SALT LAKE CITY — Rivalry week is here, and its 97th rendition promises to be a memorable one.

As the Utes prepare to take on the Cougars once again, a who's who of the team down south is in order, but first, some statistics to be aware of ahead of Saturday night's big game.

• The Utes hold a 58-34-4 series advantage all time in the rivalry, with a 38-17-3 record at Rice-Eccles Stadium, site of this week's contest.
• This is also the first all-time matchup between Kyle Whittingham and Kalani Sitake as head coaches. Whittingham holds a 7-3 record as Utah head coach versus BYU. For Sitake, this is his first game as a head coach in the rivalry.
• The Utes have won the previous five matchups between the two teams going back to 2010, remembered by many as the "blocked kick" game, when Utah cornerback Brandon Burton blocked BYU kicker Mitch Payne's game-winning field goal attempt to give the Utes a 17-16 victory.
• There are five Utah coaches with direct ties to BYU (Whittingham, Aaron Roderick, Justin Ena, Guy Holliday and Freddie Whittingham) and three BYU coaches with direct ties to Utah (Sitake, Ilaisa Tuiaki and Steve Kaufusi).

Scouting report: BYU

Head coach: Kalani Sitake
Record: 1-0
Line: Utah -3

Offense

It goes without saying, but quarterback Taysom Hill is still the primary threat to Utah offensively. He's a load to take down in the run game and just as capable throwing the football, evidenced by his stat line against Arizona this past weekend, where he threw 30 times and carried the ball 11, accounting for 239 all-purpose yards.

Hill's biggest assets are his size (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) and mobility. He's most dangerous to Utah as a runner/scrambler: In his only two games against the Utes, Hill has carried the ball 21 times for 107 yards and a 5.14-yard per carry average.

The Utes have held him in check as a thrower, holding him to a 37.5 completion percentage and no touchdowns, including one interception. For Hill's part, it appeared that in last Saturday's game against Arizona, he was more prone to throwing than running, perhaps in light of his unfortunate injury history. Whether or not that was part of the scheme, Kyle Whittingham said Utah has to be prepared for the dynamic playmaker.

"Taysom didn't run as much this past game as he had in years past, but we know his capabilities," Whittingham said. "He's a real potent runner."

In addition to Hill, the Utes should be prepared for running back Jamaal Williams. KSL.com's consensus player of the week in Week 1, Williams ran for 162 yards on 29 rushes against Arizona, carrying the load for BYU.

Like Hill, Williams’ success against Utah has been moderate. The running back has carried the ball 21 times for 82 yards and a touchdown in two contests versus the Utes, but like with Hill, Whittingham is wary.

"He's got size, he's got speed, and he runs with a great deal of violence," Whittingham said. "He runs like a running back is supposed to run."

With limited context, it's difficult to label any one of BYU's offensive position groups weak, but there are concerns. Though the offensive line was good in the running game and only allowed one sack against the Wildcats, they struggled to handle the rush from the undersized Arizona defensive line when passing, throwing off Hill's rhythm at times. A big key to Saturday's game may well revolve around Utah's ability to get at Hill and contain BYU's running game.

Defense

Against the Wildcats, the Cougars bent but didn't break, allowing 328 total yards. Converted linebacker Francis Bernard was especially impressive for the Cougars against Arizona, racking up four tackles, including a sack, and an interception. So too was linebacker Butch Pau'u, who had a team high nine tackles and a sack.

In the last five Utah-BYU games, the Utes' offensive success has been found through the air, the only exception being last season's Las Vegas Bowl. Utah quarterbacks have had success in Utah victories throwing for over 200 yards and two touchdowns on average in the other four victories. Interestingly enough, the running game has averaged only 127 yards, a pedestrian stat for a team that thrives on running the ball.

Against what should be the most balanced Utah offense BYU has faced in years, senior safety Kai Nacua could very well be pivotal. BYU's linebackers are always well coached and influence any rivalry game. For BYU, the ability to contain big plays should revolve around good tackling and solid covering, and no one does that better for the Cougars than Nacua.

The great weakness for BYU against Arizona was allowing big plays. The Wildcats had five plays go for 20 yards or more, including the 49-yard touchdown run up the middle by Nick Wilson that put the Cougars behind for the first time all game. If Utah has success, big plays against what has typically been just an average BYU secondary could be the decisive factors.

Game outlook

Just as in years past, coaching and turnovers will probably be deciding factors in what appears to be a pretty evenly matched contest. Can Utah's edge on the defensive line and their athleticism in the defensive backfield affect the game enough to get the Utes a victory? Can the offense generate points more effectively than they did last week against SUU?

The Utes are confident but wary:

"Our guys will be ready, there's no doubt about that, and their guys will be ready, we're sure of that," Whittingham said. "It should make for a great game, like it traditionally has been."

Stephen Lindsey is a student at the University of Utah currently working as an intern with KSL.com in Salt Lake City. Contact him at th3sl3@gmail.com or interact via his Twitter handle, @th3sl3

Related topics