Mendenhall takes another shot at Utes


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PROVO — Even in abeyance, the football rivalry between Utah and BYU remains as intense and bitter as ever.

From the BYU perspective, considering the multiple comments from the coach, the rivalry might be more heated than in recent years. Bronco Mendenhall was at it again this week, as he did in August, taking another shot at Utah's decision to skip playing the Cougars for the next two years. The prior time he went after the Utes at a fan function. This time it was in connection with BYU's upcoming game with Utah State.

"Considering only one in-state team will play us this year, it's a huge game," said Mendenhall. "It's probably the featured game in-state. It means a lot. The two teams honor tradition. This particular game matters a lot to both teams."

For those living under a rock, Mendenhall remains irked Utah would rather schedule Michigan than keep alive one of the country's best rivalry games. He has gone so far as to imply that the Utes were afraid to keep the series going.

Mendenhall simply doesn't appreciate that Utah would break tradition, a word that he pushes as a core value along with spirit and honor. It's easy to conclude that to him the honorable thing would have been to continue the decades-old tradition of playing the game.

Man has a point.

Both teams and the university administrations owe it to the state's football fans to continue the series. There's really no good reason to skip two years, even now that Utah has joined the Pac-12 and BYU ventured away from the Mountain West Conference to become an independent.


Considering only one in-state team will play us this year, it's a huge game. It's probably the featured game in-state. It means a lot. The two teams honor tradition. This particular game matters a lot to both teams.

–Bronco Mendenhall


At the least, give Mendenhall credit for preferring Utah over another patsy like the opponents that fill BYU's schedule this season. Using the recent past as a barometer, the Utes likely would have ended BYU's latest rendition at the quest for perfection.

And from an in-state recruiting perspective, it's in Utah's best interest to play BYU annually, especially if the Utes extend their winning streak over the Cougars beyond the current four games. For all the excitement of beating Michigan last week, what did it get the Utes? Hint, it is the same thing as what war is good for – absolutely nothing, as the song goes.

Over the last 13 games, Michigan is 4-9. All the stories surrounding the program center on Brady Hoke's hopeless future as the coach, not on the opponents that beat his team.

Would Ute fans rather have damaged BYU's lofty spot in the national rankings or be like Minnesota and Iowa, two of the lesser knowns to beat the Wolverines?

Even in losing seasons, which they have endured for two consecutive years, the Utes could at least feel good about beating BYU. In-state recruits might like the combination of the Pac-12 affiliation and repeatedly thrashing BYU.

By not playing – and beating – the Cougars, Utah is providing the BYU coaches with recruiting leverage. Part of being an independent allows BYU to schedule enough cupcakes to make a yearly bowl appearance, something Utah hasn't done with a rigorous nine-game conference slate of games.

You can hear the recruiting pitch a mile away: Come to BYU and play for a winning program. It's been part of BYU's sales campaign.

The truth is, except for a dozen or so programs, most teams in the Power 5 conferences will have virtually no shot at the new four-team playoff system. Many teams have to hope for a few breaks along the way just to qualify for bowl game, even if it is second- or third-tier.

"Do you go to a lower level Pac-12 team and not make a bowl game, but at the beginning of the year, every year, you have the hope and the desire of making it to the playoff system or do you go to BYU, (which has) gone to a bowl game every single year for 10 years," said BYU's enthusiastic offensive line coach Garett Tujague. "To me, I love to win. Power 5 or not, I want to win."

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