My best friend went to Cal and has a family full of BYU fans. He pays attention to the Y/Utah rivalry. He hates both equally but has always been pretty objective and opinions are spot on because he’s an outsider looking into it. After the game he mentioned the hold in the context of the Cal v. Miami game where the Miami defender clearly hit with the crown and launched at Cal’s QB during their late drive to win the game. Even the announcers were like “well, that’s clear cut targeting…” but even a booth review dismissed it. The conversation all week didn’t really focus on the game but the refs non-call. He texted me the following after “you shouldn’t make that call at that moment unless its obvious and extended through the entire play. This is a common deal when your conference has an undefeated team in the current landscape, Miami literally should have 2 losses but now only has one. It makes fun games unwatchable cause there is a feeling something wasn’t right. Was it a hold? Probably. Was the same play called before or during the game? Nope.”
I’ll never blame the refs and the Utes had plenty of chances to finish the game to win. I thought the game was a great reflection of what the rivalry should be, even after when the fans were losing it, the players for the most part kept their composure. Arguing over a subjective detail sucks for everyone.
Iowa State @ 
Utah 
