PROVO — Ten did not come.
Not during Big 12 Week in Provo.
BYU rode the legs and arm of sophomore quarterback Jaren Hall and a pesky defense en route to a 26-17 win over No. 21 Utah Saturday night in front of a packed LaVell Edwards Stadium and national TV audience.
Utah’s heralded defense had no answer for Hall’s mobility, which included a 60-yard TD run that got called back when he stepped out of bounds at midfield. His run over the left side on a fourth-and-12 in the second quarter and the fact head coach Kalani Sitake went for it ignited BYU’s team. When Hall stepped out of bounds after an 18-yard gain, it set up BYU’s first touchdown and 10-0 second-quarter lead after a 92-yard drive.
That was the foundation of BYU’s victory that ended a 12-year, nine-game losing streak to the Utes.
On one end of the field, Utah’s Kyle Whittingham passed up a field goal for a failed fourth-down run in the first half. On the other side, Sitake gambled and won on a fourth-and-long.
That was the game in a capsule.
BYU’s win was no fluke, nothing of the luck or crazy bounce side. The Cougars led from start to finish and forced two Utah turnovers, and Hall became the first quarterback since Max Hall to walk off the field a winner over Utah, his teammates embracing him in an emotional display of heroic love.
