Utah AD ‘disgusted’ by refs after frantic BYU rally
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Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff Writer
SALT LAKE CITY — Much of the BYU football team was still on the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium celebrating a miraculous 22-21 win against rival Utah late Saturday night when Utes athletic director Mark Harlan made a surprise appearance at the postgame news conference.
In a fiery address, Harlan disparaged the officiating crew and challenged the validity of his school’s loss.
“This game was absolutely stolen from us,” Harlan said. “We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight I am not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. Very disappointed.
“I will talk to the commissioner. This was not fair to our team. I’m disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight.”
Harlan, who does not regularly address the media after games, did not take questions following his rebuke, nor did he elaborate further with any specifics.
It’s a safe assumption, however, that Harlan’s disdain was directed toward a holding call on cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn that negated Utah’s fourth-down sack of BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff at the Cougars’ 1-yard line with 1:29 left, which appeared to have ended the game.
“Whatever decision the refs make, I don’t think they’re trying to get it wrong, so that’s just part of the game,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “The refs are part of the game. We were able to capitalize on that.”
Utah’s would-be sack of Retzlaff was the second time the largest crowd in Rice-Eccles history (54,383) thought the game was effectively over. Prior to the fourth-down play, BYU snapped the ball and Retzlaff was flushed out of the end zone, but Sitake had called a timeout before the snap, likely saving the game in the process.
After the Cougars were given new life with the holding call, Retzlaff hit Chase Roberts for 30 yards and Darius Lassiter for 12 yards before Hinckley Ropati ran for 14 yards to get BYU in position for Will Ferrin‘s game-winning 44-yard field goal.
Ferrin, who transferred to BYU from Boise State after the 2022 season, calmly split the uprights to add another legendary finish to a rivalry game that has had several of them.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham was visibly upset with the officials on the field following the game but was measured in his postgame comments.
“Couldn’t get that last stop when we needed it, unfortunately,” he said. “That’s kind of been the story for several games.”
The win keeps No. 9 BYU (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) undefeated and in prime position to qualify for the College Football Playoff. With three conference games left (against Kansas, Arizona State and Houston), the Cougars lead Colorado by one game in the Big 12 standings. Four other teams — Iowa State, Kansas State, Arizona State and West Virginia — have two conference losses.
Retzlaff finished 15-of-33 for 219 yards without a touchdown pass or interception. It is BYU’s second consecutive win in the series — following a 26-17 win in 2021 — but the Cougars’ first victory in Salt Lake City since 2006.
This was the first time the rivals have played as conference opponents since 2010, after which Utah left the Mountain West for the Pac-12 and BYU went independent.
TORONTO — Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez was back in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, two days after the third baseman left in the third inning because of a mild right ankle sprain.
The six-time All-Star was injured when he stumbled and fell while crossing first base on an infield single. Ramirez went down after being struck in the back by a throw from Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt.
Ramirez was batting third Sunday against right-hander Bowden Francis.
Ramírez sat out Saturday when Cleveland beat Toronto 5-3. He went 2 for 2 before departing Friday, boosting his average to .274. He has five home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games.
In last Thursday’s 4-3 victory over Minnesota, Ramirez became the first primary third baseman to reach 250 homers and 250 stolen bases.
The Miami Marlins activated catcher Nick Fortes from the 10-day injured list Sunday morning. To make room for him on the active roster, starting second baseman Otto Lopez was placed on the 10-day injured list.
Fortes, the Marlins’ Opening Day catcher, posted six hits in 20 at-bats with two doubles, one triple and one RBI in seven appearances before going on the IL on April 10 with an injured left oblique muscle. The 28-year-old missed 20 games as the Marlins went 7-13 without him. To prepare for Sunday’s return, he rehabbed for two games at Triple-A Jacksonville and went 0-for-6.
Fortes figures to split time with 23-year-old rookie catcher Agustin Ramirez, who has delivered a .256/.293/.615 slash line with three homers and five RBIs in 10 games during his first stint in the bigs.
The 26-year-old Lopez hits the injured list, retroactive to Saturday, with a sprained right ankle. Lopez started the season hot with a .400 average to go with two homers, six RBIs and one stolen base during five games in March. Since then, he has batted .191 (17-for-89) with no homers, five RBIs and two steals.
Rookie Javier Sanoja, 22, has filled Lopez’s spot at second base the last two games and provided two doubles, two runs and one RBI in seven at-bats.
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