RANDOM RIVALRY GAME OBSERVATIONS (Typed as game goes along):
PRE-GAME:
-Wandered the Ute Tailgate scene.  Lots of partying going on.  Lots of anti-BYU shirts and lots of trash talking.  A good college football pre-game atmosphere.  Very similar to what I have experienced at Michigan and Ohio State.  Just on a smaller scale.  Love big game atmospheres.
-Watched Pitta during pre-game warm-ups.  The knee is heavily wrapped with a brace it appears and he didn’t seem to be moving that well.  We’ll see if that changes come game-time.
-BYU lines up for the Haka and the entire Ute team moves over to the sideline to break it up.  Coaches from both sides hold the players back.  BYU doesn’t get to finish it.  Utah wins initial intimidation tactic.
-Kudos to Ute fans.  Most arrived into the stadium on-time.  Also see pockets of blue from those fans I assume who bought Ute season tickets before the season.

1ST QTER:
-3-3…Utah moves ball attacking edges and utilizing slant but BYU defense holds.  BYU gets there’s with a 70yd kick return by Collie.  Utah’s defense holds.  Good start for both teams.
-Utah goes right down field for TD.  Johnson has plenty of time to throw taking advantage of the typical soft BYU coverage.  Good play calling mixing up pass and runs and switching to a no-huddle mid drive.  Ute offense on their game thus far.  BYU defense struggling as has been the case most of the year.
-After Ute Def forces punt, Utah drives down the field again with underneath passes with most receiver’s wide open.  BYU safeties having an awful half with Fowler missing tackles and Tafuna being flagged for a PI on a deep ball.  Quarter ends with Utah having the ball at the BYU 11 up 10-3. 

2ND QTER:
-Asiata straight up the middle out of the wildcat for a 4yd TD to go up 17-10.  Utes dominating the time of possession in the 1st qter 11:20 to 3:40.  They are doing whatever they want against the porous BYU defense.  End of 1qter Johnson was 15-18 143yds 1td.  BYU has been trying to blitz but with absolutely no success.
-BYU marches down field with an impressive drive helped by a Ute mistake.  Misi sacks Hall on a 3rd down but Kruger jumped offside.  Hall pitches to Unga for a nice 24yd td run.  The run game is working for Cougars.  BYU needed that and they are back in the game as the defense contributes a three and out to give the offense the ball back. 
-McCain is having issues again in this game.  On the same drive he allows a 30yd completion to Reed and then commits a PI on Reed giving BYU a 1st and goal at the Ute 2.  McCain is matched up on Reed while Sean Smith is on Collie.
-Unga goes in for a 2yd TD out of the Wildcat formation to tie the game 17-17.  Momentum has swung to the Cougars with another impressive drive silencing the Ute fans.  Key plays include a Hall 20yd scramble to go along with the plays mentioned on McCain. 
-Utes come back driving ball down field with short passes.  Drive stalls when they go back to the run.  End result is another Sakoda FG.  That’s a small victory for BYU.  1:41 left which is plenty of time for BYU to counter.
-What a change of momentum and it’s all on Max Hall.  After a completion to Collie and Reed (both on McCain again) he throws a ball directly to Robert Johnson who drops the int.  On the next play he throws it right to Joe Dale and head butts Sylvester to pick up a personal foul penalty.  Utah takes over at the BYU 44 and three plays later Johnson hits Reed on a beautiful 32yd connection.  Again that’s all on Hall.  One of the dumber plays I have ever seen a QB make.  UTAH 27-17 at half.
-Overall an entertaining first half.  In some ways Utah leading is justified since they did seem to dominate most of the first half.  BYU though didn’t wilt when they went down early like they did against TCU.  They’ll get the ball to start the 2nd half so we’ll see if they can counter.

3RD QUARTER:
-For only the 2nd time tonight Hall was pressured by the blitz and hit while throwing ball.  He did get sacked in the first half which was negated by the Kruger offside penalty.  Overall BYU doing a decent job against the pressure but they did have to punt on their first possession.
-Johnson hits Brown for 15 and 16yds and then Ludwig calls for slow developing hand off that results in a 5yd loss on 1st down.  Utes end up punting. 
-Dennis Pitta has been found.  Just caught a 16yd pass on a 3rd and 10 to keep the drive going.  It’s his first touch of the game.  Same drive Hall continues to throw the ball right at Utah defenders.  Cole dropped what should have been a sure pick.  That hurts Utah because BYU goes to score led by the run game from the Utah 38yd line.  Hall finishes it off with an 11yd TD off QB draw. 
-Brown drops a ball on 3rd and 3 on a slant.  Another mistake to give BYU the ball.
-BYU moving the ball again.  Every time Utah blitzes Hall has time to burn them with a quick slant or out to Collie or Reed. 
-Hall throws his 2nd pick trying to go deep to Collie who was double teamed.  No need to take that chance down by just 3.  Johnson made a great catch.  Hall has been living dangerously all game and it’s catching up to him.  If they lose right now it will be on him.
-Utah comes out and runs three straight times and ends up punting.  They are killing BYU with the short passing game so why not throw?  Welcome to the wacky world of Andy Ludwig offensive play calling!
-Hall scrambles and fumbles while being tackled by Misi.  Utah ball at BYU 31.  Another awful play as Hall was clumsy with the ball.  BYU 3 turnovers…UTAH 0.  Cougars should feel lucky they are still only down by 3 but the Utes have a chance to put more points on the board.

4TH QUARTER:
-Utah goes back to pass game and low and behold four plays after the fumble they score as Howard misses an open field tackle on Casteel for a 7yd TD.  Johnson has been picking apart that BYU defense all game long.
-Just as I tell a fellow media member jokingly that it’s time for Hall to throw the ball right to a Ute defender, Hall throws it right into the hands of Kruger who dropped into coverage in a Ute 2-man coverage and stumbles to the 4yd line.  Asiata in the wildcat then finds a wide open Joppru for the TD.  Now Ludwig that was a good call.  On BYU’s side Hall is killing his team with turnovers.
-BYU 4th & 6 at Utah 49…Hall finds Pitta for 17.  Clutch play.  BYU though is taking too much time in this drive. 
-Unbelievable.  Hall throws 4th interception as Sean Smith steps in front of Collie.  Then a 5th late.  Yep.  This loss is on Hall.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
-It’s a quarterback’s game and Brian Johnson by far won this battle.  The senior was spectacular and he executed the game plan perfectly.  Spread the Cougars out.  Hit with outside runs and a short crisp passing game.  Give Andy Ludwig credit for not trying to outsmart himself.  Defensively the Utes struggled a bit with the run but definitely threw enough looks at Hall to confuse him to get the turnovers.  Now they’re BCS bound for the second time in four years.  Pretty impressive.

As for BYU, it all came down to turnovers and much of the blame rests on Hall.  Defensively it’s quite clear this team is mediocre due to the lack of athleticism.  When it’s all said and done 10-2 is a nice record but they definitely didn’t live up to their Quest for Perfection.  Now most likely it’s on to the Las Vegas Bowl for the 4th consecutive year as they hope to end the season with a win.