BYU football: Hall caps career in blaze of glory

"Max battled all night. He took a lot of big hits," Pitta said. "He's a warrior. We love Max for how he is on the field, for the competitor that he is and the leader that he is. He came in right after that (hit) and threw a touchdown pass. So I give a ton of credit to him."

BYU's seniors made a multitude of big plays against Oregon State, including linebacker Matt Bauman's game-changing, scoop-and-score in the first quarter on a Jacquizz Rodgers fumble. Fullback Manase Tonga scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns. This group was motivated to go out as winners and played with a passion that was missing in last year's 31-21 Las Vegas Bowl loss to Arizona.

"We had an emotional win a few weeks ago against Utah. When that game was over, we wanted to feel that again," said senior safety Scott Johnson, who recorded a fourth-quarter interception and a 56-yard return. "We didn't want it to be the end of it.

"We wanted to play well (in the Las Vegas Bowl). That's something we focused on — everyone remembers your last game. This was the last game for the seniors. It didn't matter what we did three weeks ago against Utah, it mattered what we did (Tuesday). The seniors came together, played with a lot of emotion and prepared well, and it was one of the funnest games I've been a part of with that group of guys."

Following Tuesday's victory, Hall stood on a makeshift podium on the field, accepting the MVP award, and wearing a 150-watt smile while surrounded by a sea of BYU fans who enthusiastically chanted, "Max! Max! Max!"

Hall's career is in the books, and it's time to say goodbye.

"It's tough, it really is. I've thoroughly enjoyed, and loved, my career at BYU and the people I've been around," he said. "Those are relationships that I'll cherish the rest of my life. The support from fans and family and everybody has been unbelievable.

"Being a BYU quarterback is a unique position, unlike any other. You deal with the bad stuff and the good stuff. You let emotion out sometimes and you have to keep it in sometimes. It's been a great ride. I'll always cherish my time at BYU."

e-mail: jeffc@desnews.com