On a crisp autumn evening, 46,488 fans packed Rice-Eccles Stadium to watch the game that would likely decide the Mountain West championship as well as a potential BCS bowl bid.
On November 22, 2008, the 10–1, No. 16-ranked BYU, led by junior quarterback Max Hall, marched into Salt Lake City to take on the undefeated, No. 8-ranked Utah Utes — setting up one of the most anticipated Holy War matchups in years, and the first time both teams were ranked since 1994.
While the game remained close through the third quarter, with the Utes holding a close 27–24 lead, Utah took complete control in the fourth with three straight passing touchdowns off three interceptions, sealing a 48–24 win and a pinnacle moment to Utah's eventual undefeated 13–0 season.
It was the worst game of Hall’s career at BYU. He threw a total of five interceptions and lost a fumble in BYU’s own territory, mistakes that cemented Utah’s victory and ended the Cougars’ 20-game win streak in the state of Utah — and their first loss in Salt Lake City since 2004.
Dick Harmon, who has covered collegiate sports for over three decades, was there as the BYU football beat writer covering the game for the Deseret News.
“Yeah, he had a horrible game. The competitive Max Hall was embarrassed, humiliated, and had a rare loss, a really, really rare blowout,” Harmon said. “But the story is that his mother and father were there, and his family, in particular his mother, were assaulted. Whether or not it’s true, and I don’t know because I didn’t see any of this that happened to his family. And so, he had a very deep, deep resentment of that game, the humiliation, the embarrassment, and then the alleged assaults, which may or may not have taken place. I don’t know.”
The intense rivalry between BYU and Utah, Harmon explained, often brings out the worst in fans.
“I’ve experienced being spit on, having things thrown at me, being called out by name on the field and on the court at the Huntsman Center by people who insulted me personally," he said. "So, I’ve experienced that myself.”
The Utes got to hold the bragging rights for a year, capping off 2008 with the conference title and a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama. But just over a year later, the rivalry was resumed, with both teams ranked once again — No. 19 BYU hosting No. 21 Utah — each with a 9-2 record.
For Hall, there was a sense that this had to be the game where he atoned for the previous year and earned redemption against the Utes before moving on to the pros.
Hall struggled once again, but he protected the ball, throwing no interceptions and managing the game well enough to give BYU a 20-6 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Just like the year before, the Utes rallied in the final quarter, scoring 14 consecutive points to send the Holy War into overtime for the second time, something that hasn’t been repeated since.
With Utah scoring a field goal on the first possession of overtime, the door was opened for BYU — and for Hall — to exact its revenge with a touchdown.
While Hall ended the game with only 134 passing yards on 12 of 34 attempts, he engineered one of the biggest plays in Cougar history, connecting on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Andrew George to secure BYU’s third win against Utah in four years.
Today’s #BYUFOOTBALL play of the day. One of my personal favorites, BYU vs UTAH 2009. Max Hall to Andrew George for the win! pic.twitter.com/exYLRPiZZi
— Mitch M. 🤙🏻 (@troy_mitch5) October 18, 2022
Hall became one of the rare quarterbacks to defeat Utah twice and was the first to do so since Brandon Doman accomplished it in 2000 and 2001.
In 2007, he was also part of another historic moment against the Utes. Down 10–9 with just over a minute left and facing 4th-and-18 from his own 12, Hall connected with Austin Collie for a 49-yard miracle pass that set up an 11-yard touchdown to Harvey Unga, giving BYU a 17–10 win over Utah.
Hall’s performance in those moments defined his reputation as a clutch player in Cougar-Ute history.
"That was a big play, a big moment. So, he was involved in two of the biggest moments in rivalry history. You know, Hall, he was that kind of guy," Harmon said. "He's extremely competitive and extremely confident, and his teammates fed off of him, believed in him that he could make plays, that he did it with those two wins."
While the play will always be remembered, what will never be forgotten is what happened post-game when Hall had the opportunity to speak.
“I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them," he said. "I hate their program, I hate their fans. I hate everything. So it felt really good to send those guys home.
"They didn't deserve it, it was our time, it was our time to win. I think the whole university and their fans, and the organization is classless. They threw beer on my family and stuff last year, and I don’t respect them at all. They deserved to lose.”
Reflecting on the aftermath, Harmon said, "It became a thing. And it was a thing to write on and to amplify and to dissect and to bring up again and again and again — every year. So, I think in a lot of ways, it was an inappropriate thing to say, but an understandable thing from his perspective and from some of the BYU side that had just kind of had enough of a lot of stuff. But I do think that it was amplified by the media in Utah."
UTAH HATE WEEK IS OFFICIALLY HERE‼️ pic.twitter.com/CAPPyurbwl
— Center Street Media (@CenterStMedia) October 12, 2025
High-stakes games with personal stakes often bring out strong emotions from both players and fans on both sides of the rivalry. One example that gets less coverage is longtime NFL quarterback Alex Smith, who played for the Utes for three seasons, reflecting on the rivalry before Utah’s decisive win in 2004.
“I really hate them. Playing in the game helped me understand. They are the most arrogant people,” Smith said. “It's the whole church and state thing. They're the 'good kids.' We're the 'bad kids.' I didn't feel it in my gut last year like I do now.”
As for Hall, he would go on to finish his career at BYU by earning MVP honors in the Las Vegas Bowl, leading the Cougars to a win over the Oregon State Beavers with 192 passing yards and three touchdowns. He secured his place as the winningest quarterback in BYU history, posting a 32–7 record and ending his career on a five-game win streak.
Hall’s journey after football wasn’t easy. In 2014, while coaching at Gilbert High School, he was caught shoplifting and found in possession of drugs — a moment that forced him to confront personal challenges off the field.
“He had trouble with some drug abuse, and he’s been in rehab, and he’s trying to turn his life around,” Harmon said. “There were some Utah fans that piled on that because of what he said after that game, but there was a lot, and probably a lot more, that came and said, ‘Hey, we support you. Get your life in order. We have relatives that have gone through this too. It’s a hard thing to do, and we’re glad you have the courage to do it.’ And you really need to credit those Utah fans.”
Even with the heated history between the two schools, Harmon said Hall’s road to recovery brought out a sense of unity from the rivalry.
“There are great Utah fans. Unfortunately, there’s a minority that kind of distract away from the great Utah fans that are out there,” Harmon added.
One thing BYU and Utah fans can agree on is that Hall remains one of the defining faces of the Holy War. While the rivalry runs deep throughout the state, the games between these two programs are where legends are made and lifelong football fans are created.
Saturday, the rivalry game will feature stakes similar to the years of Hall, with both teams ranked again for the first time in 16 years. Once again, bragging rights are on the line in the biggest rivalry in the West as another historic chapter will be written.