DJ & PK’s Best Utah/BYU Rivalry Moments: Austin Collie Enters BYU Lore On ‘4th & 18’
Nov 7, 2024, 9:55 PM
SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 6: Wide receiver Austin Collie #9 of the BYU Cougars scores a touchdown against the Washington Huskies on September 6, 2008 at Husky Stadium in Seattle Washington.(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – NFL fans may know him for catching passes from future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, but Austin Collie etched his name in the BYU history books with an unforgettable fourth-down catch to beat Utah in 2007.
With Rivalry Week inching closer to Saturday night’s game, KSL Sports Zone’s DJ and PK are reliving some of the rivalry’s most thrilling games and moments. Today, we remember a 4th-&-18 Max Hall to Collie completion that turned a likely loss into a Cougar win on BYU’s final drive.
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No. 25 BYU entered Lavell Edwards Stadium with an 8-2 record. The Utes came into the day at 8-3, half a game behind the Cougars in the Mountain West standings.
A field goal battle emerged as both programs traded chip-shot field goals into the final quarter. The Cougars held a 9-3 lead after a 35-yard Mitch Payne FG with 13:48 left.
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Saving their best for last, QB Brian Johnson took the field with a Utah offense that had been unable to find any momentum against a stout defense. Johnson led by far the Utes’ best drive of the day, using 15 plays to march 69 yards on a drive that lasted more than seven minutes.
Darrell Mack ended the drive by crashing into the end zone on a one-yard dive. The extra point gave the Utes their first lead of the afternoon with 94 seconds left.
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Trailing by a point, BYU took over at their own 20-yard line after a touchback on the kickoff.
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On first down, Utah defender Martail Burnett sacked Hall for an eight-yard loss. Following back-to-back incompletions, the Utes had BYU on the ropes, staring at a 4th-and-18 deep inside their own territory.
Immediate pressure in the backfield forced Hall from the pocket. The Cougar QB scrambled to his right while scanning downfield for an open receiver. At the same time, Collie got behind his defender and into Utah territory.
From the right hash, Hall stepped into a deep throw down the sideline that momentarily hung up in the air, forcing Collie to backtrack to make the catch. Collie was dragged down at the Utah 39-yard line after a 49-yard gain put the Cougars in business.
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The momentum-shifting play forced Utah to play on its heels, resulting in two 15-yard penalties in the next three plays, which put BYU in the red zone.
On 2nd-and-7, current Cougar running backs coach Harvey Unga gave his team a 17-10 lead with an 11-yard rushing TD.
BYU left 38 seconds on the clock, but its defense had enough in the tank to hold off the Utes.
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Big 12-leading and undefeated BYU looks to silence Rice-Eccles Stadium when it faces Utah on Saturday, November 9. Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. MT.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.
