LARAMIE — As you read this, the weather over here on the other side of the Rockies will likely be lousy. It usually is here on the plains of Laramie in mid-November, especially after dark.
That's when Utah and Wyoming will play their regionally televised game (ABC-TV) today at 5 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium.
If it's not snowing, then it will certainly be cold. And it's always windy in Laramie.
The last two Utah-Wyoming games played here were both played in November under miserable conditions.
In 2000, the two teams played on nearly the same date as this year — Nov. 11 with a late-afternoon kickoff. The temperature was in single digits at kickoff and down to zero by the end of the game after dark. The field was so frozen, it was like "being on ice skates," according to Ute assistant Gary Andersen.
Two years ago the game began at 10 a.m. and although it was much warmer than two years earlier, it was still early enough that the field was frozen for much of the game.
"It was icy and I remember the ground was so hard," said senior safety Morgan Scalley, who was knocked out of the game on the opening kickoff after getting blindsided.
For many Ute players, this will be their first visit to Laramie and War Memorial Stadium, and those who have been here have been trying to get them prepared.
Ute coach Urban Meyer coached here three times while an assistant at Colorado State. Andersen coached here three times as a Ute assistant besides playing twice. Defensive coordinator Kyle Whittingham played here twice for BYU and has coached six games since.
"It's a tough place to play, I can tell you that," said Whittingham.
His most vivid memory was a game in 1981 when he played for BYU.
"It was a wicked snowstorm, an absolute blizzard," he said. "We had Jim McMahon and ended up losing. We couldn't feel anything — we were almost frostbitten. It was ridiculous."
Andersen's most memorable game was the 2000 game that the Utes won easily despite the frigid conditions.
"It was an absolute frozen tundra, like playing on a hockey rink," he said. "That was as cold as any football game I've ever been in."
Meyer has been pretty lucky so far in his experiences in Laramie.
"We had one cold one, but nothing horrible," he said. "It's sure a desolate place, though."
That was the impression of quarterback Alex Smith, who sat on the sidelines in 2002. "It's not the prettiest place in the world," he said.
As of Friday night, the forecast called for a chance of snow tonight with a gametime temperature of 27 and a wind chill of 15.
Meyer just hopes this is the last time the Utes have to come to Laramie in November.
"That's a tradition I hope we can break," he said.
UTAH IN LARAMIE
A look at the last five road games for Utah in Wyoming:
2002: UTAH 23, WYOMING 18 (Nov. 16)
This one went down to the final play of the game as Ute backup safety Kawika Casco stripped the ball from a Cowboy receiver on a Hail Mary pass in the end zone.
2000: UTAH 34, WYOMING 0 (Nov. 11)
On a frigid evening, the Utes jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead behind the running of Adam Tate and the passing of Lance Rice.
1998: WYOMING 27, UTAH 24 (Oct. 3)
The Utes let this one slip away despite leading 24-14 in the third quarter and dominating the final stats. Wyoming won with a touchdown with four minutes left in the game.
1995: UTAH 30, WYOMING 24 (Nov. 5)
The Utes dominated play, controlling the ball for nearly 45 of the 60 minutes and outgaining the Pokes 422 to 308.
1993: WYOMING 28, UTAH 12 (Sept. 25)
Keith Williams returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for Utah, but it turned out to be the only touchdown the Utes scored all day.
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