsay who turned and caught the perfect throw behind the secondary and pranced in for the score The PAT made it for BYU. 23-2- 2 -- failed 29 326 A BYl I lab First downs Rushes-yard- 12 28-- s 182 249 34 Passing yards Return yards Passes Punts Fumbles-los- 25 58 50 15 8-0 7 6- -40 2- t 265 16 1-2 41 -2 5 4- -J 75 Penlties-yard- Sideline Sidelights Cougar Band Stayed to End By THERON H. LUKE The last football game I saw in the Ute Stadium was the fall of 1931, 47 years ago, and the score as I recall was 54-in favor of Utah. It was a lot more win they pulacceptable than the led off Saturday. Yesterday I wouldn't have cared if they had won 100-- in 1931, if only the Cougars could have pulled it out for this one but it was not to be. The Cougar band, however, stuck it out to the bitter end. Only a minute or so before the end, when Utah had the ball and everyone knew it was over, the band was playing the Cougar fight song. And as its final number when the game over, before sadly putting away its instruments, it played the theme from Rocky. Whether on purpose or not I don't know, but it was somehow appropriate. He lost a close one, too 23-2- 2 0 I R BmJBBrBl B tL wk BfcaBBr-faf- r" 'J fl "" UTAH'S RANDY GOMEZ (S) watdKt the flight of the ball as BYU's John Kormylo (M) tries to get Ugh enough to knock It oat of the air while Larry Miller (82) moves In aid Doug Strom berg B BmbbbbtJJ (71) tries to go over his blocker. The pass, which came on fourth and 16 from the 20, was caught by the Utes' Frank Henry and enabled them to break e a losing streak to the Cougars. A two- - point conversion attempt failed, but the Utes led with 2:13 left in the game and their defense made that the final score. (Photo by Jerry Young) 23-2- pre-gam- Sports Editor It Was Good News, Bad News for BYU - lowers Saturday. The bad news, of course, was the Cougars' second-hal- f collapse that allowed Utah to come from nowhere and take home a 2 victory, the only smudge on the Cougars' WAC record sheet this year. The good news came very early Saturday afternoon but the BYU players didn't hear about it until after their defeat so they didn't welcome it as joyously as they 23-2- should have. But it was good news when Navy was tendered and accepted a bid to meet the Cougars in San Diego's Holiday Bowl Dec. 22. The Holiday Bowl committee is to be congratulated for going after and getting Navy. Friday there was a strong rumor that the committee was looking at Arkansas ahead of Navy. This was water in the bilge. Navy was the committee's first choice and the Midshipmen were offered the bid before they played Florida State. The Midshipmen accepted immediately but showed what a class institution they have when they told the Holiday Bowl people they could withdraw the bid if they felt like it after Florida State defeated them 38-6. No way. The Holiday Bowl people also showed their class by saying Navy was their first choice thrilregardless, that they were had accepted led the Academy and that they want them In the first bowl game in San Diego. Navy is 3 with Army to play on Dec. 2. That is probably the nation's most traditional football rivalry and anything can happen in it just like the unexpected happened in the BYU-Uta- h game Saturday. But the Middies should win and bring an 3 record to San Diego with them. That is an excellent record For Navy to lose only three games in a schedule that included Pittsburgh, Notre Dame. Syracuse, Florida State and Army is exceptionally good. And Navy's big win over Pittsburgh was one of the big sports stories of this year in college football Now it is up to BYU to come in The Cougars play at at Hawaii next Saturday, then meet Nevada-La- s Vegas in Japan. Both of the rivals are practically in the WAC family, but not this year. But just because they are not conference games shouldn't allow the Cougars to relax and lose either of them BYU needs 7-- 9-- to win both of them and go into that bowl game at right on par with Navy. To do less would only detract from the bowl and no one wants that to happen The Midshipmen accepted the Holiday Bowl bid at the time when the BYU-Utagame was just getting started BYU athletic director Glen Tuckett h talked with a representative of the bowl as word was out that Navy had accepted. He reported that San Diego is excited about a Navy-BYgame. At the time Tuckett talked to the represen x Rice Stadium, renamed after the man who presented the school with an astroturf field, seats about 30,000 normally. They've had more than that, and almost reached it with the 29,326 Saturday a phenomenal crowd considering e outlook when it appeared the there might be frostbite fatalities. But it warmed up to above 40 degrees and turned out to be a rather comfortable afternoon at least for Utah. Marion Dunn SALT LAKE CITY It was a good news and bad news day for BYU's football team and fol- Dave Schulthess, sports information director for BYU, runs a tigher pres-sbothan apparently does Bruce Woodbury, his counterpart in the Ute (pardon me, Rice) stadium Before the game he announced "This a working pressbox and no cheering is allowed,'' then grinned and said, "that means anyone from BYU." (It's a WAC rule that the press can't cheer in the pressbox, no matter who is winning) We chuckled appreciatively, but when Utah scored her winning touchdown the Salt Lake press erupted in a spontaneous roar. Which isn't the point of this story. Mr. Woodbury didn't cheer, but then he announced somewhat sheepishly, "It was okay to cheer for that one." I guess he meant it as a joke. I guess we shouldn't begrudge him his victory. But somehow it didn't seem very funny. tative, the Cougars were leading 16-But even the fact they blew it won't detract from the bowl. The Utah game meant nothing in the standings. BYU coach LaVell Edwards told his players afterwards, "the championship is decided on an entire season, not one game.'' That's the way it is. The Cougars won five straight WAC games to lock up the championship and losing to Utah didn't mean a thing. What counts is what the Cougars do from here on in This is a good BYU football team It can be an outstanding one. It will be an outstanding one if it beats Hawaii, UNLV and Navy. The Navy game, of course, is the big one. I can think of no better matchup for this first Holiday Bowl. BYU is a deserving WAC champion and Navy a deserving rival. The Naval Academy claims attention in the nation's press equal to that of any other college. The Midshipmen have