When BYU quarterback Max Hall wasn't throwing to someone in red, he did manage to find his favorite receiver downfield in record-setting fashion.
Junior Austin Collie continues to move up among the greats of the BYU and Mountain West Conference record books.
Collie became the Cougars' all-time leading receiver (yardage) Saturday night, surpassing former BYU great Eric Drage's record of 3,077 career yards receiving after a 19-yard pass from Hall in the first half. Collie sits at 3,136 yards for his career with a game, and another season, left to play.
The Biletnikoff Award finalist's list of records continues to grow. Collie, the nation's leading receiver, caught 10 passes for 104 yards, extending his BYU and MWC record for most consecutive games with at least 100 yards receiving -- now at 10 in a row. BYU's first two contests of the season against Northern Iowa and Washington are the only two games Collie did not go over 100 yards in receiving.
In addition to his work in the Utah secondary, Collie also recorded two rushes for 14 yards and four kickoff returns for 134 yards, finishing with 252 all-purpose yards.
On the flip side, the Cougars' second-biggest target, junior tight end Dennis Pitta, finished with season lows of two catches and 33 yards.
The first catch came with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. Though he didn't start the game, Pitta saw significant playing time despite a gimpy knee. He hurt it on BYU's last meaningful drive last Saturday at Air Force. The sprained MCL left him unable to do much practicing.
"It's tough with the knee brace, getting used to that," Pitta said. "But the knee felt good and I tried my best out there. Obviously I didn't have a role like I normally have because of the injury. I was just trying to contribute any way that I could and that's what I did."
Hall credited the Utah defense for Pitta's lack of production.
"Dennis is fine," Hall said. "They did a good job of covering down on him and we didn't take advantage of some of the things they were doing."
• Unga solid: On the ground, BYU sophomore Harvey Unga scored two touchdowns and rushed for 116 yards on 15 carries for the Cougars, his third 100-plus rushing game in 2008. Unga now has scored 24 touchdowns rushing and eight receiving, placing him fourth on BYU's all-time touchdown list and seventh on the Cougars' list of all-time career point scorers. Unga also broke the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his career with 1,082 yards in 2008.
Unga stood on the sidelines at one point, while backup Brian Kariya took some carries. Unga has battled numerous injuries -- neck, shoulder and ankle among them -- which has forced him out of action. But he declined to make that a reason for missing some plays early in the third quarter.
"It wasn't anything. Coaches were just getting in different personnel during the game. That was that," Unga said.
• All in the family: With the win over the Cougars, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham was following up his brother Cary's big win Friday. Cary Whittingham, along with his two sons Jason and Trevor, helped Timpview take the 4A state championship with a win over Cottonwood. Cary Whittingham is an assistant coach for the Thunderbirds while his twin sons are seniors who played linebacker and offensive line, respectively, for Timpview.
• Home boys: Two Utah Valley high school graduates had their moment in the sun for the Utes. Sophomore defensive end Paul Kruger, a former quarterback at Timpanogos High, had a fumble recovery and an interception that resulted in a touchdown, while former Pleasant Grove standout Colt Sampson caught Utah's final touchdown. Kruger was also present with quarterback Brian Johnson on the stand after the game when the Utes received the MWC championship trophy.
• Extra points: O'Neill Chambers scored two nice blocks on Collie's 70-yard kickoff return in the first quarter, then had a 33-yard return of his own a few minutes into the second quarter. ... Ute senior Louie Sakoda's field goal with 9:48 left in the first quarter was the 55th of his career, setting a new MWC record for most field goals made in a career previously held by BYU's Matt Payne. The field goal was Sakoda's 20th on the season, a school record. ... Former BYU defensive back Kyle Morrell carried out the alumni flag for BYU. Morrell is best known for diving over Hawaii's offensive line to make a game- and season-saving tackle in 1984. A senior in the Cougars' championship season, Morrell was WAC Defensive Player of the Year that season and was later drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. Ray Feinga, a 6-foot-5, 348 pound senior offensive lineman from West Valley City carried out the team flag.
Posted in 2008 on Saturday, November 22, 2008 11:00 pm




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