Wednesday night’s Utah-BYU rivalry got a bit overcooked as the Cougars' Nick Emery punched Utah’s Brandon Taylor in the closing minutes of the Utes' 83-75 victory.
Since then, the sports world has reacted, and it's the fourth time the BYU athletic program has received negative national attention for such incidents dating back to the brawl at the end of the Miami Beach Bowl in December 2014. While each incident has been unique and come with different arguments about severity and intent, the national reaction hasn't been positive for the Cougars.
Sports Illustrated called Emery’s shot a “vicious sucker punch,” and Yahoo! Sports said that the freshman’s poor decision “ensured BYU lost more than just a basketball game.”
Despite the talk that the BYU-Utah rivalry has dwindled over the years, CBSSports noted the “rivalry is one that’s more heated and vehement than most realize.”
The bad publicity began last year at the end of the Miami Beach Bowl, a double-overtime victory by the Memphis Tigers. The game ended when Memphis’ DeShaughn Terry intercepted Christian Stewart's final pass. From there, Memphis’ celebration and BYU’s sorrow turned into one big, ugly brawl as both teams riled with flying fists, swinging helmets and punches.
The brawl blew up across the nation. ESPN, FOXSports, SB Nation, CBSSports and Sports Illustrated are just a few of the organizations that covered it. The OC Register noted, “BYU brandishes a reputation for playing to the whistle and beyond.”
Just last weekend, BYU linebacker Harvey Langi was seen on camera throwing a jab at Utah State running back LaJuan Hunt. But was it a punch, or an attempt to force a fumble? Deadspin went with the former; FanSided went with the latter, saying Langi is “just terribly bad at forcing fumbles” and the attempt is “so terrible, (it’s) actually quite comical to watch.”
Earlier in the season, BYU offensive lineman Ului Lapuaho’s groin punch to Boise State’s Chanceller James on Sept. 12, on the other hand, was much less debatable.
Lapuaho was first to grab control of a loose ball before James slid in out of nowhere in an attempt to take possession. Lapuaho was not having it. The two wrestled around and long after the whistle was blown, Lapuaho took a clear shot below the belt.
FanSided went as far as to call the Cougars the “dirtiest team in college football ... crossing the metaphorical line in order to (seemingly intentionally) hurt opposing players” and that BYU has a “well-earned reputation for playing dirty.”
Following Lapuaho’s shot, The Washington Post wrote, “the Cougars are developing a bit of a reputation for over-the-line behavior.”