Ok, Ute fans. What is your top-5 listing of most memorable Ute sporting events? Give me 5 for football and 5 for basketball. (And Diehard can also give 5 for gymnastics). Here are mine...

Football
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1. I hate to admit this, but the 1988 victory over BYU is still my top memory. Perhaps it was because victories were so rare in those days, and we were such overwhelming underdogs. It was also a day of complete domination. Click here to read about it.
2. 1994: Utah at Colorado State. That was a great game. (Thanks for copying the tape for me Ultimate Ute.) Click here to read about it.
3. 1994: Freedom Bowl - Well, most of the game was kind of boring (i.e., defensive), but that winning touchdown situation was incredible. Click here to read about it.
4. 1995 comeback win over Air Force. Most fans had left the stadium, but we stayed and were well rewarded. Click here to read about it.
5. 1993: Utah at BYU. This was the first 34-31 game. What a shocker! Click here to read about it.

1. Can anyone doubt this event - the 1998 NCAA title run. Click here to read about it.
2. The 1990-91 season where the Utes and Josh Grant went 30-3. Click here to read about it.
3. The 1997 post-season. This includes KVH's last-second heroics in the WAC tournament. Click here to read about it.
4. Utah -vs- BYU in the 1990 WAC tournament. Click here to read about this.
5. Retirement of KVH's number. Click here to read about this.

This is my personal top 5 Ute basketball memories (I wasn't a fan until 1967):

1. 1998 title run (not even close; 'nuf said).

2. 1997 Elite 8; played a potent KY team for the Final 4 to a tie with 6 minutes left, then Andre hurt his wrist, and Ron Mercer took over the game. KY, though upset by AZ in the title game in an overtime, was the best team in the nation.

3. 1976-77. After a long draught, a top ten finish, won the WAC outright (with the AZ schools still in the conference and AZ a pre-season top 10), Sweet 16, pre-season wins over KY (no. 2 ranked, Final Four team, with Givens) in the Kentucky Classic and 'Vegas, Jeff Judkins blossomed into a star, Jeff Jonas elected the best player under 6 feet in the country, and thrashed BYU twice. A loveable team. It was Pimm's and Gardner's successes, and Gardner's legacy the Huntsman Center, that made Utah attractive to Majerus. This may have been Pimm's most enjoyable if not most successful team.

4. 1990-91, 30-3. Again, after a long draught, the Utes start the current dynasty. You could feel something grand in the works. Played defending champ/dominant Vegas valiantly in the Sweet 16.

5. Andre Miller, after spurning the pros, returns to Utah after the title run to win first team All American honors, enter the pantheon of all-time greatest Utes, and improve his draft position by 10-15 slots, while the Utes, against all expectations, win 23 straight, go undefeated in the WAC, and finish in the top 10. Now surely Miller's number will be retired. He's my choice for most valuable player ever because of the title run.

Honorable mention: my first game ever, in Einer Nielson fieldhoouse, at age 9, watched Merv Jackson, Walt Simon, et al. rally from 7 down at the half and win by 8 over a top 10 New Mexico team. I was hooked forever!

1973-74--In the last game of a 7 win season, Utah destroys BYU and the mighty Kresimir Cosic (sp?) to knock them out of the WAC championship. Utah was lead by freshmen Sojourner and Burden. The UTES displayed an up-tempo style they had been unable to show all year. That game, ending an abysmal season, set the table for the NIT runner-up year (when we lost Foster to Duke and Sojourner to the NBA).

1983--Utah beats BYU (in Provo) in triple overtime and goes on to win the WAC. Manny Hendrix, as a freshman, shows amazing ability in crunch time against Illinois and UCLA. The UTES lose to eventual champion NC State.

Both of these BYU games are forever etched in my memory.

As is the 1978 football victory over BYU. That one ranks just below the 1988 victory. The major difference is that the outcome was in doubt to the end, whereas in 1988 the outcome was never in doubt--even two hours before kick-off.

Here's mine (I'm only including events I witnessed personally):

Football:

1. The 1994 top 10 season. Although still a bit of a disapointment because of consecutive losses to New Mexico and Air Force - a win over either would have given the Utes the WAC championship and a Holiday Bowl bid. This season included three of my all-time favorite games: the wins over BYU, CSU and Arizona (in the Freedom Bowl). The Utes also destroyed PAC-10 champ Oregon, in Oregon, that year.

2. The win over Minnesota where Lavon Edwards blocked a Gopher field goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown on the final play of the game.

3. The 1993 win over BYU. I was in Cougar Stadium in the middle of the student section decked out in Red. What a great feeling!

4. The win over SDSU in 1993. This was a come from behind win in a game that the Utes had to win to stay alive for the conference championship. McCoy threw a touchdown pass in the final minute. This is the game when, IMO, Ute football turned the corner.

5. This isn't a "great moment" but it is memorable to me. The Utes losing to Air Force 65-56 or something like that in Fassell's last year. I remember the offensive display put on by Scott Mitchell and wondering how it was possible to actually lose a game when putting 56 points on the board. I was glad to see Fassell go.

Basketball:

1. 1998 NCAA Run.

2. 1997 NCAA Run. That overtime Stanford game that put the Utes in the final 8 for the first time in 30+ years is still my all-time favorite Ute basketball game.

