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All right, let's hear those Black Friday jokes.
The Utah Utes don't have much room to protest, after having just about everything go wrong for them in a 17-14 loss to new "rival" Colorado at blustery Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday that ruined their hopes of playing in the inaugural Pac-12 Conference championship game.
"This is a big loss for us," defensive end Dave Kruger said. "Everybody knows what was at stake."
Yet facing the remarkable opportunity — however slight — to wind up in the Rose Bowl, the Utes came out flat and couldn't get anything to go their way against the Buffaloes.
And when kicker Coleman Petersen missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt with two seconds left — his third miss of the game — the Buffs celebrated the end of their 24-game out-of-state losing streak and the UCLA Bruins became the official South Division representative in the league title game Dec. 2.
"Our No. 1 goal going into this season was to end that streak," Colorado coach Jon Embree said. "This is awesome. I'm happy for those kids. It was four years of not winning on the road. And for them to finally get that, they see what it feels like."
For the Utes, it felt like a punch in the gut.
They had won four straight since a dismal 0-4 start in their debut season in the Pac-12, and begun to harbor dreams that the season could end with a magical triumph. All they needed to do was beat the 2-10 Buffaloes, then have Arizona State and UCLA lose.
But that first step was a doozy, and now the best they can hope for is a trip to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio or the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
"We just couldn't find a way to get it done," coach Kyle Whittingham said.
Not only did Petersen miss those three field goals, running back John White, offensive guard Sam Brenner and defensive end Joe Kruger all suffered serious injuries and had to leave the game.
The defense was gashed, and the offense too often nowhere. An onside kick failed, a trick throwback on a punt return didn't work, and running back Tauni Vakapuna fumbled late in the game as the Utes were driving. In the final minute, the Utes allowed two crucial sacks of quarterback Jon Hays deep in Colorado territory.
"We just can't do that and expect to be successful," Hays said.
Hays took the blame for an ugly first half in which the Utes gained just 39 yards while the Buffs piled up 254, on their way to 373 for the game. Only after White went down with a sprained ankle and Brenner with a neck injury on back-to-back plays early in the third quarter did the Utes show some life.
"We came out a little flat," linebacker Chaz Walker said. "I don't know the reason. I wish I knew."
Initial tests showed Brenner was not seriously injured, Whittingham said, after he was taken from the field in an ambulance.
His teammates rallied for both of their touchdowns in the third quarter, behind bruising backup running backs Vakapuna and Shawn Asiata. Hays was pretty sharp for a while there, too — he finished 18-for-25 passing, for 185 yards and a touchdown — but couldn't get the Utes into closer range for Peterson.
"I wouldn't say we overlooked them," Walker said. "They just came out hard and you could tell that those seniors wanted to go out with a road win. … We didn't match them."
Storylines
R IN SHORT • The Utes' bid for the Pac-12 title game ends.
KEY STAT • The Buffs outgain the Utes 254-39 in the first half.
KEY MOMENT • Trailing 17-14 early in the fourth, the Utes settle for a 26-yard field-goal attempt that misses.