Far West Roundup : BYU Beats Utah to Win Bid to Florida Citrus Bowl

Brigham Young Coach LaVell Edwards doesn’t normally have a chance to talk about the Cougars’ running game, but that was the difference Saturday in BYU’s 38-28 victory over upstate rival Utah at Provo, Utah.

Fullback Lakei Heimuli rambled 83 yards for the last of his three touchdowns to send 11th-ranked BYU into the Florida Citrus Bowl on Dec. 28 against No. 12 Ohio State.

Heimuli, who rushed for 164 yards in 23 carries, also had scoring runs of 3 and 5 yards as the Cougars, the nation’s leading passing team, rolled up 307 yards rushing before 65,473 fans.

Utah’s Larry Egger outgained BYU’s Robbie Bosco through the air, completing 21 of 31 passes for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns. Bosco completed 22 of 37 passes for 276 yards and set an NCAA record for the most completions in a season, 313, breaking the mark of 306 set by former BYU quarterback Steve Young.

BYU, 10-2 overall and 6-1 in the Western Athletic Conference, has played Ohio State only once, losing, 47-17, in the 1982 Holiday Bowl at San Diego.

Utah finished its season at 8-4 and 5-3.

Pacific 36, Weber St. 34--Senior nose guard Kim O’Keefe scored a safety and junior placekicker Ken Norgaard kicked a 19-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to give the Tigers the nonconference win at Stockton.

Pacific finished the season at 5-6, while Weber State closed at 6-5.