Outside of 2006, the game in 2000 between the Utes and Cougars has to be my hands-down favorite. Neither schools' records were great, and BYU actually came limping in with a 5-6 record and a third or fourth string quarterback in Brandon Doman. Things didn't look good for BYU, and if they got throttled, it probably would have been excused as a sad ending to a bad season in a legendary career.
This game had everything: go-aheads, fall-behinds, comebacks, incredible plays, 4th and crazy long to keep the game going, and yes, even a last second play...in one drive, BYU fans witnessed a microcosm of what to expect later on in what has become an unbelievable rivalry.
This game probably had more pressure for BYU than any other rivalry game, even to this day. After dominating the Utes for more than two decades, Coach was saying goodbye. The odds were stacked against the Cougars, but hey, this IS where magic happens...