The prayers of BYU fans were finally answered as the Cougars stunned the Utah Utes 26-17 at the LaVell Edwards Stadium.

With fans occupying the seats at the stadium for the first time since the end of the 2019 season, the hour of reckoning began.

The fanbase had been urging on a win for a long time now and seeing BYU deliver a win over No. 21 Utah sure makes them feel like anything is possible going ahead in the season.

The 26-17 victory puts an end to BYU’s nine-game losing streak against the Utes that lasted 12 years.

BYU coach Kalani Sitake attributed the win to the team’s fans and players.

“I’m just really proud of them. It was a great night. It was a good game. We’ve been on the other side of these games. We feel really fortunate and really happy that we got the win,” the coach said.

The Cougars were successful in setting the tone of the game pretty early on by forcing key turnovers against the Utes’ first two drives within the first eight minutes of the game. 

The first points of the game for the Cougars came through a 37-yard field goal from Jake Oldroyd after the team comfortably converted the second turnover.

BYU led by 10-0 but soon the momentum began to shift with the Utes scoring their first touchdown of the game.

Quarterbacks from both ends put on a solid duel in Jaren Hall finishing the night with 149 passing yards and three touchdowns and Charlie Brewer throwing for 147 yards plus one touchdown.

Utes linebacker Devin Lloyd expressed his frustration in the post-game interview, saying his time studied and prepared well but fell short of executing the tactics in crucial situations.

The two teams won’t see each other again before 2024, giving much time to the Utes to think over a comeback strategy and turn the tide against BYU.