This week, Utah will stick to the same routine as it has every week.
The players will go through the same daily schedule — film review, meal times, practice — with only one notable deviation.
On Monday, there was a short segment in the Utes’ team meeting about the history of the Utah-BYU rivalry for the newcomers and freshmen, which make up about 50% of the team.
“Man, just how far back it goes and how much it means to the state,” Utah quarterback Devon Dampier said. “I’m happy that Utah is able to have two ranked teams. That’s awesome. And yeah, I mean, we’re going to get after it.”
One player who didn’t need a history lesson is Jackson Bennee, who has moved from nickel to starting safety with Utah’s injuries at the position. The Olympus High graduate, raised in Holladay, grew up a Ute fan.
“It’s big for sure. My brother was a BYU fan growing up and the rest of the family was Utah. Every time we’d beat him, I’d just rub it in his face and he’d cry. There was a lot of emotion, a lot of emotion,” Bennee said.
As much as Utah will try to block out the outside noise and treat this like any other week, it’s not just any other week. Ute defensive end John Henry Daley knows that as well as anybody.
Daley grew up just up the road from Provo in Alpine, Utah, starting at Lone Peak High. After a 22-sack senior season that saw him named to the Deseret News 6A All-State first team, Daley committed to BYU, and enrolled at the school after serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil.
After playing just 32 snaps in his freshman season for the Cougars behind starters Tyler Batty and Isaiah Bagnah, Daley transferred up north to Utah.
“Honestly, that’d be a long conversation,” Daley said this week on why he left BYU. “Suffice it to say that I just knew that BYU was no longer the place for me and I needed to change the scenery,”
A month ago, Daley told the Deseret News that a spiritual experience helped guide him to Utah.
“Actually what led me here was actually super cool. A very spiritual experience that guided me here, and so I know that Utah’s the place for me,” Daley said.
After waiting his turn again at Utah in 2024, the Ute defensive end has exploded onto the scene in 2025. Daley is tied for second in the nation in sacks with eight, and has rightly earned the “Mayor of Sack Lake City” title.
“Yeah, I admire his play. He seems to be doing well. He’s got great technique, good hands, good motor, is a great leader out there, from what I’m seeing from afar,” said Nate Orchard, the original “mayor.”
Daley has also added 30 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and has forced two fumbles. His Pro Football Focus grade of 89 leads Utah’s team and is No. 19 among the country’s defensive ends.
It’s safe to say that Henry is sure that he made the right choice in transferring to Utah.
“I’m very extremely happy about my decision to come here. I’m very happy about my coaches. I love my coaches and I love my teammates and so I’m very satisfied and very content with my decision to take my talents up north,” Daley said.
Daley has registered at least a half of a sack in every game this far, and will be looking to continue that streak in Provo.
“John Henry Daley has developed the most, so fast and in such little time. He took on a leadership role that we’re all pretty fired up about. His motor doesn’t stop. We knew that from high school and he’s now just one of our leaders on the team. Excited for his growth and his development,” defensive ends coach Lewis Powell said.
Daley credits Powell for his development into one of the best edge rushers in the nation.
“Coach Powell is fantastic at what he does. He really knows how to build confidence and help you build confidence in yourself and also in the scheme and help you believe in yourself that you’re able to go and make plays and do all these things and teach you these techniques. And I mean the results speak for themselves. He has an amazing record of guys who have played the NFL and he continues to do the same thing over and over again,” Daley said.
Daley is the first to admit that this week carries more weight than the other 11 in the season.
“I mean, of course there’s a lot of emotions going into this week and I think everybody on this team feels it. We know how much this rivalry means to not only our team, but to our fanbase as well. So we want to go out there and take it to them,” Daley said.
He’s not the only former Cougar that has crossed over to Utah, or even the only starting defensive end. While Logan Fano never played a snap in a regular-season game for BYU due to a season-ending injury in spring practice during his freshman year, he’s another BYU-to-Utah transfer.
Fano has had a good year thus far for the Utes, racking up 16 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks while notching a 70.4 Pro Football Focus grade.
Of course, the transfers go the other direction, too.
Former starting Ute defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa and tight end Carsen Ryan are the latest to head down south to BYU.
Tanuvasa, a starter at BYU, has totaled 10 tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack and currently has a Pro Football Focus grade of 62.3. Ryan has become the Cougars’ go-to tight end and has 14 receptions for 211 yards and two scores while also excelling in blocking duties.
Switching sides doesn’t stop at just players, either.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham played for BYU and got his coaching start there as a graduate assistant. Utes offensive coordinator Jason Beck played and coached in Provo, along with running backs coach Mark Atuaia. Utah receivers coach Micah Simon played at BYU, along with offensive analyst Koy Detmer Jr.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake was the defensive coordinator at Utah, Aaron Roderick was Utah’s offensive coordinator, and current BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill played and coached at Utah. Defensive tackles coach Sione Po’uha played and coached at Utah, as did senior analyst Gary Andersen.
“There’s a lot of coaches down there that were here. Grateful for what they gave us while they were here. They were all outstanding for us and did an excellent job. And Kalani is a good friend of mine, that’s no secret. And he’s become an outstanding head coach,” Whittingham said.
Players and coaches going from one school to another is just another part of what makes the Utah-BYU rivalry one of the most unique in the nation.
“There’s always going to be some aspect of that, right? It’s a heated rivalry,” Daley said. “You got guys switching teams and you got certain feelings towards the other team, and so there’s always going to be some of that friction there and that’s why it’s one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football.”