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BYU football: Vandals caught red-handed painting U logos on cougar statue

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars linebacker Fred Warner (4) tries to calm the crowd after a Utah interception as BYU hosts Utah, NCAA football in Provo, Saturday September 9, 2017.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars linebacker Fred Warner (4) tries to calm the crowd after a Utah interception as BYU hosts Utah, NCAA football in Provo, Saturday September 9, 2017.

Provo • A statue of a cougar on BYU’s campus was vandalized Saturday morning, and police say the suspects were literally caught red-handed.

The statue, near LaVell Edwards Stadium, was spray-painted with two red “U” logos the morning of the football game between rivals BYU and Utah. BYU police Lt. Steven Messick said a witness saw a group vandalizing the statue about 4:50 a.m.

“Our officers did a great job and hustled right down,” Messick said.

Soon after, police questioned four people in a vehicle near the area. Among the clues that led officers to believe they had found their suspects: The group had red paint on their hands.

“They smelled like spray paint and they had a stencil of a block letter U in the car,” Messick said. “They admitted to vandalizing the statue.”

Police cited the four people with misdemeanor criminal mischief and released them. By Saturday afternoon, the paint had been removed from the statue.

Holmoe high on rivalry

How much does the rivalry game mean to Tom Holmoe?

Enough that BYU’s athletic director carried one of the alumni flags onto the field before the start of Saturday night’s BYU-Utah football game. Holmoe played defensive back for the Cougars before a career in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.

“It is very important [to beat Utah],” Holmoe said last March in a roundtable discussion with reporters. “I grew up in L.A., so I watched the UCLA-USC rivalry for as long as I can remember, to the point where I would cry as a kid when UCLA would lose. So I get that.

“Our kids cry when we lose to Utah, and some adults, cry, when we lose to [Utah]. And I like that. I think it is great. I don’t like losing to Utah, but I love the competition,” Holmoe said.

BYU’s AD since 2004 said there is nothing that “makes your heart beat more, and make you feel a sense of accomplishment,” than winning the rivalry game.

He added that the football and basketball games are really important, but he also cheers just as hard for the Cougars in the Olympic sports.

“Most of all, I love the rivalry,” Holmoe said.

Looking ahead

While Saturday’s game was the third of the season for the Cougars and second for the Utes, next year’s big game will be played at the end of the season. It will be played Nov. 24 at Rice-Eccles Stadium, the first November rivalry game since the Utes beat the Cougars that month in 2010.

The following season, Utah was in the Pac-12 and BYU was independent and the game was played in September. Of course, the 2015 game — the Las Vegas Bowl — was played in December.

Briefly

BYU had several recruits on hand for the rivalry game, including four-star quarterback Tanner McKee of Centennial High in Corona, Calif. An LDS prospect who will serve a church mission before enrolling, McKee has offers from dozens of Power Five programs, including Alabama, Texas and Washington. … All three hosts and guest picker Eddie George picked Utah to beat BYU on ESPN’s “College GameDay” program Saturday morning. All four men referred to BYU’s poor showing and lack of offense against LSU as the reason the Utes would extend their winning streak over the Cougars. … BYU running back KJ Hall suffered an arm injury in last week’s 27-0 loss to LSU and did not play on Saturday. … Temperature at kickoff was 72 degrees, under cloudy skies. … Kelly Smith, Robert Parker and Robbie Bosco joined Holmoe in carrying out the alumni flags.