3. 1991 30-4 season. This season put the Utes on the college basketball map in the 90's. The reason I liked this season so much though, is that almost every game went down to the wire. This team really didn't have much talent, they just knew how to pull out victories. The home game against Air Force was in doubt until the final seconds just like the double overtime game against Michigan State that put the Utes in the sweet 16.

4. The 1983 "Cinderella Utes." After a tripple overtime win over BYU in Provo, the Utes went on to upset Illinois and UCLA in the NCAA's.

5. This one is huge to me personally: The 1986 NCAA loss to North Carolina in the Dee Events Center. This is *the game* that converted me to a Ute fan. I'd always followed, and cheered for, both Utah and BYU up to that point, but seeing nearly every purple seat in the Dee Events Center eclipsed by a red shirt and joining in the cheering like crazy as the Utes almost upset the mighty Tar-Heels sealed my fate forever.

Basketball:

Manny Hendrix and Kelvin Upshaw shooting down the Pokes at the Huntsman Center, punctuated by Hendrix streaking down the court and making the game-winning shot. I have NEVER heard the HC so loud. It was bedlam. I think Marcroft kissed Manny after the game, he was so excited.

Jimmy Madison stealing the ball against UCLA during the NCAA's, and I swear it only took him about 4 or 5 steps to run downcourt for the SLAM. That play took the life out of UCLA that day.

Same game, Pace to Madison for an alley-oop slam-dunk.

Keith's heroics in the WAC tournament in Las Vegas are hard to top.

The Final 2 run can't be beat, in my opinion.

Football:

The AFA game, when Dyson caught the game-winner by just sprinting past the cornerback was unbelievable. The cornerback was just sobbing after the game. The AFA players and fans were still a class act after that game. Nice memory.

Hey this is kinda fun. Its cool to see what others recall, definitely takes me back.

The tough part is some were just moments... others we more comprehensive.

I'll do both;, starting with the moments or specific events.
Hoops only-

a) Peter Williams last second shot in '83 to beat byu.... my 1st game in the Marriott Ctr. Freshman yr, if it werent for Wittenburg and Lowe, we'd have been the one to take down Phi Slamma Jamma !!!!

b) Manny from the corner to beat Wyo. loud, very loud.

c) Albert Springs going above the backboard ( no kidding , look at the photos for proof) to REJECT Daugherty in the '86 game against the Heels.

d) Josh slamming on Bradley's face in the JMH in '91,

e) Watching jamison and carter walk by me in San Antonio............. ....as a LOSER !!

Games:

a) Utah over 'zona '98 ....taken to school... nuff said.

One can buy a Final Four hat with pride.

b) Utah over UNC '98 - ' Dre was, shall we say....Jordanesque ........( only 2nd player ever to record triple-double in Final 4 other than Magic. Gets me kinda misty....

c) Utah against kentucky...... cant bear to watch again, but will never forget.

d) Utes vs byu in provo '83 as noted above... also incl fantastic wins over ucla, and LouDoo's illini,...
(damn I hate ucla... I'm going to have to schedule the game myself if I have to ( since Rick won't ). With Andre, we'd have worked them over so bad in 98, zona would have actually felt good about themselves in comparison)

e) this is a trick.. the game we never played; yet shd have..
'89 Utes vs. Michigan( Vaught, Robinson, Mills, Rice,)... Freider was outcoached by Abegglen and lost to UAlaska-Anchorage in the Utah Classic semi's... I hold him to his face he ought to be ashamed..( naturally, he cared what I had to say)
( We've only had (3) games against non-conf #20 teams in the JMH since. Arizona and Wake For.[twice])

The other posts have been great. It is difficult to add to these. But, there are a few.

Ticky Burden hitting a 30 footer at the buzzer to beat Purdue on New Year's night in the Special Events Center. I was there.

Jerry Chambers winning the NCAA Fijnal Four MVP after we lost both games. If memory serves me correctly he scored 44 and 40 points.

Billy the Hill scoring 60 points to beat BYU.

Utah upsetting number 1 Ohio State in the early 60s.

Karl Bankowski's 20 footer at the buzzer to upset the eventual National Champs Louisville in the Special Events Center.

Steve Marshall passing for over 300 yards and rushing for over 100 yards in a game against CSU. He won the AP player of the week. He came in to play QB after Van Gelder got hurt 2 weeks before. Marshall was an all WAC safety. He had not played QB since high school.

The 4th and 19 pass play for a TD in the 1978 Utah / BYU game.

Utah upsetting highly ranked ASU in 1973 in Rice stadium.

Marv Bateman's 89 yard punt. He led the nation in punting. When he hurt his right leg he started kicking with his left leg. Great field goal kicker as well. I remember a 59 yard field goal by him.

Popcorn Roger's 87 yard run from scrimmage on the 1st play against BYU in 1981.

Utah's kick returner in the mid 80s - Erol Tucker. I beleive he returned 7 kickoffs, punts, and interceptions for TDs that season. He led the nation in kickoff and Punt returning and was 1st team All American. He was exciting to watch. He returend a kickoff back for a TD against BYU and a punt that was called back because of clipping. It was a blizzard when he returned the punt back.

My favorite has already been mentioned: Utah's 4th quarter comeback against Arizona in 1972. I wanted to leave after the 3rd quarter. My Dad said we should stay. I am sure glad we did. VanGelder scored the game winning TD with 10 seconds to play on a 5 yard keeper. Steve Odem caught two TD passes and Steve Marshall returned a pass Interception for a 70 yard TD.

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