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Provo • It was fitting somehow for the BYU Cougars that they opened Saturday's rivalry game by handing the Utah Utes a gift-wrapped touchdown.

Because for the home team, the comedy of errors never ended, resulting in one of the worst home losses ever for BYU.

In what was easily the worst performance against Utah in coach Bronco Mendenhall's seven-year tenure, the Cougars had seven turnovers — including four that led to Utah touchdowns, another that led to an easy field goal and one that most likely cost them a score. They were routed 54-10 by the Utes — slight underdogs, if you can believe that — in front of more than 63,000 fans at LaVell Edwards Stadium, many of whom flooded to the exits well before the game ended.

The Cougars may never want to play the Utes again, let alone in September, after giving up 47 unanswered points.

And to think they had a 10-7 lead in the second quarter, before falling apart the last few minutes of the first half and the entire second half when it really mattered.

While critical, almost laughable, lapses on offense and special teams doomed the Cougars, a defensive error opened the floodgates in the second half for the Utes.

Utah opened up a 21-10 lead on its first possession of the second half, scoring on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Wynn to Dres Anderson that BYU cornerback Corby Eason wildly misjudged, perhaps thinking he could intercept the ball, and the Cougars never recovered.

Utah tacked on a pair of John White touchdown runs, 62 and 35 yards, and a fumble return by V.J. Fehoko in the fourth quarter to hand the Cougars their worst loss to the Utes since a 49-0 pounding in 1922.

The Cougars pride themselves on their discipline, but seven first-half penalties — including a couple of pass-interference calls — were costly before the second half turned into a nightmare. And just before Anderson's big touchdown catch, a pass interference penalty on Preston Hadley on third-and-4 prolonged the possession.

But BYU's mistakes started much earlier than that.

On third-and-13, the snap in shotgun formation from Terence Brown missed Heaps by 2 yards. After Heaps picked up the loose ball, he attempted to throw it away, only to have it slip through his hands.

Utah's Derrick Shelby pounced on it in the end zone, and before some people had found their seats it was 7-0 for the Utes.

It was a sign of things to come.

Although the Cougars seemingly recovered from three first-quarter giveaways — including J.J. Di Luigi's points-costing fumble at the Utah 3 — and took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter when Heaps connected with Ross Apo for a 32-yard touchdown, they never stopped making critical mistakes.

They failed to capitalize after Kyle Van Noy intercepted Jordan Wynn, giving the ball back to Utah with enough time for Wynn to complete a 31-yard touchdown pass to Jake Murphy.

Heaps' final numbers looked good, if one can forget the two fumbles that deep in his own territory and an intercepted when the Cougars were desperate. He was 27 of 50 for 305 yards. The interception was tipped.

The Cougars' special teams were also shaky, giving up a 29-yard punt return by Charles Henderson that led to a 39-yard field goal and a 24-10 Utah lead. But the biggest mistake on special teams was a muffed kickoff by JD Falsev that gave the Utes the ball on the BYU 3.

John White plowed into the end zone two plays later, and the rout was on.

Twitter: @drewjay —

BYU's comedy of errors

• A bad snap deep in its own territory and Jake Heaps' inability to throw the ball away hands Utah an early defensive touchdown.

• J.J. Di Luigi fumbles on the Utah 3, costing the Cougars points in the first quarter after they had driven 77 yards.

• Corby Eason badly misjudges a Jordan Wynn pass, leaving Dres Anderson alone to score.

• J.D. Falslev muffs a kickoff, with Utah recovering on the BYU 3.

• Jake Heaps fumbles while being sacked deep in BYU territory, setting up another easy Utah TD.