BYU vs. Utah Preview
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – BYU and Utah have played each other in the final game of the regular season since 2002 and have been in the same conference for the last 51 years. Both of those traditions will come to an end when the 23rd-ranked Utes and Cougars meet in the Desert Duel Rivalry Game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday.
After being members of the Mountain West Conference since its inception in 1999, preceded by 37 years in the Western Athletic Conference and three years together in the Skyline Conference, Utah (9-2, 6-1) will be moving to the Pac-12 for the 2011 season while BYU (6-5, 5-2) will become an independent.
According to latest college football odds, oddsmakers from online sports book BroburySports.com have made Utah 9-point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against BYU. Current NCAA Public Betting Information shows that 57% of more than 399 bets for this game have been placed on BYU +9.
The series between these schools separated by less than 50 miles started in 1922, and they’ve met every season since, expect from 1943-45 during World War II. This will also be the 47th straight season the programs meet in November, a streak that will end when they play next September.
“On the future differences between the schools and how it affects the game: That remains to be seen,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “It’s uncharted territory. The time slot is the biggest difference more than conference affiliation. There will always be the proximity between the schools. The feel of the game has always been a buildup through the whole season to that game. That’s the biggest dynamic.”
The rivalry has also featured many memorable games with 11 of the last 13 meetings decided by seven points or less. At LaVell Edwards Stadium last season, No. 18 BYU defeated the 22nd-ranked Utes 26-23 in overtime to win for the third time in four years.
“It just seems like it matters a lot to the coaches, the players, the players’ families and the fans,” Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “It’s almost like claiming your place as worthy to be in the rivalry. You don’t want to be the team or the coach that has a lopsided game.”
Mendenhall’s team is coming off last Saturday’s 40-7 win over New Mexico. The Cougars, who opened the season 2-5, have averaged 42.3 points during a four-game winning streak and are now bowl eligible.
“There was a time this season I didn’t think that would happen,” Mendenhall said. “It seemed pretty daunting.”
Utah was looking like it could receive a berth in a BCS bowl by opening the season with eight consecutive victories, but back-to-back losses by a combined 75-10 score sent it tumbling down the rankings.
The Utes seemed to be headed to a third consecutive loss last Saturday at San Diego State, trailing 27-10 in the second quarter, before rallying to win 38-34.
“We just needed this win to get our swagger back,” defensive back Brandon Burton said.
Sophomore quarterback Jordan Wynn led a revived offense that had been held to one touchdown in the previous nine quarters. The Utes amassed 500 yards of offense with Wynn throwing for a career-high 362 yards and two touchdowns.
“A lot of things smiled on us,” Wynn said. “Those two weeks were pretty bad and we needed a win desperately.”
While the offense finally got back in gear, Utah’s defense was again sluggish, allowing 591 yards – the second time in three games it yielded more than 550.
Although the defense struggled to get off the field, most of the Aztecs’ offense came through the air, as the Utes limited them to 63 rushing yards on 21 attempts. Utah ranks 10th in the FBS in rush defense at 108.1 yards per game, and will be facing a BYU team that is winning behind a punishing running attack.
Led by JJ Di Luigi, Bryan Kariya and Joshua Quezada, the Cougars are averaging 243.8 rushing yards during their winning streak.
“They are running the ball effectively,” Whittingham said. “Our run defense is 10th in the country. It’s one of our strong suits. It should be an interesting matchup.”
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!