Annual Blackout Game

Utah 28  Oregon State 7

During the football season the weeks seem to stand out by who the Utes plays each week.  The 'Blackout Game' started several years ago when we played TCU and Under Armour made the all black uniforms special for the game.  So they have picked a game each season and do it again around Halloween time.  

This week Oregon State came to play.  It was a conference game and the Utes had not beaten a conference team yet in the Pac-12. The blackout games are always fun, and the Utes beat Oregon State 28-7!  We are now 4-4 overall for the season.

We sure miss Alex who heard about the game while in the Provo MTC.

Tyler #35 ready for kickoff

Fans at Blackout Game

Kyle coaching

Tyler with Kick Off Team

Utah at Cal

Utah 10    Cal 34

This was Alex's last trip before he heads to New Zealand for 2 years.  Our whole family went and Freddie's family drove over from Folsom, except Sam who had Homecoming Dance duties to attend to.  Dawson's brother and sister-in-law and their 2 darling girls came to the game too, since they live 15 minutes or so away.

The stadium, ATT Park, is for baseball so it was set up a bit differently.  The jumbo tron was behind us so I never did get to have a good view of the game.   It was right in the bay and it was a really beautiful day.  The outcome was not so good.

Alex in red and light shorts, Tyler #36, and Kyle black pants facing the field.

Fred, Alex, Tyler

With Alex leaving in about 10 days, he had one last wish, that was to go to Haight-Ashbury intersection in San Francisco and get a picture.   

Alex at Haight Ashbury Intersection

Stadium on the left

View from the Stadium

Alex, Rachel, Ashley, Kylie, and Melissa

The Tale of the Tail

Many people wondered why Alex had this emotional attachment to a piece of his hair.  The story begins with his senior year of football, the first game of the year.  Ten plays into the game and Alex plants his foot wrong and tears the ACL of his left knee.  Alex had cut his hair the night before the game.  He had surgery on his knee and did his rehab.  He let his hair grow during his whole senior year, and the year after.  Not many people liked it, but him.  He began to have an emotional attachment to his hair when he thought about the last time he cut it.  We wanted him to cut it, pleaded for him to cut it. He really struggled to let go of that piece of hair.  He looks so much better with it short.  Hair is just hair.  We saved that piece of hair........

Alex with long hair

Alex getting a hair cut

Alex hair cut but still has tail

The Tail

Going to the temple, tying to cut the "tail"

Kyle takes over the cutting of the tail

There it is, that hair has been with Alex through a lot of good and bad times

This is it then

Let's get on with it then.  Going to the temple.

Utah at Pitt

Utah 26   Pitt 14

We left for Pittsburgh on Thursday afternoon since the game was early on Saturday.  Melissa and Dawson did not come due to school and work, so we brought Jackson with us.  It was a fun trip made better since we won the football game.  We visited with Stevensen Sylvester who played for Utah and now plays of the Steelers.  Some of the wives were there for their "Wive's Trip" so some of us went to lunch and shopping on Friday.  Friday night we went to dinner and a movie with the team.

Me with Stevensen Sylvester and his girlfriend, Sondra

Stadium and views from my window of down town Pittsburgh

Jackson with Alex and the group for meals and the movie

Tyler #36 on the far left for the kick off team

Helen Buchanan, Ashley Chapman, Brandie Rudy. Diane Chow, me, Leata Elisaia

Utah vs Arizona State - Speechless Saturday

Utah 14   Arizona State 35

Utah vs Washington

Utah 14   Washington 31

 
If only you could win every football game that you played, you expect to win every game.  When you lose a game it is never fun, no matter the opponent.  Living through the ups and downs of life with a football coach is hard for anyone to understand who has not lived it.  So much time and emotion is put into the job.  It is something you live, not just a pastime.  Our family is very involved and supportive of Kyle, so what he feels, we feel.  So when you win it makes everything better!

Brady (black hat), Tyler, Trevor, and Alex (glasses) in their lucky spot

I always love the chest bumps

Kyle is just so cute so matter what he is doing!

Kyle doing post game press conference