November 23, 1985—The Brigham Young Cougars opened up a 10 point lead in the third quarter after a first half that saw the Cougars and the Utes trade touchdowns three times. The third quarter proved to be the difference as each team traded touchdowns again in the fourth.
BYU relied more on the run than its vaunted pass attack on a day that saw snow fall in the second half. Led by Lakei Heimuli’s 164 yards and 3 touchdowns on 23 carries. The Cougars racked up 307 yards rushing on just 50 attempts. Quarterback Robbie Bosco had only 276 yards passing on 22-37, but it was enough to win the game, and a little bit more. During the game, Bosco set the NCAA record for most completions in a season. He also became the first BYU quarterback to complete more than 300 passes in a season. Mark Bellini was Bosco’s favorite target this day making six grabs for 101 yards.
Penalties and turnovers are what did Utah in. The Utes were penalized 12 times for 98 yards. Two of the penalties negated touchdowns. Utah turned the ball over twice, which isn’t an insurmountable amount, except BYU capitalized on each turnover and turned both of them into seven points. The more costly turnover ended up being the interception in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Kurt Gouveia made the pick, which stopped a Utah scoring threat at the BYU 16-yard line. After this interception, Heimuli scampered 83 yards for the touchdown that sealed the victory.
This win moved BYU to 10-2 on the year, marking the third straight season with 10 or more wins. It was also the 42nd win in the last four seasons (1982-1985), one short of the 43 wins from 1978-1981.
Have memories of this game? Share them below in the comments section.
Visit the Special Features page for links to other installments of Remembering the Rivalry.
Other recent posts on BYU FOOTBALL TALK:
Remembering the Rivalry: BYU 56, Utah 6 (1980)
Poll Results: If BYU Wins The Last Two Games, Should Bronco be the MWC Coach of the Year?
Remembering the Rivalry: BYU 51, Utah 20 (1975)
Game Recap: Brigham Young Cougars 40, New Mexico Lobos 7
Game Preview: Brigham Young Cougars vs. New Mexico Lobos
Thursday Trivia: Last Shutout of New Mexico
BYU relied more on the run than its vaunted pass attack on a day that saw snow fall in the second half. Led by Lakei Heimuli’s 164 yards and 3 touchdowns on 23 carries. The Cougars racked up 307 yards rushing on just 50 attempts. Quarterback Robbie Bosco had only 276 yards passing on 22-37, but it was enough to win the game, and a little bit more. During the game, Bosco set the NCAA record for most completions in a season. He also became the first BYU quarterback to complete more than 300 passes in a season. Mark Bellini was Bosco’s favorite target this day making six grabs for 101 yards.
Penalties and turnovers are what did Utah in. The Utes were penalized 12 times for 98 yards. Two of the penalties negated touchdowns. Utah turned the ball over twice, which isn’t an insurmountable amount, except BYU capitalized on each turnover and turned both of them into seven points. The more costly turnover ended up being the interception in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Kurt Gouveia made the pick, which stopped a Utah scoring threat at the BYU 16-yard line. After this interception, Heimuli scampered 83 yards for the touchdown that sealed the victory.
This win moved BYU to 10-2 on the year, marking the third straight season with 10 or more wins. It was also the 42nd win in the last four seasons (1982-1985), one short of the 43 wins from 1978-1981.
Have memories of this game? Share them below in the comments section.
Visit the Special Features page for links to other installments of Remembering the Rivalry.
Other recent posts on BYU FOOTBALL TALK:
Remembering the Rivalry: BYU 56, Utah 6 (1980)
Poll Results: If BYU Wins The Last Two Games, Should Bronco be the MWC Coach of the Year?
Remembering the Rivalry: BYU 51, Utah 20 (1975)
Game Recap: Brigham Young Cougars 40, New Mexico Lobos 7
Game Preview: Brigham Young Cougars vs. New Mexico Lobos
Thursday Trivia: Last Shutout of New Mexico
I attended this game and if I remember correctly Heimuli made his 83 yard run in the middle of a thick snowstorm. I was standing in one of south endzone portals (avoiding the snow). The action was at the north end of the field and was not visible from my vantage point due to the snowfall. Suddenly, the crowd in the stands begins to roar and the next thing I see is Lakei Heimuli running out of the haze of snow toward the south endzone, virtually alone. It's a memory I'll savor forever...
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