For a rivarly where both sides even disagree when it all started, there's nothing like the flavor and fevered pitch of the BYU-Utah pairing, the traditional regular-season finale for the two football foes.
Saturday's 1 p.m. game at LaVell Edwards Stadium is no different than past seasons — riding on the outcoming are not only local bragging rights for the next 52 weeks, but bowl-game implications and the difference — at least for Utah — between a winning and losing season.
As a precusor to Saturday's match-up, we'd like to take you on a visual walk down Memory Lane for the past five seasons — a photographic look back at the past five BYU-Utah meetings. Because of the players, the coaches, the rallies and the results, they are among the most memorable in the history of the Cougar-Ute rivaly.
In the last five games, we've seen coaches on both sides walk away — on to the Hall of Fame, the other to a more prominent program — and we've seen coaches on both sides sent packing. Both BYU and Utah have won a game to preserve an unbeaten season record — one in hopes of a Bowl Championship Series invitation, the other actually receiving one. Each has been looking at the prospects of a losing season with a loss or a bowl invite with a win. Both have won rare rivalry games on their home turfs.
And other than last year's Ute blowout, the games haven't been decided by more than a touchdown's difference.
Fitting, then, that last year it even drew a visit from ESPN's Game Day, with the hosts billing it every bit deserving as other more nationally known pairings on so-called "Rivalry Week."
Here's a quick review of the last five meetings:
UTAH 52, BYU 21 — SALT LAKE CITY, NOV. 20, 2004: Ranked No. 5 in the nation and the undefeated and Fiesta Bowl-bound Utes treated the Cougars like a pinata, winning their third straight rivalry game for the longest streak on either side in a decade. BYU suffered its third straight losing season for the first time in 40 years. However, some of the key players in the 2004 contest were soon gone — BYU head coach Gary Crowton was forced to resign after four seasons, Utah head coach Urban Meyer said "Later, Gators" as he signed a lucrative deal at Florida, and U. quarterback Alex Smith said "Hello, NFL" as he gave up a senior season in Salt Lake City to become the top pick of the 2005 NFL draft.
UTAH 3, BYU 0 — PROVO, NOV. 22 , 2003: Nate Borreson's field goal was the only scoring on a cold, snowy day, making for the rivalry's fewest points since a 1928 scoreless tie. But the three points were plenty to give Utah its first outright league title since 1957 and hand BYU its first shutout defeat since 1975.
UTAH 13, BYU 6 — SALT LAKE CITY, NOV. 23, 2002: Utah came into the game assured of a losing record — so misery loves company and the Utes beat the Cougars to hand BYU its first losing mark in nearly three decades. Brandon Warfield's touchdown — the only one of the day — was the difference as Utah beat BYU at Rice-Eccles Stadium for the first time since 1994. However, Ute head coach was fired several days later after 13 seasons.
BYU 24, UTAH 21 — PROVO, NOV. 17, 2001: Looking to maintain an unbeaten record in hopes of wooing BCS bowl consideration, the Cougars were looking at more woe than woo, trailing by 11 points with four minutes remaining. But Doak Walker Award winner Luke Staley scores two touchdowns to propel BYU to its first home victory over the Utes since 1991.
BYU 34, UTAH 27 — SALT LAKE CITY, NOV. 24, 2000: In the final career game for legendary BYU head coach LaVell Edwards, the Cougars watched the Utes rally from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take the late lead. But QB Brandon Doman — facing a fourth-and-13 from BYU's own 17-yard line — takes the Cougars the distance for the game-winning score, linking up several times with wide-out Jonathan Pittman for timely passes.
E-mail: taylor@desnews.com