Open Court: Rules for rushing

Few people saw it, but everyone should know what happened — and what we can do to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

For most of Thursday evening, American television sets flipped between the vice presidential debate and the latest chapter in Chicago Cubs’ heartache.

But the game between No. 15 Utah and Oregon State was a nip-and-tuck battle between a mid-major school looking for BCS glory and a proven giant-killer.

This season, the Utes had charged out to a 5-0 record, including a surprising season-opening win at Michigan. As for the Beavers, Mike Riley’s team overcame some early-season hiccups and sent shockwaves through the national championship picture by dethroning USC last week.

Utah appeared to have seized control before halftime, but Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers — the diminutive tailback who dominated USC — pulled his team ahead.

With Utah quarterback Brian Johnson suffering through one of his worst games, it appeared as if the Beavers were ready to collect their second major upset in a row.

However, Johnson collected himself just in time and led his Utes to two scores in the final 89 seconds to keep Utah’s BCS hopes alive.

However, something unexpected and inexplicable occurred after Louie Sakoda’s 37-yard field goal split the uprights as time expired — something that should deeply embarrass Utah and Mountain West Conference fans.

The crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium rushed the field. Seriously.

Utah’s fans acted like their team had just won the national championship, and the Versus cameras were there to catch every second of it.

The Utes were 11.5-point favorites in this game. They were expected to win. They’re the 15th-ranked team in the nation, after all.

It’s not like Utah fans haven’t experienced success before. It was only four seasons ago when the Alex Smith-led Utes blew out Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.

Rushing the field should be reserved specifically for those program-defining wins that fans will remember for their entire lives. Squeaking past a middle-of-the-road Pac-10 team at home doesn’t even remotely qualify.

Here are some basic guidelines for when it is acceptable for fans to charge out of their seats:

If your team just took down the No. 1 team in the nation, charge away. This doesn’t apply if your team is a perennial top-10 type of program.

If you root for a mediocre or lousy squad and it beats a ranked team, one of your conference’s powerhouses or an archrival, feel free to rush.

It’s not OK to rush the field/court if:

Your team is the favorite (that means you, Utah fans).

Your team is a traditional power. There isn’t a scenario where it’s OK for USC fans to ever charge the field. Ever.

You’re at a professional sporting event. Rushing is for college games only.

During my college days, there were only two games that compelled the fans to rush. The first came when my beloved Wyoming Cowboys were in the midst of the dreadful Vic Koenning era. We hadn’t beaten anyone of note in quite some time, until the Pokes took down No. 15 Air Force at War Memorial Stadium. The crowd went bonkers.

The second happened when our basketball team defeated Utah to claim the Mountain West regular season title. I can’t even explain how much love the student body had for that particular team. Marcus Bailey was the most clutch college basketball player nobody had ever heard of. What a team.

Arizona has only two acceptable rush-the-field games. If the Wildcats beat either USC or Arizona State, it’s OK. Anyone else? Stay in your seat and celebrate with dignity.

As for the hoops team, the instant Wildcat fans get so excited about a regular-season win that they feel the need to rush the McKale Center floor, that’s the instant this program loses its elite status.

There needs to be some sense of order here, or else rushing the field/court will no longer hold any sort of value.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747