Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
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PROVO — You made it, college football fans.
Sure, the start of the regular season technically happened last Saturday with two Week Zero games.
But with all due respect to Florida's win over Miami and Hawaii's win over Arizona, the start of the 150th year of college football begins Thursday.
That includes BYU and Utah — the Beehive Battle or Deseret First Duel or whatever else you want to call the meeting between the two largest schools in the state of Utah.
"It is competitive, it is intense," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, whose team will try to win its ninth-straight over his alma mater. "When you aren't in the same conference, there is a different feel to it. But it is still every bit as gratifying as always."
Here's how you can watch, stream, listen and otherwise follow along to the centennial edition (depending on who you ask) of the rivalry game.
Watch, Stream, Listen
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. MDT
Travel info: Plan extra time, according to UDOT
TV: ESPN
TV talent: Anish Schroff (pxp), Ahmad Brooks (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)
Live stream: WatchESPN
Radio: KSL Newsradio 1160 AM / 102.7 FM; KALL 700 (ESPN) AM
Radio talent: Greg Wrubell (pxp), Riley Nelson (analyst), Mitchell Juergens (sideline); Bill Riley (pxp), Scott Mitchell (analyst), Tom Hackett (sideline)
Series: Utah leads 61-34-4, according to the Utes. Utah leads 58-31-4, according to the Cougars. No, really; the two teams can't even agree on how many times they've played.
Players to watch:
RB Ty'Son Williams, BYU
The graduate transfer from South Carolina was named the Cougars' starting running back on Monday, and he brings an SEC mentality to Provo for his final season of college football. The 6-foot, 220-pound tailback from Sumter, South Carolina ran for 799 yards and 5 touchdowns in two seasons with the GameCocks. For the Cougars to snap their unruly losing streak to their rivalry from the north, they'll need to control the clock with a heavy dose of the ground game.
RB Zack Moss, Utah
Like the Cougars, the Utes' path to success likely lies through their offensive line and running back star Zack Moss. The Doak Walker Award candidate rushed for 2,651 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first three seasons at Utah, but did not play in last year's 35-27 victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Many observers believe Moss' absence played a key role in the Cougars' early success a year ago, leading by as much as 27-7 in the second half before Utah rallied for the win. If the Florida-born tailback who reportedly struggled with an undisclosed injury during training camp starts and find his form early, it could lead the Utes to a hefty nine-game winning streak — tying the longest in the series (BYU won nine in a row from 1979-87).
