The University of Utah Utes crushed the San Diego State Aztecs yesterday 38-7, lessening the sting of last week's overwhelming loss to TCU. For 23 seniors on the team it was their last game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. "The TCU game left a bad taste in our mouths. We wanted to come out and finish strong for the seniors," said senior linebacker Mike Wright after the game.
However, the Utes' seniors still have to face their biggest rival, BYU, next Saturday at 3 p.m. in Provo. "The seniors now get their last regular season game at BYU, and there is not much extra motivation necessary," said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham.
The BYU-Utah rivalry has all the elements of a classic college football rivalry, but with a twist. The two teams have played each other every year for 100 years, give or take (it depends on whether you count the games between the University of Utah and Brigham Young Academy). They're in-state rivals only 40 minutes driving distance apart. Both schools are huge with passionate fan bases. For the past decade at least, both schools have had extremely strong football programs, and frequently the conference championship has been decided by the rivalry game.
And then there's religion. Even though BYU has some non-Mormon fans and the Utes have even more Mormon fans, the rivalry taps into deeply-rooted divisions in Utah's culture and has come to be known at Utah's "Holy War."
I love the Utah-BYU football game, because the fans' and players' passions run so high. I hate it, too, for precisely the same reason. At all the Utah-BYU football games I've attended over the years, I've seen fans scream, curse, sob, throw things at the field and each other, throw punches, break bones and get arrested.
Can't we all just get along?
Read College Footbal Guide Tim Hyland's list of the ten biggest college football rivalries
Comments
Utes = speed = Victory. Go Utes!!!!!!
BYU smears the flaming turds! The only way yewtah even gives BYU a run is if BYU lets their little obnoxious wannabe brothers get into their heads with their pregame whining and acting tough while yewts try to avoid wetting their pants during the Haka.
Really? You’re talking about Utah fans being whiners (by the way, it’s spelled “Utah”… you live in the state!) And wannabes?? What exactly are you basing this on? We have the same record, we have a longer at-home winning streak. We had a better record last year. We were undefeated last year. We won the sugar bowl last year! Please. Tell me what I “wannabe” about the cougars.