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Utah-BYU Game Ends Three Times as Fans Storm Field, Kickers Miss Field Goals

The band is on the — scratch that. The fans were on the field, and then they weren’t, and then they were.

Utah locked up a 24-21 victory over rival BYU on Saturday, but it wasn’t the point-scoring or even the game itself that included most of the intrigue. The final second on the 60-minute game clock was what had everyone talking.

BYU, which was coming back from trailing 24-7, needed just a field goal in the fourth quarter to tie the score. The Cougars appeared to have lost their chance, though, when a pass went incomplete in the final seconds.

But the officials ruled that one second was left on the clock, and BYU got another down.

Just one problem: The Utah fans had already stormed the field to celebrate the victory.

The fans were cleared from the field, and BYU lined up a 51-yard field goal. Utah came through again, blocking the kick, and the fans once again rushed onto the field.

This time, though, the fans really jumped the gun. They swarmed the field before the ball stopped bouncing around, meaning that BYU not only got another chance at a kick but also got a 15-yard penalty, moving the ball in for a 36-yard field goal. (Interestingly enough, the Cougars sent in a different kicker this time — junior Riley Stephenson, after junior Justin Sorensen missed the first field goal.)

While Utah fans most likely forced each other to stay in their seats and held their breath for the last boot, hoping their exuberance wouldn’t change the outcome of the game, Stephenson shanked the kick off the left upright.

The fans then stormed the field with just as much aplomb — the third field-storming having to be a college football record.

Photo of the Day

Put ‘er there, Pedro Ciriaco.

Quote of the Day

“He’s all fired up. Thank God the baby’s big, because he’ll probably beat on him a little bit, but it’s all good.”
– Dustin Pedroia, on the response of his oldest son, Dylan, to his younger brother, Cole, being born this week

Tweet of the Day

We may be Wes Welker fans, too.

@nesn They need to sign this guy.#welker is a keeper.

— teachermom (@teachermom50) September 16, 2012

Video of the Day

Well, that’s a pretty nice goal, Thierre Henry.