More than 30 years later, former Ute football star Scott Mitchell says prayer led him to choose Utah over BYU.
The record-setting quarterback, and LDS Church member, recently said in a phone interview that, as a relative of legendary coach LaVell Edwards, he always planned on attending BYU.
“When I was being recruited in high school, I always thought I was going to BYU,” he said. “I was born and bred to go to BYU. There was no reason on earth I shouldn’t have gone to BYU.”
ExpandMitchell said that day in 1985 he “went in my room and prayed about it.” In the middle of the prayer, the phone rang and it was Utah coach Jim Fassel on the line.
“In the middle of the conversation, I had this powerful feeling of warmth and peace come over me,” Mitchell said. “This was why I went to Utah. Nothing to do with anybody’s schemes, opportunities, things like that. It was that feeling at that moment.
“So if you can imagine me saying no to BYU, it must have been a powerful moment for an 18-year-old kid to say he’s going against everybody and everything, and to have that conviction. That’s how powerful that was in my life.”
Utah had won just two games the previous season.