At LaVell Edwards Stadium, prayer is as much a tradition as the game itself for BYU. But last Saturday’s showdown against Utah brought some unexpected action during the prayer. Before kickoff, while thousands of BYU fans bowed their heads and lifted their hearts in unison, Utah freshman kicker Dillon Curtis stayed focused on the field for last-minute preparation. Now, Utah’s 24-21 loss to BYU only doubled down on the scrutiny of his actions.

Although he was perfecting his kicks just minutes before the rivalry showdown, a video shared on social media showed Curtis warming up during BYU’s prayers, which prompted backlash for the kicker. U.S. Senator Mike Lee wrote on X, “Would you say it’s poor form to do this during the pre-game opening prayer at a religious university?” Curtis didn’t waste time addressing the situation, issuing an apology and clarifying that it was not intentional on his part.

On Wednesday, he wrote on X, “I’ve been debating for a few days whether I should make a comment on me kicking during the prayer. At first, I decided to just let it blow over, but I realized that isn’t the right thing to do.” And then came the apology part. “I just wanted to apologize to anyone I offended. I really didn’t mean anything negative by it and especially didn’t have harsh intentions. I was just warming up when my coaches told me to warm up.”

After Curtis issued his apology, a former Utah kicker came to his defense.

Ex-Utah kicker Andy Phillips, quoting Lee’s post, urged people to be “peacemakers” and not “critics.” Being Utah’s kicker from 2012 to 2016 and stepping onto the field for the BYU vs. Utah rivalry more than once, Phillips knows exactly what Curtis was feeling. That is why he didn’t hold back and said, “Mike, c’mon, you’re a senator. You’ve got a huge following, you’re a public figure, and you’re taking time out of your day to call this 18-year-old kid out and make an assumption about something that maybe is fair or maybe is not fair.”

APhillips then shared his perspective, stating, “You have no idea what’s going through this kid’s head. Maybe he had zero opportunities before that to go through his pregame routine.” But it wasn’t just Phillips; Utah fans and even rival fans came forward in support of Dillon Curtis.

Utah kicker receives support from fans

Dillon Curtis appeared in all seven of Utah’s games, knocking through 33 PATs and connecting on five field goal attempts. At UCLA, he hit a 54-yard field goal on his first collegiate attempt, which is the longest in program history for a freshman. To cap it off, Curtis went a perfect 9-for-9 on extra points against Cal Poly, tied for the 3rd-most in a game in Utah history. But while one misstep on screen may have drawn attention, it doesn’t warrant a huge backlash.

That’s why Utah cheerleader Tara Gardiner reshared Curtis’ apology, writing, “Sending love and support to @dilloncurtis07. You are so much more than the judgment and noise. Don’t let the cruel words of those who don’t know the full story define your worth. Ute Nation stands with you—we believe in you. ❤️🖤” But it wasn’t just Utah fans; BYU fans also came to his support.

One BYU fan commented, “BYU fan here. you don’t need to apologize. it’s okay to warm up for the game you are about to play in during your allotted warm up time. sorry you had to write this. people are stupid.” Keeping the rivalry in mind, Utah (5-1) entered to face the undefeated Cougars (now 7-0). So, last-minute preparation and adjusting to a high-pressure environment as a freshman was no easy task, which is why warm-ups were crucial. But the misinterpretation of Curtis’ actions by some fans was truly ridiculous.

That’s why one Utah podcaster wrote on X, “Very cool of you to be the bigger man & apologize… But absolutely ridiculous that this has even blown up into something you felt like you needed to apologize for.” And a BYU fan echoed that same sentiment, stating, “No harm done, brother. Thank you for having the courage to apologize even though you were trying to do what you thought was best.”