Looking back at the 1995 Utah and Fresno State matchup

Utah and Fresno State have played some epic battles over their 10 matchups. Fresno State joined the WAC in 1992, and came out swinging, LITERALLY. The Bulldogs went 9-4 in the first year in their new conference, and when the Utes traveled to Fresno, a couple fights broke out between the two teams, including one in the tunnel after the game. The Utes lost the game 41-15, but there is no record who won the fights.

One of the most memorable matchups between the Utes and the Bulldogs, is a bit overshadowed by the comeback victory over Air Force in the same year of 1995. The Bulldogs lead for almost the entire game, and going into the fourth quarter, Fresno State was on top 21-10. The lead would stay that way for most of the final quarter. With less than three minutes left, the Utes drove down the field, and with 2:09 left on the clock, running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala scored on a three yard run to make the score 21-16. Utah elected to go for two, and a pass from quarterback Mike Fouts to receiver Kevin Dyson was completed for the two point conversion to bring the Utes within three.

All in attendance anticipated the onside kick, head coach Ron McBride elected to kick the ball deep, a decision that sent many of the few that were left in attendance towards the exits. Defying the odds, his plan worked, and the Utes used their three of the timeouts, held the Bulldogs to three and out, and forced them to punt.

With only seconds remaining, the score 21-18, the Utes were looking to move closer into field goal range. Utah moved down to the Fresno 34 yard line, and on the edge of the range for kicker Dan Pulsipher, who had made one of three field goals on the night.

With less than a minute left, and no timeouts, Mike Fouts dropped back to pass and threw the ball down the field to a wide open receiver Rocky Henry, who had got behind the Bulldog corner, and raced down the sideline for the game winning score. The maybe 5,000 people who were left in attendance, witnessed an amazing come from behind victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs, in what would be the first of two improbable victories in the 1995 season.

Many of the players on the Utah team this season weren't alive when this game was played in 1995. Twenty years later, Utah will do their best to make the score look more like the game last year, than the one two decades ago.