A BYU cheerleading coach collapsed after being hit with a water bottle during a game in Utah, and a fan was arrested.

An 18-year-old named William Gardner was taken into custody and accused of committing an assault.

A BYU cheerleading coach collapsed after being hit with a water bottle during a game in Utah, and a fan was arrested.
A BYU cheerleading coach collapsed after being hit with a water bottle during a game in Utah, and a fan was arrested.

On Saturday, an 18-year-old man was arrested after striking BYU cheerleading coach Jocelyn Allan in the head with a water bottle, causing her to lose consciousness following BYU's victory over Utah.

Since 2010, Allan has been the head cheer coach at BYU and immediately posted about the incident on social media after the game, claiming it was a Utah fan who threw the water bottle.

Utah Utes fans
The Utah Utes students cheer on their team against the Brigham Young Cougars during the fourth quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. (Rob Gray-Imagn Images)

A Utah fan in the table seats in the south endzone threw a water bottle and hit me directly in the head during the conclusion of tonight's BYU/Utah game, as Allan shared in an Instagram Story post via the New York Post.

"I passed out and was safely lowered to the ground by one of my cheerleaders. The police are currently reviewing video footage to determine the source of the seats. If you witnessed the event or have any information about the family that owns the specific box, please contact me. Thank you."

A BYU athletics spokesperson confirmed that Allan was hit by a water bottle after the game ended.

The University of Utah Police Department later confirmed that William Gardner, 18, was arrested and charged with assault. However, it was stated that he is not a Utah student.

BYU Cheer
The Brigham Young Cougars cheer team performs between the third and fourth quarters of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at LaVell Edwards Stadium. (Rob Gray-Imagn Images)

A member of the BYU cheerleading team was hit by a water bottle thrown onto the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Utah-BYU football game on Nov. 9.

The following day, Gardner's father contacted police and informed them that it was his son who had thrown the water bottle.

The Big 12 fined Utah athletic director Mark Harlan $40,000 and publicly reprimanded him for making controversial calls on the Cougars’ winning drive.

Utah defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa reacts
Utah defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa reacts after losing to BYU in an NCAA college football game, just after midnight on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Spenser Heaps)

"Harlan was disappointed after the game. Although they were excited about being in the Big 12, he was not tonight. They won the game, but someone else stole it from them. Harlan was disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew and vowed to talk to the commissioner about it."

Harlan acknowledged the consequences of his decision to release a statement standing by his comments on the game's officiating, but also recognized the need for more appropriate times and avenues to express those concerns.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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by Paulina Dedaj

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