18-year-old arrested after BYU cheer coach struck by water bottle during rivalry football game

PROVO, Utah (KSL.com) — The University of Utah police department arrested an 18-year-old individual Tuesday after a member of BYU’s travel party alleged she was hit with a water bottle during the Cougars’ rivalry tilt at Rice-Eccles Stadium over the weekend.

Jocelyn Allan, who has overseen the Cougars’ coed and all-girl cheer squads since 2010, said she lost consciousness after an object struck her on the way to the field Saturday night, adding that a “Utah fan in the table seats in the south end zone” threw a water bottle that struck her “directly” in the head after BYU’s emotional 22-21 win over the Utes.

“I lost consciousness but thankfully was lowered to the ground by one of my cheerleaders,” Allan wrote in a post on social media early Sunday morning. “Police are going over video footage to identify the seats that it came from (we have a pretty good idea). If you saw the incident, or have any info on the family who owns that particular box, please contact me.”

On Tuesday, the university police department announced the arrest of William Gardner, 18, on a class A misdemeanor assault charge.

Police believe his water bottle struck a member of the BYU cheerleading team during the game, according to a news release, though they did not identify Allan by name. The police said a member of the BYU cheer team had been struck, an offense to which Allan previously made public via social media early Sunday morning.

Gardner is not a University of Utah student, police added. Salt Lake County jail records show Gardner was booked into jail Tuesday.

Several BYU supporters, including its cheer squad, mascot and a handful of administrators, were stationed in the southeast corner of the end zone during the game. After the clock hit zero on the Cougars’ win via BYU kicker Will Ferrin’s 44-yard field goal with seconds remaining, several witnesses saw objects including water bottles being thrown on the field.

A spokesman for the University of Utah police department told KSL Sunday that there were multiple instances of fan behavior after the Cougars’ come-from-behind win, because of the often contentious nature of the rivalry game.

Utah athletic director Mark Harlan went on a lengthy rant aimed at Big 12 officiating and the commissioner’s office, in an emotionally charged press conference after the game.

A spokesperson for the university declined to comment when reached by KSL, other than referring to the “FanUp” newsletter sent to fans before each season that promotes a “a respectful, safe, welcoming and family friendly environment” at Utah events.

BYU did not respond to KSL’s request for comment.

But video obtained by the Deseret News late Monday night apparently shows a fan hurl a water bowl toward the field, where the BYU cheer section is standing, that strikes an individual. Emergency personnel immediately responded to the struck individual, according to the video.

The incident comes after representatives from both the University of Utah and BYU came together ahead of Saturday’s game to launch “Rival Right,” designed to bolster the traditions of the rivalry game and promote sportsmanship between the two rival fanbases located 45 miles apart and often intermixed within their own communities.

“Our rivalry is one of the great traditions in college sports and it’s built on mutual respect and a shared love of the game,” Utah president Taylor Randall said of Rival Right. “I encourage fans of both teams to cheer passionately, support your team and show the nation what true sportsmanship looks like.”

As part of the promotion, fans of both sides were encouraged to kick off the month-long Tackling Hunger Together with donations to the Utah Food Bank through the food drive that ends Nov. 27.

“I bleed blue, no doubt,” BYU president Shane Reese said. “But as we cheer for the Cougars, we must understand what it means to be a good fan — showing respect and courtesy for our opponents, especially our friends at the University of Utah.”

Contributing: Daniel Woodruff, KSL TV