BYU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
Palo Alto, CA – BYU fought back from a 10-point half-time deficit, but came up short to lose by three points to the defending national champion Cal Berkeley 29-26 (May, 2006).
The loss marks BYU’s first of the season, and it couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time.
The Cougars showed signs of brilliance throughout the game but couldn’t seem to muster the eventual score when the opportunities presented themselves. In large, Cal controlled the set piece and kicking exchanges, which kept BYU’s potent attack at bay for large portions of the game.
“Our boys made a massive effort today,” BYU head coach David Smyth said. “For our boys, who have never been in championship of this magnitude and gone up against a team with Cal’s size in the forwards and the tradition and experience that they have, then to have performed as well as they did, I was extremely proud. It showed me that we’re heading in the right direction. We may not have had the finish that we wanted, but we came close. It’s up to us to close that distance in the years to come. And I like our chances to do that.”
