WAC ROUNDUP : Blocked Kick Gives BYU 31-29 Victory Over UTEP

Brigham Young linebacker Scott Giles blocked Jason Gillespie’s 45-yard field-goal attempt with 20 seconds left to salvage a 31-29 Western Athletic Conference victory over Texas El Paso Saturday at Provo, Utah.

Ty Detmer completed 22 of 39 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns for the Cougars, who improved to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in the WAC.

BYU led, 31-23, going into the final quarter, but UTEP (3-3-1, 1-2-1) took advantage of an interception by O.T. Thomas and a fumble by Detmer.

Greg Armstrong recovered Detmer’s fumble to give UTEP the ball at its own 30 with 1:15 left.

On fourth and 10, UTEP quarterback Mike Perez passed to Glenn Bishop for 34 yards to put the Miners at the BYU 36.

A nine-yard completion to Patrick Bailey set up Gillespie’s field-goal attempt.

Giles leaped over the line and deflected the ball to the right, well short of the goal post.

Derwin Gray downed the ball at the BYU 27.

Detmer took the snap with 14 seconds left, downed his knee, and the game was over.

BYU moved ahead 28-17 in the third quarter when Brad Clark returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown.

But UTEP came right back with an 81-yard touchdown pass play from Perez to Kevin Caldwell.

Reserve quarterback Shawn Gray failed on a two-point conversion run attempt.

Perez completed 12 of 35 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns.

Utah 57, Wyoming 42--The Utes won a WAC game at Laramie, Wyo., for the first time in 19 years as Sharrieff Shah intercepted a pass by Tom Corontzos and ran 69 yards for a touchdown to break a 36-36 fourth-quarter tie.

Utah is 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the WAC. Wyoming, which has given up 108 points in two weeks, is 2-4-1 and 0-3-1.

Corontzos riddled the Utah defense early, completing 15 of 20 passes for 243 yards and four touchdowns as Wyoming took a 29-22 halftime lead.

But Shah’s interception, the Utes’ fourth against Corontzos, capped a comeback by Utah, which had trailed 36-22 midway through the third quarter and appeared unable to stop Wyoming.