a good defense. The Midshipmen have glamor and the Midshipmen will have the entire U.S. Navy backing them up. San Diego could be the Navy's biggest base. Certainly it has the highest number of old salts living there. They will be a home team in this game even though it is a WAC bowl and that honor should go to the Cougars. That just makes it all the more exciting Tuckett said, "I couldn't be more pleased. Navy is a glamour school, one of the most glamorous in the country. It is a real privilege to play Navy in a bowl and Navy feels the same way about piaying us." This will be the first football game in history between the two schools, but not the first contact e Navy athletic director Ed and Tuckett got together at Annapolis last winter and signed for a football game at the Naval Academy in 1987. The astroturf field is a complicated thing. It starts with several inches of concrete, several more of asphalt, a layer of rubber and finally the astroturf a synthetic fiber-lik- e something that looks like grass but doesn't feel like it. Players wear special shoes with much smaller cleats. Before the game we were walking Cop-pedg- At that time it seemed as if there would be a long wait before the first game But the Cougars won the WAC championship and Navy became the surprise team of eastern college football. And now they are going to meet on Friday night, Dec. 22. That should be a great beginning for a great bowl. And now for one last comment thriller. Utah on that Utah-BYcoach Wayne Howard was very clam afterwards and said a lot of nice things about the Cougars being a good team. "The good thing about our win is that it proved we can win against the best teams because BYU is one of the best teams," Howard said. Then he made a comment about his remarks when BYL1 a year ago. "I Iok back on my comments then as a boyish statement. BYU is the smartest team we've played. I still hate BYU more than any other school we play, but that's only athletically. And only beat Utah because they are the best team we play. " the field past the across "Thunder-Ute,- " fire after points, and if they feel particularly good after which they certainly did Satura win day. It's some kind of a compressed air deal that makes a rather weak bang -with no smoke blading out of the muzzle like even a blank artillery shell bra cannon they - ings. But when you're losing and they're winning, it can still sound mighty loud. sat by the Tribune's John Mooney, into the Utah Athletic Hall of Fame, the first newspaperman ever to achieve the honor Someone remarked on the picture of the four inductees the Tribune carried, a large close-ushowing four profiles at close range "Yea," he said, "we call it our Mt Rushmore." In his column the other day he ended with: "You're an oldtimer if you can remember what used to be called BYU's jinx everytime they passed the Point of the Mountain to play Utah I recently inducted p I am an oldtimer. We used to talk about it ruefully. I actually think it was a psychological factor then and I couldn't help but think about it Saturday Except that in my day, if Utah beat us by one point we celebrated it as a victory Which brings to mind another thing from long ago. When I attended BYU in the early 1930s (I said 1930s, not 1830s) we suffered from something else concerning Utah, if you let it get to you, and most of us did. In those days University of Utah students regarded everyone south of Draper as a hick from the tall corn. It was a supercil-liou- s snobbery which people of my generation remember to this day. I asked two people Saturday if they thought it still existed. Both said not. At least as a general thing. For one thing, BYU is now a bigger school than Utah and, geographically at least, more cosmopolitan. Add to that the fact that we have beaten them consistently in athletics, for the most part, during the past several years (Saturday excepted, of course). Maybe it's just as well, but those of us who went to BYU in those days can still remember it. Glen Berge was remarking about it before the game. All of which didn't make Saturday any easier. But as Mrs. Lavell Edwards said in her Herald column following BYU's defeat by Utah State, the sun did come up the next morning, and the world did go on. So ... get out your bailing buckets, Navy! Sugar Bowl May Have Championship Contest Press International football's biggest winner By United The game, played in the Louisiana Superdome, will be for the national tiSaturday was the Sugar Bowl, which tle if unbeaten Penn State beats Pittcapitalized on a loss by Nebraska and a sburgh Friday and No. 3 Alabama downs Auburn Dec. 2 to clinch the SEC tie by Georgia to set up a possible n national championship game New title. The Crimson Tide, the Year's Day between Penn State and favorite to win the national crown, is Alabama. expected to be voted No. 2 in the After Missouri upset No. 2 Nebraska ratings this week. If Auburn beats Alabama, however, 1 and Auburn tied No 8 Georgia Penn State accepted a the SEC Sugar Bowl representative bid to play in the Sugar Bowl against will be Georgia. That might imorove Penn State's chances of winning its the Southeastern Conference chamfirst national crown but it would also pion. take some of the glamour from the to game. Nebraska, which accepted an invitaTo tion from the Orange Bowl earlier in the week, probably lost its chance to Coach LaVell Edwards will be the play for the national championship principal speaker at a luncheon when James Wilder ran for 181 yards meeting of the Downtown chapter of and four touchdowns to key Missouri's the Cougar Club Tuesday at noon at The Tigers' third straight vicSil's Restaurant in the Village Green, victory. over the Cornhuskers at Lincoln, tory according to Don Rue Hickman, presiNeb., earned them a trip to the Liberty dent of the chapter. Bowl in Memphis Dec. 23 against LSU. Coach Edwards will review the The Orange Bowl committee, ready season's games to date as well as disto cash in on the possibility of losses by cuss the remaining games on the Penn State and Alabama in their final the schedule, including Cougar Holiday games, registered the biggest surprise Bowl encounter of Bowl Saturday by choosing Reservations for the luncheon Oklahoma, also from the Big Eight meeting can be made by calling Kathy Conference, to play against Nebraska. 1 Ext. 2717. Reservations at 4 be must made by p.m. Monday. (Cont. on page 17) College 35-3- 22-2- d Edwards Speak Downtown Coaches - |
