This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

After something like 150 straight years of playing the BYU-Utah football game, somebody had a bright idea/brain aneurism, deciding to suspend the state's biggest sporting event for two seasons. That was dumb enough. But now, in the first year of the imposed hiatus, both of the rivals have better teams than they've had in recent memory, both are undefeated, one is ranked and the other is knocking at the door, each would present a formidable challenge for the other — were they to actually, you know, play football against one another the way they always have.

No, no. That's been taken away.

Well. They can take away our football freedom, but not our computer models.

So, this is what we're left with: We'll play the game right here. We'll take all the data provided and pit the Cougars against the Utes, quarter by quarter. It's bound to be a donnybrook at Rice-Eccles Stadium. And here's the opening kickoff …

First quarter.

Andy Phillips boots the ball out of the end zone. BYU takes over at its own 25 and marches 60 yards to the Ute 15, mostly on Taysom Hill keepers and bootlegs. On a key third-and-8 at midfield, though, Hill drills a 17-yard bullet to Jordan Leslie, a better pass than any he threw in last year's game at LES. On first down at the 15, two Cougar offensive linemen are called for holding on the same play, followed by an illegal-formation call, then, by a personal-foul penalty, and, Bronco Mendenhall's car is towed for being illegally parked, all killing the drive and taking BYU out of field-goal range.

Utah takes over after Scott Arellano's punt sails out of the stadium. Travis Wilson guides the Ute offense on a speedy drive, finding wide-open receivers, and alternately handing off to Devontae Booker and Bubba Poole, before punctuating the possession with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dres Anderson. Utah 7, BYU 0.

From his own 22, Hill picks up some meaningful yardage on the ground, moving the Cougars offense to the Utah 35, where the drive is halted by a delay-of-game penalty coming out of a timeout, followed by an unsportsmanlike-conduct call. A subsequent 59-yard punt by Arellano is taken by Kaelin Clay, who starts up the middle, fakes right, fakes right again, then goes left, up the sideline for a blistering, scintillating return, straight to the house. Utah 14, BYU 0.

Second quarter.

Hill leads a BYU drive to midfield, where he, on second-and-3, moves right, feigning the run, then squibs out of his hand a bloop-ball that looks like a loose bar of Irish Spring in the morning shower to receiver Mitch Juergens, left absolutely alone by a Utah secondary biting hard on the run. Utah 14, BYU 7.

Two Phillips field goals finish the half's scoring. Utah 20, BYU 7.

Third quarter.

On Utah's first possession, Wilson consecutively connects on quick hitters to Poole and Booker on the perimeter, then delivers a 16-yard strike to Kenneth Scott. The drive is halted though when Wilson, on third-and-long, drifts right, then gallops for the first-down marker, launching himself into the air for no apparent purpose, and is upended by Craig Bills, landing violently on his face, popping his helmet off. The crowd oohs in a combination of concern and amazement. He is walked off the field and taken into the locker room for examination.

Kendal Thompson enters the game and promptly throws an errant ball into the arms of Remington Peck, who rumbles down the field and into the end zone. Utah 20, BYU 14.

The Utes offense goes silent for the remainder of the quarter, but punter Tom Hackett rolls back-to-back punts out of bounds inside the Cougars 5-yard line.

Fourth quarter.

After the second of Hackett's two masterpieces, Hill hands the ball to Jamaal Williams, who churns-and-burns for a couple of sizeable gains, running hard and firing up his teammates. Hill then completes two passes on plays where the protection in front holds up long enough for him to set his feet and drill passes to Leslie and Mitch Mathews. From the 27-yard line in, Hill takes over, eventually scoring on an 11-yard quarterback draw. BYU 21, Utah 20

Wilson, to the relief of everyone, returns to the field. He has been thoroughly checked by team doctors and thoroughly scolded by his mother, told never again to attempt anything as idiotic as he did on his horrific face plant. He promises to comply.

He also torches the BYU secondary on bad coverages, hitting Anderson, Scott and Westlee Tonga, moving to the Cougars 12. The BYU D can't put any pressure on Wilson without blitzing him, and when it does, he takes full advantage by way of a dart into the open arms of Scott in the back of the end zone. Utah 27, BYU 21.

On the ensuing kickoff, Adam Hine snags the ball and takes it 99 yards for a TD. BYU 28, Utah 27.

Phillips hits two more field goals, one from 55 yards out, the other from 62. Utah 33, BYU 28.

With a buck-twenty remaining on the clock, the Cougars move the ball on three short passes to their own 34. On fourth-and-1, Hill runs right, then left, then right, then left, serpentining 66 yards down the field, to the Ute 30, the 20, the 15, the 10 … and, at the 5, he hurdles over Eric Rowe and into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown as time runs out.

But … another holding call, BYU's 23rd penalty of the game, cancels the entire work of art. The game ends, the Utes win.

Wow. It was one helluva game.

A pity it was never played.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM/1280 and 960 AM The Zone. —

"In the first year of the imposed hiatus, both of the rivals have better teams than they've had in recent memory. Both are undefeated, one is ranked and the other is knocking at the door. Each would present a formidable challenge for the other — were they to actually, you know, play football against one another the way they always have."