This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
One of the craziest endings in college football history resonated in Utah, and not just because the Utes are tied to Michigan's success.
Blake O'Neill, the Michigan punter whose fumble resulted in Michigan State's winning touchdown on the game's final play, kicked last season for Weber State and is a friend of Utah punter Tom Hackett, also from Australia. John Baxter, Michigan's special teams coach, is a son-in-law of Ron McBride, the former Utah and Weber State coach.
With a two-point lead and 10 seconds remaining Saturday, Michigan needed only to punt the ball on fourth down, likely ending the game. O'Neill dropped the snap, then picked up the ball and appeared to be trying to kick it, only to have it slip out of his hands and into the arms of a Michigan State player, who ran 38 yards to the end zone as time expired.
Ultimately, Michigan's 27-23 loss won't hurt Utah. That already became evident Sunday, when the Utes moved up one spot to No. 3 in the AP Top 25. Utah is still getting a lot of credit for beating Michigan in the season opener, because of what the Wolverines have gone on to do. The College Football Playoff committee members also will recognize that Michigan basically won Saturday's game, at least in terms of how they view the Utes.
So the biggest response in Utah to that epic play should be empathy for O'Neill and Baxter, who have to live with an infamous outcome of the rivalry game. The fallout has been ugly, via social media. As Hackett tweeted Sunday, "Find it strange when I'm reading death threats written to my good mate @blakewoneill, the game is full of mistakes … head up mate."
Michigan's interim athletic director, Jim Hackett, was compelled to issue an open letter to his school's fans, decrying the "vicious comments" directed to O'Neill.
Like Tom Hackett, O'Neill was discovered by Weber State coach Jay Hill (a former Utah assistant) with connections to the Australian kicking community. O'Neill is a good athlete who converted two fake-punt plays last year for Weber State, via a run and a pass. He also broke the Wildcats' season punting record with a 44.1-yard average.
O'Neill already was a graduate student during his year at WSU, having earned a degree in Australia, and was a junior in eligibility in 2014. He moved to Michigan via the graduate-transfer rule and has punted well this season, with good games against Utah and BYU and an 80-yard kick vs. Michigan State. He would have received credit for contributing to a victory, if not for the ending.
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