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SALT LAKE CITY -- Year to year, the battle between BYU and the University of Utah is perhaps the biggest game of the Mountain West Conference. The proclaimed "Holy War" has the tendency to be more hellish in nature than anything else, and with Utah heading to the Pac-10 Conference next season and BYU going independent, this game will mark the last in a fiercely competitive conference rivalry game between two very capable teams.
The two teams have gone head-to-head since 1922, and have played against one another every year since, except for during World War II. The BYU-Utah rivalry game has been the last game of the season for both teams since 2002, and in 2005 the Wall Street Journal ranked the "Holy War" as the fourth largest rivalry in the nation, tied with Michigan versus Ohio State.
The rivalry, which seems to get more and more intense each year, has yielded very exciting games in the last decade and a half and this year's battle will be no different. Both teams have been through their ups and downs this season and the game will no doubt be looked to by fans as a determinant of which team can come bounce back from adversity best.
The Cougars are up, winning five of their last six games after starting the season 1-4. With last week's win over New Mexico, the Cougars became bowl-eligible and would like nothing more than to beat their rivals and carry that momentum into the post-season and into their first year as an independent.
The Utes were ranked fifth in the BCS before falling flat on their faces against TCU and Notre Dame. Utah bounced back from that two-game losing streak with an ugly win against San Diego State, but a win is a win and Utah needs this win against BYU to salvage what was such a promising season.
"I think the players, coaches and entire state knows how much fun the game can be and what the anticipation is to play a BYU-Utah game," said Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall. "But again, they're so busy during the week in terms of preparation that I don't think the emotion hits them until maybe the day before."
"It's another football game that we have to win and that we have to play well to win," says senior safety Andrew Rich. This will be Rich's second start of the BYU-Utah game and it is one he always is looking forward to.
"Its two teams battling and competing and trying to win the game. It's the end of the season, our biggest game of the year. As a senior I've always loved this game and playing in this game because it's so much more intense." BYU players will look to curb their emotion, as an overly emotional game played last week against New Mexico led to an usually high amount of penalties. The Cougars had 14 penalties for 141 yards.
"I think there are always plenty of flags flying all over the place all the time," commented Mendenhall after last week's victory. "Maybe there was a lot more emotion and excitement because of our last game but I don't have any notions about that."
This year Utah has been on and off. After an electrifying start, they have been having a tough finish to the end of their season and are currently ranked 20th in the nation with a 9-2 record. After a comeback victory against San Diego State last week, they'll be looking forward to facing the Cougars at home.
"We're looking forward to the game this week," said Utah Head Coach Kyle Wittingham. "There are no conference championship implications or anything of that nature, but it's still rivalry week and it will be an intense game - what we expect as always. Our guys are excited about the opportunity to play in front of the home crowd and line up and play in this game again. It's always a great game. The last 10-15 years have been very competitive. We're looking forward to it."
"(Utah is) explosive; a lot of great players with two great running backs that can run the ball on you," said Rich. "We're definitely going to have our hands full. You have to stop the run and then stop the pass. We're going to have to do a good job adjusting to the situation."
On paper, the two teams match up very evenly. BYU's offensive leaders include quarterback Jake Heaps who has thrown for 1,824 yards and 10 touchdowns. Running back JJ Di Luigi, one of three backs who share carries, has 151 carries for 805 yards and seven touchdowns.
Utah's offensive attack is led by quarterback Jordan Wynn who has thrown for 2,135 yards and 16 touchdowns. Utah running back Matt Asiata has 142 carries for 650 yards and seven touchdowns.
Like most rivalries, the fight between teams on the field often times finds itself being carried between fans off the field. Both BYU and Utah have become known for their strong comments and is one thing Mendenhall wouldn't mind changing about the game.
"It would be great if the fans would take on a stronger spirit of sportsmanship and be able to compete against one another, but do it in a civil way," said Mendenhall. "I think it certainly is possible and I think it's desirable and would add a lot more class to the rivalry. Again, I'm speaking for both sides, not just one."
The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. from Rice-Eccles Stadium. You can hear the game on ksl.com and on KSL Newsradio 102.7FM/1160AM. You can also follow the action on Twitter: @kslsports.
