Vakapuna TD gets a good review

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Driving more than 70 yards in 13 plays on its final first-half possession Saturday, BYU was 5 yards away from culminating a seemingly methodical scoring drive against Colorado State.

But the scoring play — a 5-yard TD run by Fui Vakapuna — was anything but methodical or ordinary.

Vakapuna ran through the line, trying to leap over defenders. He fell back on several, then rolled over, regained his feet and continued into the end zone.

No touchdown call from officials, who placed the ball inside the Ram 2. Meanwhile, Vakapuna was gesturing and jabbering he had scored on the play.

"I know my knees or anything else didn't touch the ground. I just know I crossed the goal line and got the touchdown," Vakapuna said. "I went to everybody, 'It's a touchdown."'

He had a believer in BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall.

"As Fui was tackled, his rear end was on top of another player, and then he rolled over and kept running. His knee never touched and he never touched."

Mendenhall told the linesman he was going to call a timeout for a review. However, the linesman encouraged him to wait. As the play clock approached zero, the linesman was contacted by the replay booth that officials there were going to take a closer look.

The play was overturned after review, giving Vakapuna the 5-yard TD run.

RULING: Here's the official interpretation on the play's review, as given by Mountain West Conference associate commissioner Javan Hedlund after contacting umpire Terry Leyden: "According to the official, the play was not blown dead, though the ball had been marked. If the whistle was not blown, the play is reviewable. Had the play been whistled dead, it would not have been reviewable."

Vakapuna said he didn't hear any whistles on the play.

"I don't know what everybody's making a fuss about," he said. "I don't know what the refs are talking about because the ref right in the middle, right in front of me said it's a touchdown. He didn't get my back, but the cameras upstairs got it."

SHORT-WEEK WORK: For the second time this season, BYU is facing a short-week preparation.

So after Saturday's game, Cougar coaches used the 90-minute bus ride from Fort Collins to do "cut-up work" of digital video on their laptops and then give freshly burned DVDs to players after the flight to Salt Lake in preparation for Thursday's Wyoming game.

MISCELLANEOUS: BYU's offense continued its third-down mastery, converting eight of 13. The Cougar defense kept the Rams from converting on its first 10 third-down attempts, with CSU's only two successes coming in its opening drive of the fourth quarter ... BYU didn't go three downs and out on any possession Saturday, meaning that the Cougars have suffered only one three-and-out in their last four games ... BYU has outscored its opponents in 27 of 36 quarters, including 16 shutout periods ... The Cougars haven't trailed in a game since the Sept. 16 double-overtime loss at Boston College.

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E-mail: taylor@desnews.com