Holy War

We're back in Vegas. Sad to have left behind our family, but I will say that I'm happy we're back to warmer weather. I will blog about our Thanksgiving weekend in beautiful Salt Lake City, but there is one thing that definitely deserves a post all to itself. Yes you guessed it... the Utah vs. BYU game!

My family actually grew up rooting for the Cougars. I remember Fatu being interviewed in High School and he continually gave props to BYU football. Since Fatu attends the University of Utah our family has slowly discarded all our blue for everything red. The switch was harder for certain people in our family.... *ahem* my Dad! Growing up as a Tongan in Utah I feel that there are 3 things that you grow up loving - the Jazz, 49ers, and BYU. I think it broke my Dad's heart a little to disconnect himself from that blue and white. One of my friends left a comment on facebook that I think describes what made the transition a little easier for our family:

"Nothing beats cheering for a team with a jersey
that has your name on it". <~ Aint that the truth?!

The Utes got off to an amazing start this season, but it seemed as though their spirits dwindled after that TCU game. BYU on the other hand seemed to be having a season that reflected the complete opposite of their rivals. So as it got closer to the big game I started to get a little nervous about the outcome. One thing was for sure though- it was gauranteed to be a great game! Fatu only had 4 tickets so my Dad, me, and Ti Tonga each claimed one. Sila and Bubba duked it out for the 4th one and Sila came out victorious. I wish we had enough to where we could've all went :( Anyway the football game was an all day event. After breakfast we headed up to the trax station where we were joined by fans of both sides up to the stadium.

When we got up to Foothill it was so neat to see how the homes were decorated to show their team spirit.

[Arriving to Rice Eccles]

Ti Tonga knew a guy who gave him a sideline pass, so I got to go right onto the field before the kickoff! It was soooo cool! Fatu was running his drills and it took him a while to notice me. He was so surprised to see me of all people on the sideline. After he caught his pass he ran over and gave me a hug before getting back in line to practice. I snapped a couple more pics then headed back up to my seat and got ready for the game to start.

[crazy fans]

Game time!

As soon as the game began it was nonstop excitement. There were a couple BYU fans sitting near us and they were all so nice. This was my very first college game so it was a complete thrill. I loved everything about it - from the painted faces of fans, to the MUSS, to the school band. The stadium exuded loyalty. And if you've ever been to or seen a game you know that the crowd never misses that 3rd Down Jump!!

[our #8]

Almost halfway through the game I got a text from Neo saying she got tickets and was on her way. She's so crazy! When me and Sila took our seats again after half time I heard someone yelling my name. I looked over to see Neo jumping up and down with her black paint under her eyes. Crazy girl I tell ya!

The game came down to the very last seconds of the 4th quarter. We were up by 1 and BYU had possession of the ball. As they got ready to kick their field goal I prepped myself for a loss, but thought of how grateful I was to be able to come out to a game and how much fun I had. When all of the sudden the kick went up and ricocheted off someones hands. It was blocked!!! We won! I couldn't believe it!!! We jumped up and down screaming and hugging. We high fived all our neighbors and roared on for our team. Within seconds of the end of the play the field was ambushed by red fans from the bleachers.

[final score: UTAH-17 BYU-16][the field covered with red fans]

[couldn't resist :]

Blackout 2010

So about that last post... it didn't work lol. The game was brutal with a capital B. I received an email today from one of our family's good friend. She was excited to share a picture of Fatu that she came across.Receiving such a positive and proud email after such a tough loss was both unexpected and sweet. Shout out to our Kearns community for the continued love and support.

Here's a few pics Neo snapped.^Fatu's Freedom Gloves

You can tell this was before the game cause he was smiling lol

For the second year in a row, select Under Armour®-sponsored NCAA football teams showed their support for the Wounded Warrior Project by gearing up in customized WWP uniforms. On the backs of each jersey, player names were replaced with different core values, including Honor, Commitment, Service, Country, Duty, and Freedom. In 2009 jersey auctions and product sales from the games raised nearly $200,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project.

This year, UA teams geared up again in WWP-inspired camouflage uniforms.

^Post game
Dad, Leo, Neo, Fatu, & Bubba

Gearing Up

^Some of my most absolute favorite people in the world!
Mafileo, Dad, Ruby Mei, & Fatu

Sending positive vibes and energy to our boys in Utah. Crucial game against TCU tomorrow. Best of luck UTES!!!

-Vegas Family

Utah Utes football: Defense shines in scrimmage with 4 takeaways

By Dirk Facer

Deseret News

Published: Saturday, April 10, 2010 11:20 p.m. MDT

SALT LAKE CITY — And now for the defense ...

Eight days after the offense shined in Utah's first spring scrimmage, the guys on the other side of the ball had their day in the sun.

"We were embarrassed last weekend," said defensive end Trevor Reilly. "And that was the big m.o. for the week — bring your 'A' game and don't get embarrassed."

Mission accomplished.

In Saturday's scrimmage at Rice-Eccles Stadium, the defense picked off two passes and recovered a pair of fumbles. Reilly had three pass breakups, and his teammates racked up six tackles-for-loss.

"Last week, like Trevor said, the offense kind of got on us," noted linebacker J.J. Williams. "But (this time) we came out a little bit more fired up."

Williams headlined the effort by picking off quarterback Jordan Wynn and returning the interception 32 yards for a touchdown.

"It felt good, obviously," Williams said. "Everyone did their job. I went up to make a tackle, and the ball was just there for me and I took it."

The defense's four takeaways, he added, met the standard the Utes hope to accomplish each game.

"We hit and got a bunch of sacks, too. So it was a fun day," Williams said. "Everyone was flying around."

Defensive backs Greg Bird and Damian Payne accounted for the three other takeaways. Bird intercepted a pass from Terrance Cain, while Payne recovered two fumbles — off forces by Dave Fagergren and Conroy Black.

The defensive effort pleased head coach Kyle Whittingham.

"They stepped up," he said. "They came ready to play."

Williams, safety Justin Taplin-Ross and the defensive front were among the standouts Whittingham singled out. Taplin-Ross also excelled on special teams, where the senior blocked a field-goal attempt.

Whittingham said there were "a lot of good things today" including the takeaways and consistent tackling. Aside from the turnovers, he thought the offense was fairly productive as well — particularly in the red zone.

Cain completed 18-of-23 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns. The scoring strikes included a pair of connections with Westlee Tonga (59 and 15 yards), plus a 12-yarder to Brad Clifford.

Wynn was 15-of-28 for 182 yards. His lone touchdown pass was a 25-yard throw to Jereme Brooks. Early penalties, however, took a toll on the offense. The miscues became less frequent as the scrimmage ensued.

Wynn, though, is confident the Utes will fine-tune the little things.

"We're so close to being super explosive," he said while acknowledging the abundance of turnovers wasn't so good. "For the most part, I think we're where we need to be."

Contributions were plentiful with 13 receivers making catches and seven rushers gaining positive yardage. Quarterback Griff Robles topped the ground game with eight carries for 63 yards, including a 48-yarder. Shawn Asiata had the only rushing touchdown, scoring on a 6-yard run.

The receiving corps was led by Zach Wade with five catches. Clifford and freshman Fatu Moala each finished with four. Moala, the tight ends (who teamed for 10 receptions) and Wynn were among the performances Whittingham pointed toward as solid.

Freshman Fatu Moala had four catches for 74 yards.