Early Risers and Shouters!

The alarm went off at 2:55 a.m.--and we actually got up. What could get us up at such an hour? Only the BYU/Utah rivalry game.

With the time difference, the BYU football games are usually on in the middle of the night here. But, that's actually good because that's the only time that our internet is fast enough to actually watch TV anyway.

This is the first game in a long time that I actually got myself up for. I usually sleep through them, waking up a few times to Jason's shouting and cheering when BYU scores. But, today was different.

And the game did not disappoint. It turned out to be everything I could've hoped for. For the majority of the game, it was a defensive battle. BYU seemed to control the game for the most part. It seemed kind of uneventful, but still satisfying.

Until the end of the 4th quarter...then it got interesting. I remember after BYU's drive late in the 4th quarter, when Unga didn't make the catch on 3rd down and then again on 4th down (either one would have resulted in a touchdown). I said to Jason, "they may end up regretting not attempting a field goal when they lose 10 to 9."

And it was as if I had predicted the future. The Utes got the ball back, drove down the field, converting on every third down they had, ultimately scoring a touchdown and going up 10 to 9.
We wallowed in disbelief. That's the problem with defensive games--the momentum (and lead) can change so quickly. I lamented the fact that Unga had had a pretty good game but all everyone would remember were the two passes he DIDN'T catch.

But... there was still about a minute and a half left. There was still some hope. Although I really wanted an exciting finish, I admit, that I kind of doubted it would happen. Just because I hadn't seen our team ever do a 2-minute drill successfully. (Since I haven't seen too many games this year, I was unsure if they had even ever been in a situation to HAVE to score on a drive.) After the first 3 downs, I had just about chalked this one up as a loss.

Then, the 4th and long play came. Just as Max Hall seemed like he was sacked, he scrambled away, threw the ball long, and hit Collie just perfectly. It all went downhill for the Utes from here. With the help of a few Ute penalties, we were able to FINALLY get in the endzone and then score the 2-pt. conversion to put us up 17 to 10. I was able to breathe more easily. We at least would go into overtime if Utah scored again. But, there just wasn't enough time and the best :) team came away with the win. I love rivalries! (especially when BYU wins)

It looked like such a nice day in Provo. It was fun being able to watch the game with Jason without any interruptions from our kids (another benefit of the 3:00 a.m. game time). I was glad that it was Unga that got to score the winning touchdown, but that Hall and Collie were also instrumental in even keeping us in the game. I like the 3 of them so much. And Payne did an excellent job hitting field goals earlier in the game, and I don't doubt that he would've made another one for the win if it was necessary. Although, I'm glad that he didn't have to.

I'm really glad that I have a husband who is crazy enough to get up in the wee hours of the morning with me to watch a football game. I'm glad that he "gets me" when I get sick when I think we might lose or I get butterflies, sweaty palms, and an increased heart rate when it comes down to the last play. It's so nice that we both appreciate and love the games. There have been several occasions when we are at a game and they are honoring someone--a coach or player--and I will get all teary-eyed over it. I'll be kind of embarrassed that football gets me all emotional and I won't want anyone to see and then I'll look over at Jason and see that he's teary-eyed too. Then we just both laugh. I'm glad that we are kindred spirits in that way. It's a fun thing to be able to share together.