After trailing the Cornhuskers 27-26 with.01 seconds left, BYU quarterback Taylor Mangum threw a prayer just inside the 50-yard line into the air, which was caught by Mitch Mathews in the end zone to seal the victory.
1994-Colorado/Michigan: Twenty years ago, Colorado was a major power in college football and quarterback Kordell Stewart and receiver Michael Westbrook were two of the program’s bigger stars.
Mike Riley raised clenched fists over his head and looked at the ground, his headset sliding backward.
History says we’ll be replaying this rare, game-winning pass for years to come. “I had to come down with it for my guys”.
For the first time in what seemed like forever, the game between Utah and BYU in 2009 did not have any implications about who would win the Mountain West. Even so, the rivalry game always causes a lot of passion and intense play and 2009 was no different. I didn’t know I scored right away because I was under a pile of people.
The 6-6 senior started the play on the left side and crossed the field near the goal line, drawing defenders to the area occupied by Nick Kurtz and Terenn Houk, both of whom stand 6-foot-5.
Hill, who drew notice as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate before fracturing a leg in the middle of last season, threw for 268 yards and a touchdown and ran for 72 yards and another score. Coach Bronco Mendenhall said Hill fractured a foot on a 21-yard touchdown run in the first half.
Mendenhall announced before the game that four players – Sione Takitaki, Trey Dye, Kai Nacua and Tomasi Laulile – were suspended for the season-opener. That is the most yards by a BYU pass catcher in the opening game since Dennis Pitta had 11 catches for 213 yards in 2008. “We had one completed on us at half time against USC, but I don’t remember ever that happening at the end of one of our games”. The end result of the game, however, was another embarrassment to the team as Hill again picked apart the defense to the tune of three rushing touchdowns.
“It wasn’t my best ball”, Mangum said. It came out a little wobbly, but I was just glad it got there. “I was just proud of the way he was able to lead our team on the big stage, in an historic stadium, finding a way to pull it out”. BYU would take the lead 33-28 and the time had expired. BYU fans had flashback to previous year when the team immediately lost four straight after he broke his leg. Mendenhall said they really hadn’t talked to Mangum about injury possibilities.
Nebraska came back in the game and had the lead late in the fourth quarter. The Utes only posited an 8-5 record in their second season under coach Kyle Whittingham.
But the decisions the coaching staff had to make – and the ones they had to consider – before the last prayer weren’t as clear-cut. Beck threw against his body while he was about to get hit and barely got enough on the ball for a BYU touchdown.
The nation’s top quarterback recruit stepped in for three-year starter Brett Hundley with remarkable poise, went 28 for 35 with no turnovers, and the Bruins racked up 503 total yards to beat the Cavaliers easily.