As it turns out, Wyoming wasn't doing Utah any favors by beating league leader San Diego State last week.
A lot of Ute fans were excited to hear that the Cowboys had knocked off the Aztecs last week and saw the final score - 34-31 - as a good omen for Utah heading into this week's game with BYU.However, the SDSU loss eliminates any chance of a five-way tie for a Western Athletic Conference title, which favored Utah in tiebreaking procedures. The Aztecs needed to lose to Colorado State Nov. 25 for for the possibility of a five-way tie and of course, Utah would have to knock off BYU.
Most four-way tie scenarios favor Colorado State or San Diego State and Utah's best bet is for a three-way tie, which means it would root for another SDSU loss this week in Hawaii.
Still, the Utes know a win this week would give them a piece of the WAC title - something that hasn't happened in 31 years. It's just that they may have to enjoy their co-championship while staying home for the holidays for the first time in four years.
NOT NEEDED: If the Utes don't go bowling this year, they may not get a chance to put to use their new "dome," which was completed earlier this month, southeast of the main practice field.
The nearly-$2 million facility is equipped with a 65-yard Astroturf field and two full end zones and a white bubble 65 feet high. Its main purpose was to give the Utes some shelter during inclement autumn afternoons, but with September-like weather most of the past two weeks, the Utes haven't needed to go indoors yet.
WAY BACK WHEN: Although just a small percentage of the country will be watching it, Saturday's regionally telecast game between Utah and BYU brings to mind the last time the annual grudge contest was telecast by a national network.
It was 1953 in a Thanksgiving Day game and Utah came into the game heavily favored at 8-1 against a 2-6-1 BYU team. But the Cougars gave the Utes all they could handle, losing just 33-32, missing an extra point in the final minutes that would have tied it. The game was seen across the country as the only college game telecast that day.
Back in those days, the Utes and Cougars usually played early in the season, the third or fourth game, but that year was an exception. Most years, the Utes finished the season against their main rival, Utah State.
It wasn't until 1969 that Utah and BYU began playing each other in late November, which is about the time the Cougars starting beating Utah every year.
UTE NOTES: Daniel Pulsipher still leads the WAC in field goals per game (1.5) and has moved up to No. 3 in the nation. With 15 on the year, he needs three field goals this week to tie the school record set by Andre Guardi in 1985. With 23 career field goals, he should break Guardi's career mark of 34 next year . . . Only four players started last year's BYU game - tight end Rick Tucker, tackle Chris Rae, defensive tackle Henry Kaufusi and safety Harold Lusk . . . The week off helped everyone get healthy, including cornerback Clarence Lawson, running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala and guard Barry Sims.