BYU rugby lost to one of the top men's teams in the country in a remarkably close match in a last-minute try.
The Old Puget Sound Beach started the match with a quick try in the third minute, but the Cougars answered shortly after with the help of Dan Hubert. This momentum continued with two more tries by BYU fullback Will Taylor and prop David Collins. However, the physical OPSB came back with a converted try to end the first half 15-12 in BYU's favor.
Ryan Roundy dives for a try against Air Force at South Field in a game last season. BYU suffered its first loss of the season against Old Puget Sound Beach.
The second half continued the battle between the two teams as they went at each other full throttle. The two teams went back and forth scoring tries. In the 71st minute, OPSB was up 29–25. The Cougars took the lead back when Jonny Linehan scored his second try of the game in the 74th minute. BYU led 30–29 with six minutes remaining in the game.
With a final drive, OPSB marked up one last game-winning try in the 80th minute.
'If you look at the players that OPSB has this game could have gone in one direction really quick,' BYU coach David Smyth said in a press conference. 'We always want to win, but our guys fought hard, played well, and we ended up getting what we wanted out of this game. Our experienced players showed composure like they should, and our young players had a chance to step up, and they did.'
The match ended 34–30 with the Sound winning by four points, the closest match of the season for the Cougars. BYU faces the Denver Barbarians in Colorado on Saturday, Feb. 23.