Most crushing/saddest game as a Ute fan

[chinngiskhaan]

Mine is probably the infamous 2007 UNLV game. Brian Johnson and Kyle were idols of mine at the time and I was so glad to see both of them get their chance to really shine… Then it all came crashing down in one nightmarish game… Then I went on my mission and missed the sugar bowl.

Seriously, that game was the ultimate WTF moment for me. Such a bizarre game.

Then there is the even more infamous TCU game in 2010. That one was less of a WTF moment for me just because it was obvious that TCU was simply better that year. The UNLV game on the other hand… There was just no explanation.

[cicampbe]

I have a very short term memory. Mine is Florida last year. Sitting among a bunch of a!$hole Florida fans and watching it slip away. Having to walk back to my hotel through campus, avoiding fight after fight. I hate that school. I hate that team. I hope the Utes pile in them this year.

[NarfUte]

06 boise, 07 unlv, the gameday tcu game, and the last game we lost in Logan. The UNLV game was a special kind of suck, we sat next to the nicest blue hair unlv fans then the team proceeded to s**t themselves all over the field. The only redemption was talking to those rebel fans who were probably not unlike the Utah fans of the 70s and 80s. Good dudes. 

[ALUF]

My awful memories 2010 vs TCU, 2023 rose bowl, 2021 byu, 2019 Pac-12 championship, 2017 ASU, 2016 UW, 2016 Oregon, 2015 USC, 2014 Arizona, 2009 byu

[PhiladelphiaUte]

For me it’s a tie between the 2011 Colorado loss that cost us a winning conference record, and South division title in our 1st season in the Pac-12…
…and losing the 2022 Rose Bowl vs Ohio St in the final minute of the game, after having led the entire game.

[bopahull]

That game was certainly an eye opener for Whit. After that game Utah went on a terror. If I remember correctly they went undefeated the rest of that year and all of 2008 and also the 2009 Suger bowl.

[UteBacker]

My therapist and I are still working on that 2010 TCU game. We’re close.

[NashvilleUte]

That dang TCU game… That was the first thought that came to my mind when I read the headline. It’s interesting how many others have already commented on that one as well. There are definitely other games that have been rough, but that one takes the cake for me. From such high expectations to such a miserable result after spending the day at Game Day and then the game. I’m definitely still trying to get over that one!

[2008 National Champ]

The University of Utah football team has taught me a few things over the years. Two that stand out are:

2008 against Oregon State. I turned off the game when OSU scored with 2:18 left to go up 28-20. Called up my roommate from my days on the hill and proceeded to launch into a diatribe on what a crap team I was forced to root for run by a crap coach who would never, ever, ever be capable of carrying Urban’s jock. He didn’t even have time to interrupt me before the game was over and Utah had pulled it out. To ensure that the lesson was learned, my screen name will always be some version of 2008 National Champs to remind myself that I will never, ever, ever turn off a game before the final whistle. People talk about 2008 TCU as being the game that they knew that season would be special but IMO, Oregon State was the game that proved it to the team.

2010 against TCU. My office was in a high traffic area and I had a whiteboard next to my door. I was absolutely convinced that the 2010 team was going to be the 3rd BCS squad and would get invited to the championship game. Every Monday I would put the next opponent on the board and reveled in the conversations it would spark and how smart I looked (to myself) when I could brag about how MY Utes did exactly what I expected them to. Then week 9 happened. People watched that game just because they’d talked to me during the week. And I still get people asking me about that game 13 years later. The lesson I learned was to never overestimate how good my favourite team was before they proved it on the field. I have been a happier fan ever since because the team will never, ever, ever disappoint me again.

[ProudUte]

All of the games mentioned were difficult to swallow.  A couple of thoughts.

My experience at Florida with their fans was not bad.  I ran into a couple of vulgar fans, but the ones I sat by were not bad at all.  The loss still stung.

The 2010 TCU loss was embrarassing.  But, the loss a week later at Notre Dame was more painful for me.

The UNLV loss will go down as one of the most perplexing ever IMO.

The most painful loss for me is a game that was played before most of you were born.  The 1969 game at Arizona.  We had beaten ASU already and a win in that game would have got us a WAC championship.  Arizona kicked a FG on the last play of the game to win 16-14.  Very painful loss.

The game that we lost in 2006 against BYU on a TD pass on the last play of the game to Harline was very painful.  BYU fans still say things like, “Harline is still open.”

Go Utes!!! No painful losses in 2023!!!

