Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LOGAN — The change from four years ago is startling, great enough to overhaul the longstanding order for the state of college football in Utah.
For the better part of three decades, BYU ruled in the Beehive State, with Utah and Utah State alternating as a distant second or third, depending on which team was worse than the other during any given period of ineptitude. But those times are gone, maybe never to return.
Without question, only a fool would deny that Utah has ascended to the top spot in the state. A four-game winning streak over the Cougars, along with nine out of the last 12, has removed any doubt that Utah is the premiere program. Utah’s membership in the Pac-12 — an affiliation that BYU had long desired before becoming an independent — could well keep the Utes at the top for the foreseeable future.
Given the university’s increased commitment to football, along with having the good fortune of being in the right spot at the right time, it’s no surprise that Utah’s profile has skyrocketed dramatically over the last 20 years. The more accurate assessment might be why did it take so long.
The big shocker involves BYU, which conceivably could drop to third in the pecking order. Below the Aggies? Believe it, brother.
If Friday’s game between the two teams plays out as the oddsmakers expect, Utah State’s program for the time being would deserve being considered better than BYU. With the game in Logan, the Aggies are generally favored by a touchdown.
Related:
Utah State 'amped' to play BYU
BYU and Utah State will resume their football rivalry on Friday night in Logan. BYU has won five of the last six matchup with the Aggies under head coach Bronco Mendenhall, with the lone loss coming in Logan in 2010.It would have been ridiculous to assert four years ago that Utah State would overtake the Cougars. But a lot has changed in such a short time.
In 2009, Gary Andersen’s first season in Logan, Utah State finished 4-8 and lost to Utah and BYU by identical scores of 35-17. At the time of each game, Utah was ranked No. 19 and BYU was No. 20.
The Utes finished that season at 10-3, beating California in the Poinsettia Bowl. It was also the last year the Utes lost to BYU.
The Cougars were 11-2 in 2009, in the process beating ranked Oklahoma, Utah and Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl. That season capped a four-year run in which BYU won 43 games.
During the same four years the Aggies won a total of 10 games. Under Andersen, Utah State’s first breakthrough came in 2010, when the Aggies blew out BYU 31-16. A high school kid from Texas named Chuckie Keeton was on the sidelines in Logan on a recruiting trip for that game.
With Keeton starting at quarterback as a freshman the following season, BYU needed Riley Nelson to come off the bench and engineer a last-second touchdown drive to beat the Aggies 27-24. Last season, with freshman Taysom Hill at quarterback, the Cougars beat Utah State 6-3, one of only two defeats the Aggies suffered on the year.
It would have been ridiculous to assert four years ago that Utah State would overtake the Cougars. But a lot has changed in such a short time.
After Utah State finished 11-2, Andersen left to coach Wisconsin. Obviously, he left the program in much better shape than he found it.
With deep roots in Utah, Andersen turned around the program by focusing on in-state recruiting, including a heavy emphasis on Polynesians and LDS players who were serving missions. The university administration also invested in the program through improving facilities.
So far, it looks like the success will continue under first-year head coach Matt Wells.
“First and foremost, I’d be remiss not say that it was the culture that Gary Andersen initially created when he first walked in here,” Wells said.
BYU, meanwhile, has struggled to adequately replace John Beck and Max Hall — the two quarterbacks responsible for the phenomenal run that began in 2006. During this time coach Bronco Mendenhall has twice overhauled his offensive coaching staff and installed himself as defensive coordinator after firing the previous coordinator the day after Utah State embarrassed BYU the last time the teams played in Logan.
Because the Utes already have beaten Utah State and BYU this season, they are the undisputed state champions. As such, this week’s game will determine second place.
