LaVell Edwards is hoisted by his players after they send him into retirement with a dramatic victory.(AP)

Brandon Doman scored on a 4-yard run with 23 seconds remaining, lifting BYU to a dramatic 34-27 victory over archrival Utah on Friday night in the last game of Edwards' 29-year coaching career.

"What a way to go out!" the 70-year-old coach exclaimed as he walked off the field wearing a big smile.

"That was my best win ever," he added with a laugh.

Doman, who ran an option offense in high school and opened the season listed third on the depth chart, converted a late fourth-and-13 play from BYU's 17 by throwing a 34-yard bullet to Jonathan Pittman.

"I prayed for divine intervention and I'm sure I got some," Doman said.

On the next play, he found Pittman for a 36-yard gain to the Utah 13. From there, it took Doman and the Cougars (6-6, 4-3 Mountain West) two plays to send Edwards into retirement with a victory.

"It almost was like a miracle," Pittman said. "We had someone looking down on us, this being LaVell's last game and us wanting to win it for him. I think someone wanted to grant that wish."

The Cougars got a huge break just before the decisive fourth-down. On third-and-20 at their own 10, Luke Staley appeared to fumble after a 7-yard run and Wes Tufaga recovered for Utah (4-7, 3-4).

The officials, however, ruled Staley down.

"I have no idea why that fumble wasn't called," Utah coach Ron McBride said. "The ball was on the ground. It's our ball. Game over."

The Utes appeared to have it won before that after scoring 17 straight points in the fourth quarter to take a 27-26 lead with 2:16 remaining. Darnell Arceneaux found Matt Nickel wide open for a 20-yard TD to tie it.

The near-capacity crowd of 45,064 went silent on the PAT attempt.

Two years ago, Ryan Kaneshiro's last-second field-goal try clanked off the right crossbar in BYU's 26-24 victory. But he connected this time, sending fans for both teams into a frenzy.

"I thought we had the game, but there was too much time left on the clock," Nickel said. "We've had confidence in our defense all year long and to see the game slip through our fingers was heartbreaking."

After it was over Edwards met McBride, his close friend, at midfield. They compared notes about Staley's possible fumble, embraced three times and almost broke down in front of dozens of cameras.

"Are you heartbroken?" Edwards asked. "I know how you feel. You're going to have me crying here in a minute."

McBride said: "LaVell is a great guy. After the game, I told him I loved him, wished him the best and that it was a fumble. I guess if you're going to be beaten by someone, it may as well be a guy like that."

It was the final game after 29 seasons for Edwards, but you'd never know it by watching him. He handled it like the previous 360, quietly pacing the sideline as if waiting for a bus.

"I don't show it on the sidelines often but I was dying inside when they looked like they had us stopped," he said.

The Utah offense, ineffective aside from a few long passing plays, came to life when it counted. Arceneaux came off the bench with 1:15 remaining in the third quarter, directing a drive capped by a 33-yard kick from Kaneshiro.

The Utes went to work defensively, too, forcing BYU into a punt that Steve Smith returned 29 yards to BYU's 29. It led to a 2-yard TD run by Thomas Fortune, trimming the deficit to 26-20 with 7:51 to play.

"We had a lot of great individual efforts that gave us a lift when we came back," McBride said. "When Darnell came in, he really energized the team. Steve's punt return was exactly what we needed."

Edwards ends his career ranked sixth on the NCAA's victories list, with a 257-101-3 record, the 1984 national championship, 22 bowl games and 20 conference titles. He had only one losing season, a 5-6 mark in 1973, his second year.

Had BYU lost, he would have had his second losing season.

"It couldn't be a better way out," Edwards said. "I've been blessed and I'm proud of what we have been able to get done over the years."

Before kickoff, McBride gave Edwards a retirement gift, a trip to next year's U.S. Open golf tournament. While the coaches like each other, it quickly became apparent that the teams don't.

BYU receiver Margin Hooks threw a nasty chop block at the knees of Utah's Jason Potter late in the first quarter. Utah linebackers coach Fred Whittingham drew a personal foul penalty for running on the field to protest.

There were skirmishes after almost every change of possession.

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