Utah vs. BYU: Memorable moments, comebacks and controversial plays of the Holy War rivalry

Time will soon tell if Saturday's anticipated matchup between BYU and Utah in Provo, Utah, delivers another classic finish in the Holy War rivalry.

It's hard to argue that the next installment of the in-state showdown is shaping up to be one of the most important meetings in recent memory, as both the Utes and Cougars are ranked in the national polls and enter the matchup with a combined 11-1 record.

Ahead of the Week 8 clash at LaVell Edwards Stadium, let's take a look back at some of the Holy War's top games, memorable comebacks and controversial plays in recent memory.

Top games in Holy War rivalry

Chris Yergensen snaps Utah's losing streak in Provo (1993)

What happened: A shootout featuring a combined 885 passing yards between the two teams came down to a 55-yard field goal attempt from Utah kicker Chris Yergensen. The third-year kicker drilled the kick to give the Utes a 34-31 win in Provo

Significance: Utah, which hadn't won in Provo since 1971, began to turn the tide in the series with its dramatic win in 1993. The Cougars won 19 of the previous 21 meetings under head coach LaVell Edwards, but the Utes won nine of the next 14 head-to-head meetings going into the 2000s; starting with their 3-point win in 1993.

"Harline is still open" (2006)

What happened: Down four points with 3 seconds remaining in regulation, BYU quarterback John Beck scrambled around the line of scrimmage for a few seconds before launching a pass across his body to tight end Brian Harline, who was left uncovered at the goal line by Utah's defense, giving the Cougars a 33-31 win and snapping the Utes' five-game winning streak over their rival.

Dec 21, 2006; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback (12) John Beck. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Significance: With the win, BYU finished the 2006 regular season as the Mountain West Champions with a 10-2 record, sending the Cougars on a trip to Las Vegas, where they beat Oregon in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Beck-to-Harline connection, which sparked the famous line, "Harline is still open," from the voice of BYU football, Greg Wrubell, was later immortalized by fans with T-shirts that featured Wrubell's call.

The fourth-and-18 miracle (2007)

What happened: Trailing 10-9 with just over a minute left in regulation, the Cougars were faced with a fourth-and-18 situation on their own goal line. BYU quarterback Max Hall avoided Utah's pass rush before heaving a pass deep down the field to wide receiver Austin Collie for a 49-yard gain, setting his team up with a new set of downs on the Utes' 39-yard line. A couple of 15-yard penalties against Utah later, Harvey Unga ran in for an 11-yard touchdown to put BYU up 15-10, followed by a successful 2-point conversion from Collie to make it a 7-point game with 38 seconds remaining.

Sep 8, 2007; Pasadena, CA, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Max Hall (15). | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Significance: BYU captured its second straight 10-win season under head coach Bronco Mendenhall with its come-from-behind win over Utah, sending the Cougars back to the Las Vegas Bowl, where they beat UCLA, 17-16.

The triple field storming (2012)

What happened: Not one, not two, but three instances of Utah fans rushing the field thinking their team had beat its in-state rival made for one of the craziest finishes in the history of the Holy War. The first wave came after Cougars quarterback Riley Nelson threw an incomplete pass on what appeared to be the game's final play, resulting in a 24-21 victory for the Utes and paving the way for a field-storming. But 1 second was added to the game clock upon further review, giving the Cougars new life as Utah was penalized for celebrating too early. That set up Riley Stephenson for a 51-yard field goal attempt, which was blocked by Utah and recovered by BYU before being downed with no time on the clock. However, because Utes fans rushed the field as the play was still going on, the referees penalized Utah again and had to clear the hundreds of college students off the field for a 34-yard field goal try. Stephenson banged his ensuing kick off the upright, ending the game in a 24-21 final following a crazy sequence of events.

September 15, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars kicker Justin Sorensen (37) has a field goal attempt blocked by the Utah Utes with one second remaining in the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. A penalty was called after fans rushed the field while the play was still alive, which resulted in officials granting Brigham Young an additional field goal attempt. Utah defeated Brigham Young, 24-21. | Russ Isabella-Imagn Images

Significance: Utah, then in its second full season as a member of the Pac-12, went on to finish the 2012 campaign with a 5-7 record, while BYU, an independent, went 8-5 with a win in the Poinsettia Bowl over San Diego State. While the early-season matchup at Rice-Eccles Stadium didn't lead to a winning season for the Utes, it did extend their streak in the series to three straight wins.

Memorable comebacks

LaVell Edwards' final game (2000)

What happened: Facing a fourth-and-13 from its own 17-yard line, BYU needed to move the chains in order to complete its comeback attempt that had been brewing the entire second half. That's when Cougars quarterback Brandon Doman scrambled to find Jonathan Pittman in a sea of Utah defensive backs, to advance the ball to midfield. A few plays later, Doman ran in for the game-winning score with just 10 seconds left, giving the Cougars a 34-27 win.

Significance: BYU ended the LaVell Edwards era with a come-from-behind win over its in-state rival, creating one of the most emotional wins for the Cougars in the series' history.

The comeback that stunned Salt Lake City (2001)

What happened: Leading 21-10 with 5:47 left in the fourth quarter, Utah was minutes away from spoiling BYU's bid for an undefeated season. Doman and company had other plans, though, as the BYU signal-caller led a pair of scoring drives in the clutch to pull out a 24-21 win from the jaws of defeat.

Significance: The Cougars finished Gary Crowton's first season as head coach with a 12-0 record after knocking off the Utes on their home field.

"A comeback for the ages" (2018)

What happened: The Utes trailed 27-7 to the Zach Wilson-led Cougars in their 2018 regular season finale before mounting an epic fourth quarter comeback that was capped off by a memorable 33-yard run from Jason Shelley, prompting Fox commentator Guy Haberman to deliver the line, "A rivalry for generations, and a comeback for the ages," as the Utes went ahead 35-27 in the final minutes. Wilson's completion to Matt Bushman on fourth-and-7 on the ensuing drive wasn't enough to move the chains, clinching another win in the series for the Utes.

Significance: It was the second-largest comeback win in the series and marked Utah's ninth consecutive victory over BYU.

Controversial plays

"This game was stolen from us" (2024)

What happened: Utah appeared to hang on for a narrow win after sacking BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff on fourth-and-10 with under 2 minutes to play, but a holding call against Utah defensive back Zemaiah Vaughn gave the Cougars new life. After Retzlaff and company marched down the field, drained the clock and nailed a 44-yard field goal to come out with a 22-21 win, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan had some choice words for the officiating crew.

Nov 9, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) is sacked by Utah Utes cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn (5) during the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

"This game was absolutely stolen from us," Harlan said after that game. "We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight I am not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. Very disappointed."

The fumble (2010)

What happened: Down 16-10 with about 6 minutes left in regulation, Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn threw a pass that was picked off by BYU's Brandon Bradley, giving the Cougars a chance to close out a win at Rice-Eccles Stadium. However, the Utes got the ball right back after Bradley lost the ball at the end of the play. Video replay showed that Bradley's knee was down before he lost control of the ball, but the referees didn't overturn their original call. Utah retained possession and capitalized on a sequence of plays, ending with a

a Matt Asiata touchdown to take a 17–16 lead with 4:24 remaining. The Utes went on to win by that score after they blocked the Cougars' attempt at a go-ahead field goal in the final seconds, causing plenty of controversy.