University of Utah police are looking for the individual who knocked out BYU’s cheerleading coach by launching a water bottle from the stands during Saturday’s football game against rival Utah.
‘At the conclusion of tonight’s BYU/Utah game, a Utah fan in the table seats in the south endzone threw a water bottle and hit me directly in the head,’ Cougars cheerleading coach Jocelyn Allan wrote on Instagram.
‘I lost consciousness but thankfully was lowered to the ground by one of my cheerleaders.
‘Police are going over video footage to identify the seats that it came from (we have a pretty good idea),’ she continued. ‘If you saw the incident, or have any info on the family who owns that particular box, please contact me. Thank you!’
A school spokeswoman confirmed to DailyMail.com that the ‘University of Utah Police Department is still investigating.’
Cougars cheerleading coach Jocelyn Allan revealed she was knocked out by a water bottle
Video of the incident shows a clear water bottle flying down towards the sideline, where it strikes a woman, Allan, in the head. Onlookers rushed to her aid in the final moments of what proved to be a dramatic – and controversial – victory for the undefeated Cougars.
Down 21-19, a holding penalty called on Utah cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn on fourth down negated a sack and gave BYU the ball at its own 19 with about 90 seconds left. The Cougars then drove down the field for a game-winning 44-yard field goal.
In protest, many Utes fans began throwing debris onto the field, which is when Allan was struck.
Following the game, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan claimed the game was stolen from his school, resulting in a $40,000 fine from the Big 12.
‘This game was absolutely stolen from us,’ Harlan said. ‘We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight I am not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. Very disappointed.’
BYU running back Hinckley Ropati leaps over Utah safety Nate Ritchie in the second half
Big XII officials review a call between the Utah Utes and the Brigham Young Cougars
Those comments led to a fairly swift reaction from the league, which reprimanded Harlan with the fine and a statement Sunday.
‘Mark’s comments irresponsibly challenged the professionalism of our officials and the integrity of the Big 12 Conference,’ Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said. ‘There is a right way and a wrong way to voice concerns. Unfortunately, Mark chose the wrong way. Accordingly, this violation warrants a public reprimand and financial penalty. The Big 12 Conference prioritizes professionalism, integrity, and fairness, and will continue to do so.’
With the win, which came before the largest crowd (54,383) ever at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, No. 9 BYU moved to 9-0, 6-0 in the conference, to stay firmly in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth.
‘I recognize that there are more appropriate times and avenues to express those concerns, and I accept the consequences of my decision,’ Harlan said in a statement. ‘My comments came after having just left our team locker room where our student-athletes were hurting and upset. The University of Utah is proud to be a member of the Big 12 Conference and we look forward to working with our peers to continue to enhance the league.’
The game was the first between the two as conference mates since 2010 when both teams left the Mountain West Conference. Utah joined the Big 12 along with three other Pac-12 teams this summer. BYU joined the conference in 2023.
