A snow bowl for the Utes

Ah, snow! Beautiful, white, and fluffy. So pure and refreshing, especially when crooned about by Bing Crosby and the gang:



But it's downright nasty when it makes its way onto the football field. And yet, aside from ski slopes, that's one of my favorite places to see it.

It's the great equalizer. All game plans go out the window once the snow starts flying; more particularly, once it starts piling up on the ground. At that point, the game comes down to who can keep their feet, who can hold onto the ball, who can outlast the other guy better having no idea what it's going to take to win, or not to lose.

I saw such a game last weekend and it was glorious. My Utah Utes were playing the Washington State Cougars up in Pullman. Honestly, it was the best game I've seen in a long while. I might have to think back to Utah's '09 Sugar Bowl win -- bypassing last years beat down of Iowa State, or this year's shelacking of BYU -- to get to such an entertaining Utah game. This game with WSU is one I'll never forget; it became an instant classic.

It started as a defensive battle in the first half. But as the game progressed and the snow started filling each empty space, the game ironically took on a frantic, dramatic, high-scoring nature. Big plays, followed by broken plays, followed by amazing plays, followed by heartbreaking plays. The teams were getting chippy with each other. Neither team backed down. Twice, Utah built up a 10-point lead, only to see it evaporate to what ended up in a regulation tie. In overtime, Utah got an interception and kicked a far-fetched 40-yard field goal off the icy ground, through the flack of flakes and between the uprights.

Here is a collection of highlights. (To see some serious snow, fast forward to about the 1:42 mark):