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Show Thanksgiving 2007 THE RIVALRY Surprises mark recent rivalry history win 34-31 for the second consecutive year. Cody Brunner ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Nov. 21,1998 If history has shown us anything, it's that you can throw records, win streaks and talent levels out the window for Utah and BYU. None of it matters. It's typically going to be a competitive game, and fans can usually count on a thrilling finish. Just flip through a couple pages in the rivalry's recent history. Nov. 20,1993, Nov. 19,1994 This back-to-back series featured identical scores. In 1993, the Utes found themselves on the BYU 37-yard line with time running out and were forced to attempt a 55-yard field goal. After missing two kicks earlier in the game, Chris Yergensen stepped up and drilled the long-range attempt as time expired to get the Utes1 first win in Provo in 21 years. The following year in Salt Lake City saw two nationally ranked teams butting heads until the final horn. With just 56 seconds left, Utah quarterback Mike McCoy found Charlie Brown for a 20-yard touchdown and the Utes went on to The Cougars thought they had an easy victory locked up, holding a nine-point lead over their rivals with less than three minutes left in the game. Utah battled back, though, using a 95-yard kickoff return to cut the deficit to two. With time expiring, the Utes drove the length of the field and set up for a game-winning, 32-yard field-goal attempt. But Ryan Kaneshiro's attempt bounced off the right goalpost and the Cougars left Salt Lake City with a 26-24 win. Nov. 24, 2000 Although the Utes and Cougs had been unimpressive throughout their respective seasons, the rivalry tilt lived up to its billing. Trailing by one point and facing a fourth and 13 from his own 17, BYU quarterback Brandon Doman led his team on a four-play touchdown drive with 13 seconds left. The 34-27 comeback win sent legendary football coach La Veil Edwards out in style as he retired fol- See RECORDS Page 9 Despite what conference standings indicate about the University of Utah and Brig ham Young University football teams, games between the two rivals have a history of coming down to the wire. Schools serve as second home to Polynesians Eric Williams STAFF WRITER Utah was founded by a group of likeminded pioneers—people looking for a new start in a new place. They found a home and valuable resources in a part of the world where no one had thought to look. When breaking down the state's two largest college football programs, the first instinct is to point out the differences, but it's the common denominators~that add fuel to the rivalry fire. The teams share a state, a freeway, an airport, a recruiting pool and, in some rare cases, flip-flopping fans. The schools also share the pioneer spirit the state was founded on. Utah and BYU's football teams were among the first in the nation to tap into the talent of Polynesian players and the strong family- and team- building culture they empody. "Everybody is pretty tight—it's like family," Utah linebacker Malakai Mokofisi said. "If you see a (Polynesian) coming in, then you just take him under your wing and show him around. It's like a home away from home." Thanks in part to Utah and BYU's early utilization of Polynesian talent, there are now more than 40 Polynesian professional players actively playing in the NFL and more than 30 in the AFL. Veteran names such as Junior Seau and Chris Fuamatu Ma'afala have now paved the way for younger players of South Pacific Island descent. "There has been a lot of Polynesians that have always come through BYU and Utah, but more and more you're seeing Tongans and Samoans playing all across the nation," said Kalani Kauwe, a BYU student of Hawaiian descent. Hawaiians from Kauwe's father's generation were some of the first to play football for Utah teams. When tracking the history of this phenomenon, it doesn't take long to arrive at another common trait the schools share—at least to some degree. That trait is one the state of Utah is always associated with—the culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through the efforts of LDS missionaries, nearly 32 percent of Tongans and 25 percent of American Samoans are members of the growing religion. The values of the church and the state's overall tranquility has attracted the attention of Polynesian players and their parents to the two athletic programs. "A lot of Polynesians that originally came out of Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, to the mainland all came to Utah because of church reasons, and BYU and Utah started recruit- ing them," Kauwe said. BYU has embraced the islander roots of many of its players, as well as head coach Bronco Mendenhall's ties to New Zealand, in its prc-game dancing of the Haka. The Haka is a Maori traditional dance that originated in New Zealand. The aggressive movements, darting tongues, grunts and lyrics of the routine are meant to intimidate opponents, originally on the battlefield and now on the gridiron. The Utes' 2007 Media Guide contains a page titled the "Polynesian Pipeline," which features a picture of the 22 Polynesian players and two coaches on the team. The page also provides pictures and names of the eight former Utes who now play in the NFL, including 2005 Fiesta Bowl MVP Steve Fifita. See POLYNESIANS Page 9 0 Locations Moran Eye Center Corneal 'Conditions , • V Anneal Vhm 35 ophthalmologists and optometrists • Pioneering research |
