Even so, Utes cornerback Julian Blackmon can thank his teammates’ mistake for the golden football he’ll keep forever. Blackmon’s second interception of the day came on the very next play, giving him the distinction he needed to earn a nice MVP award. And that was just the kind of ending the Utes defense deserved in a 30-14 victory.
West Virginia’s late touchdown drive barely spoiled the symmetry of Utah’s bowl history vs. the Mountaineers and kept the Utes defense from delivering a truly historic performance. More than one-third of the Mountaineers’ 153 total yards came on their second-to-last possession.