 

[chinngiskhaan]

My experience in life has taught me that much of the time, if people are acting like jerks toward you it’s because you’ve done something to provoke it.

Is that always true? No, there are some people who are just jerks. However, most of the time, if you are respectful, people will not treat you unkindly.

At sporting events, especially when I am a fan of the visiting team, I generally just keep my mouth shut aside from the occasional scream of excitement. I have only had 2 instances of being treated poorly by fans of another team (they were both TSPP fans at LES, and neither one was provoked), and I’ve been to well over 100 sporting events.

Be respectful and you will be treated with respect most of the time.

[Tednab]

Florida was a wtf .. but we’re a few months away from redeeming that

[Tony (admin)]

Most recent memory was probably 2019 Pac-12 championship. Distant past perhaps 4th and 18. 

[ProudUte]

Yes, the 2019 conference championship game was a gut-punch.  We were favored to beat Oregon and a win would have put us in the CFP.  We were a much better team than the way we played on that day.  This loss was probably the most costly in Utah football history.

 

[chinngiskhaan]

oh man… forgot about that one. the ’19 championship game was BRUTAL. That was the last time I completely flipped out over a football game. Darn near pulled my hair out.

[Ute95]

Every BYU loss since the 1998 Kanashiro doink. 

The 2010 TCU game sucked. 

2022 & 2023 Rose Bowls

Everything came crashing down in the 3rd quarter of the 2018 Holiday Bowl v. Northwestern.

1992 Copper Bowl v. Washington State (Yergenson missed a short kick to tie it at the end.)

If I remember right, Utah was in the running for a Bowl game (the Utes hadn’t been to a bowl game since ’64) in 1985 and then we went to Colorado State and lost 21-19. I believe we had a chance to kick a field goal to win it at the end, but not dice.

 

[MauchDawgUte]

Can I select all of the above?

[GameForAnyFuss]

Does my answer have to be a football game?

I would go with the 1998 NCAA bball championship loss to Them.

After that, the NIT championship loss to Penis St. Their fans were the douchiest fans I’ve ever been around, including BYU-Provo Campus fans.

[BD]

Honestly, for me it was the Rose Bowl this year. I acknowledge the other losses listed in comments before mine, but I was never really a die-hard fan previous to 2011 or so – just a casual fan. So the 2010 TCU loss, for example, was irritating to me, but not being a die-hard fan, I shrugged it off. Admittedly, the 2007 BYU 4th and 18 loss p**sed me off a lot (how in the world, do you give up a 4th and 18????) I remember throwing things when that happended. Ugh.

That said, the build-up to the Rose Bowl against Penn State was unprecedented. Huge, come from behind victory against USC at Rice-Eccles. Then having all the pieces come together to get into the conference championship game. Then, in that game, being down 17-3, and Dixon’s fumble – honestly thought it was over then. But to come storming back to beat USC a second time, was just thrilling.

All that set up the Rose Bowl. Honest to goodness, I thought we would beat Penn State. I knew they were tough, but I just thought the Utes would win, and I totally expected them to. But when Rising went down in the second half, my heart just sank to my feet. I wanted that Rose Bowl victory bad. Losing to tOSU the year before just wasn’t anywhere near as painful. But this one was. Worst loss to me. I’m still bothered by it.

[tarheelute]

The back-to-back BYU wins in 2006 “Harline’s still open” and 2007 “..doing what’s right on and off the field…. Magic happens” are particularly painful. But the pain eased with Utah’s “Shock and Awe” shellacking of BYU in 2011 – part of a nine game win streak.

Note: My wife had invited some BYU ‘friends’ (a young family of six) over for the 2006 game, I (gently) asked them to leave, at halftime. My wife was not happy, but afterwards understood. Later, the dad, his name escapes me, was also considerate, far more than I would have been.

For my part, the 2021 game is not so painful. After nine straight wins, a tenth was a stretch, and the Utes certainly had a off day.

[utefansince79]

One very sad game was in Mac’s last season in 2002 when Air Force came to town.  Utah led by about 20 at the half and collapsed in the second half (I believe we went scoreless with something like 2 first downs in the last 30 minutes) with the Falcons scoring the go ahead TD on a pass with a few seconds left.   Some of the fans (not I) booed our team off the field as they slumped back to the locker room.

That year ended on a bit of a high/low note when Utah beat BYU in Ron McBride’s very last game (was fired a few days later) and the headline in the Tribune the next morning said “For Mac”