They pretend they're high and mighty, but they have some of the most grotesque trash talk I've ever heard. – Former BSU defensive lineman Elliot Hoyte
Moments after his team rallied to beat in-state rival BYU 40-24, Utah State senior quarterback Kent Myers explained why the win was so sweet.
It was another victory, and that’s always nice.
It put the Aggies (3-2) a step closer to becoming bowl eligible, so that’s cool.
And a bonus (BIG BONUS), it was against the Cougars. Oh, yeah!
By the way, Myers wasn’t just excited about that last fact because it meant ownership of the coveted Wagon Wheel had transferred over to Utah State.
“I’m not from Utah, but, you know, nobody likes BYU,” said Myers, who’s from Rowlett, Texas. “I wanted to give our guys this win — our Utah guys.”
Myers isn’t the only card-carrying member of the “Love to Hate these Cougars” club.
At least one former Boise State player is right there with him, a fact that was written about in the Idaho Statesman leading up to Friday night's Broncos-Cougars clash in Provo.
“I cannot stand them,” former BSU defensive lineman Elliot Hoyte said. “There’s some pent-up aggression there. I hate to say it, but if Boise State lost each game, as long as they beat the crap out of BYU, I’d be happy."
Along those lines, Hoyte, who played for the Broncos from 2012-16, tweeted something a month ago that looks similar to a bumper sticker you might see on the vehicle of USU and Utah fans.
As of Wednesday morning, that Sept. 8 tweet by Hoyte has been liked 1,008 times with 148 retweets.
Myers' “Nobody likes BYU” video on yours truly’s Twitter timeline has 126 retweets, 593 likes, dozens of quote tweets and a boatload of passionate comments ranging from showing why college rivalries are so fun to making you think that humanity has no hope for a civil future.
Some samples:
“I think there are more BYU fans than people who know USU even exists.” — @rYsentrout (kudos to a clever fishing/BYU handle, by the way)
“Uh-oh. He just pulled a Max Hall. Now he’s cursed USU. Now they’ll never beat BYU again.” — @dan_smithforbyu
“Easy there Max Hall.” — @JAKECHR1STENSEN
“Can’t believe how many Mormon aggie fans/players I’ve heard say they hate byu…. if you are one of these people you are a Sunday Mormon.” — @TheThunderMan05 (opening up a Twitter can of worms that my timeline is just recovering from)
“It’s too bad so many BYU fans/alums have been brainwashed into think this is true. I’m a LDS Bishop. I’m no “Sunday Mormon.” — @OneTrueAggie
(And that debate goes on and on and on…)
“I hope he (Myers) has a successful career in the Canadian Football League.” — @NST02161982
“Yep, maybe he can play against (Tanner) Mangum there.” — @ilnati
“(Mangum) is not going to CFL with his stats.” — former USU running back Emmett White
“Truth Hurts Sometimes. #CougarTears.” — @cougartears (about “Nobody likes BYU,” not about CFL prospects)
“I mean, it’s true…but usually we don’t come right out and say it. Ha.” — @UofUMansir
“I mean he’s not the only one saying it.” — @dbk2387, who shared a KSL story about LDS baseball star Bryce Harper dispelling a rumor that all Mormons root for BYU (something Utahns definitely know to not be the case).
"I mean, c'mon. That’s brutal (to say) that everybody likes BYU that's Mormon. I hate BYU," Harper said during his "Intentional Talk" interview with Chris Rose and Kevin Millar.
"I could be a fan of them, but I don't like them. There are a lot of Mormons that don’t like BYU."
And apparently, plenty of non-Mormons in the "Nobody likes BYU" camp, too.
"Nobody is a lot of people." — @rumdurtschi
(Wait a sec. It is! But … nobody is nobody … what … huh? Mind blown about the complex nature of nobody. Moving on ...)
This Vine explains some of Hoyte’s hayte (sorry) for BYU. During the 2015 game at LaVell Edwards Stadium, Hoyte was reaching for teammate Chanceller James when BYU lineman Ului Lapuaho punched James below the belt.
"It is a hatred. It’s an absolute animosity I have," Hoyte told the Idaho Statesman. "They pretend they’re high and mighty, but they have some of the most grotesque trash talk I’ve ever heard. There’s an affinity for those types of hits, they try to hit you there when you’re on field-goal block, too."
The Cougars, struggling as it is during a rough 1-4 start, shouldn’t feel like the whole world is against them — including, of course, many of their disgruntled fans.
Seth Baird has room in his heart for them.