This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Santa Clara, Calif. • The fans asked for red helmets and got red helmets on Wednesday night.

But Utah added another detail to their chrome tops that fans and players alike had been asking for as well: stickers honoring Hayes Tate and Elsie Mahe, two children of Utah and BYU players who died in the last month.

The Cougars played in the Poinsettia Bowl last week sporting the stickers — a rare moment of solidarity between the two rival programs.

"This is what it's all about!" senior kicker Andy Phillips tweeted before the game with a picture of the decal. "Playing for our football family!"

Mahe, the 3-year-old daughter of BYU assistant and former NFL player Reno Mahe, died last month after a household accident. Tate, a 1-year-old son of former Utah safety Steve Tate, died earlier this month after a long battle with cancer.

The tragedies struck a cord within the state, as fans of both programs raised money for medical care for the children.

The sticker itself features both BYU and Utah colors, with a outline of an angel figure inscribed with "Elsie", and underneath another inscription reading "Hayes Tough" with a gray ribbon for the "A" representing brain cancer.

Attendance lags at bowl

Even with the upper deck covered over with red tarps, the rest of Levi's Stadium wasn't exactly hopping for the Foster Farms Bowl.

Large swaths of empty seats made for a dreary background, which historically has struggled to fill the stands for the nationally televised game. The official announced attendance was 27,608.

Utah estimated prior to the game that about 3,500 tickets out of its allotment were distributed or sold and another 3,000 were donated to Bay Area charities.

Quick hitters

As expected, seniors Dominique Hatfield and Cory Butler-Byrd missed the game. Hatfield was suspended while Butler-Byrd didn't make the trip with an injury. ... Indiana's first touchdown 52 seconds into the game was the fastest any team has scored in bowl history. ... After former Utah receiver Kenneth Scott announced Wednesday that his mother (who has lupus) was in failing health, receiver Tim Patrick wrote Scott's old number "2" on his arm to honor his family.

kgoon@sltrib.com

Twitter: @kylegoon