Cal came back from a 29-19 deficit with three converted tries in the final ten minutes to beat BYU 40-29 in the Varsity Cup final, shocking most rugby observers and the crowd at South Field in Provo, Utah.

“It’s a legendary win, a win for the ages” said Cal Head Coach Jack Clark. “We played with a lot of heart. It wasn’t easy to be in the game in the last 20 minutes. But when we were, we gave ourselves a chance to win. We had a good plan, but executing a plan against such a good team as BYU is very difficult. The guys did really well.”

Flyhalf Russell Webb, who kept the Cougars on their heels with expert territorial kicking and booted three straight conversions (3-for-3) to help seal to historic win, was named Man of the Match for the victors.

“We wanted to attack the corner if it was open, and if not, we wanted to keep the ball in hand,” said Webb of the Bears’ kicking strategy. “That was a big difference maker and a credit to the coaches. We also knew we had to match their physicality and we did. I was pretty proud of the boys.”

The Cougars kicked off and spent the first two minutes of the match on the attack before a BYU lineout was stolen by Thomas Robles- a harbinger of how the game would go as Cal's lineout caused BYU problems all day.

Webb almost set up a try with a chip kick for wing Zachary Tavenner to chase. That didn't come off, but two minutes later, Webb moved the ball the other way, where the Bears found a numbers advantage that was capitalized upon by winger Lucas Dunne, who scored in the corner for a 5-0 lead.

BYU replied with a try from Zach Webber, which Calvin Whiting converted, and then five minutes later Arawa Elkington went over. With Whiting's conversion BYU led 14-5.

Cal answered with Tavenner taking an inside ball to race through. Niklas Boyer slotted the conversion to make it 14-12, and that's how the first half ended.

The Cougars’ Whiting found space early in the second half and had the BYU partisan crowd on its feet as he sprinted 50 meters before Tavenner tracked him down from behind. Brigham Young was awarded a penalty but Whiting missed from 40 meters. But a few minutes later, Ryan Blaser scored in the corner and Whiting converted for a 21-12 lead.

Three minutes later, Whiting added three points on a 40-meter penalty attempt. But Cal mounted another offensive sequence and hooker Michael Bush rumbled in for a try that was converted by Boyer to make it 24-19 with 27 minutes to go. the Cougars responded - Tua Laei streaked into the right corner, and it was 29-19.

But that was it for the BYU scoring.

"Our boys were tired at unfortunate times," said BYU flanker Ara Elkington. "Cal wanted it and took back the momentum. We mentally handicapped ourselves."

And so Cal went to work. Anthony Salaber scored on a play set up by sophomore fullback Jake Goena. Webb connected on the conversion to make BYU's lead 29-26.

Three minutes later, Boyer gave the Bears their first lead since the seven-minute mark at 33-29 when his try was converted by Webb, stunning the crowd. Bush then scored his second try near the left corner and Webb hit his third conversion. And just like that it was 40-29.

"Cal was the better team all-around today," said BYU rugby head coach David Smyth. "They were more physical in the breakdown. They were very good in the lineouts. In fairness to our boys, we did have our moments in today's match."

“It’s just freaking beautiful,” said Boyer. “That’s all I can say. The boys came through big today.”

It was also a big upset. Few thought that BYU could be beaten this year - Goff Rugby Report among those prognosticators proved wrong.

"We'll take what happened today and learn from it," Smyth said of the loss. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. We're disappointed but not devastated. Our rivalry with Cal is the result of both teams doing to their best to play great rugby."

Cal 40

Tries: Boyer 2, Dunne, Tavenner, Bush, A. Salaber

Convs: Boyer 2, Webb 3

BYU 29

Tries: Webber, A. Elkington, Blaser, Laei

Convs: Whiting 3

Pens: Whiting

The Team vs. BYU