Holy War (Utah vs. BYU) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Holy War

Teams	Brigham Young University Brigham Young University Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students... Cougars University of Utah University of Utah The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest... Utes Utah Utes football The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
Trophy	see Beehive Boot Beehive Boot The Beehive Boot, which signifies instate football supremacy among Division I universities from the state of Utah, was conceived in 1971. The authentic pioneer boot, which is estimated to be well over 100 years old, is awarded annually to the Utah school with the best record against its instate...
Originated	April 6, 1896
Series	92 Games Utah leads 55–34–4
First Game	Utah 12, BYU 4 April 6, 1896
Largest Victory	BYU 56, Utah 6 November 22, 1980
Highest Scoring Game	BYU 70, Utah 31 November 18, 1989
Lowest Scoring Game	Utah 0, BYU 0 November 17, 1928
Longest Win Streaks	BYU 9 (1979–1987) Utah 9 (1929–1937)
Most Recent Game	Utah 54, BYU 10 September 17, 2011
Current Streak	Utah 2 (2010–2011)
Last Ten Games	Utah, 7–3
Next Game	Salt Lake City September 15, 2012

The Holy War is an American college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

rivalry

College rivalry

Pairs of schools, colleges and universities, especially when they are close to each other either geographically or in their areas of specialization, often establish a college rivalry with each other over the years. This rivalry can extend to both academics and athletics, the latter being typically...

game played annually by the University of Utah

University of Utah

The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...

Utes

Utah Utes football

The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...

and the Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...

(BYU) Cougars. The game is part of the larger Utah–BYU rivalry. In this rivalry context, the term "Holy War" refers to the fact that BYU is owned and administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and the University of Utah is a public university

Public university

A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...

owned and administered by the State of Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

. Although many Utah fans are LDS members, the term "Holy War" also refers to the stark cultural differences of the respective fan bases. The proximity of the two schools, the athletic successes of the two teams, and the longevity of the series also contribute to the rivalry.

Both teams played in the same conference from 1922 to 2010, and the Holy War game often decided the conference title. Despite Utah moving to the Pacific-12 Conference in 2011, and BYU becoming an independent that same year, the two universities have agreed to play in all sports, other than football and basketball, through at least 2021. For football and basketball, they have agreed to home-and-home games during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, with the football game taking place during the third week of the season, and they are working to continue the football game as an annual event between September 29 and October 5 from 2013 on.

Rivalry components

There are a number of components that make the Holy War particularly fierce. As the name of the rivalry implies, religion is a large component to the rivalry. The long length of rivalry is also a major element. Another factor was that both teams played in the same conference from 1922 to 2010, and the Holy War game often decided the conference title. (In 2011, Utah joined the Pac-12, and BYU became independent.) The proximity of the two schools and the successful nature of the two teams also fuel the rivalry.

Religion

The University of Utah

University of Utah

is the flagship university of the state of Utah

Utah

, while Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University

is the flagship university of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Coaches and administrators might prefer it if religion played less of a role in the rivalry, but some fans and players make an issue of religion. Some fans of BYU are accused of being arrogant, self-righteous or labeling fans of Utah as drunks or alcoholics, even though many of Utah's fans are members of the LDS Church and abstain from drinking alcohol. Some non-Mormon Utah fans attack the LDS faith or like to mock BYU fans by swearing or by drinking alcohol (or coffee), which are forbidden by the BYU honor code

Brigham Young University Honor Code

The Brigham Young University Honor Code is a set of standards by which students and faculty at Brigham Young University, a school owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are required to live. The standards derive in many ways from codes of conduct of the LDS Church,...

Longevity

The Holy War is one of America's oldest and most heated college football rivalries. The schools differ on when the first game was played. Utah claims that the first game was played in 1896 against Brigham Young Academy. BYU's athetic website shows their schedule dating back to 1922, but no earlier. The Utes lead the all time series 55–34–4 or 52–31–4, depending on whether the first six meetings are counted.

Prior to 1972, Utah dominated over BYU (41–8–4). From 1972 to 1992, BYU led the series with a record of 19–2 over the Utes. In 1994 the Utes achieved what they had failed to achieve since 1972: consecutive wins. The rivalry has become much more intense from 1992 to the present. The last twenty games have resulted with Utah having eleven wins and BYU having nine. The largest point spread during the last twenty meetings is 44 points, which happened in 2011 when Utah won 54-10.

Proximity

BYU, which is in Provo, Utah

Provo, Utah

Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...

, and the University of Utah, which is in Salt Lake City, Utah, are about fifty miles apart and approximately an hour's drive away on Interstate 15

Interstate 15

Interstate 15 is the fourth-longest north–south Interstate Highway in the United States, traveling through the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana from San Diego to the Canadian border...

. Consequently, the two teams compete for recruits and fan support. It is not uncommon for friends, neighbors, and even family members to have opposite allegiances. Consequently, whichever team wins the Holy War, its fans brag about it at school, work, or church, and the fans of the losing team have to endure the taunts for the next year.

Successful teams

While the two teams have not necessarily been strong at the same time, the two teams have the most conference championships in the Mountain West Conference

Mountain West Conference

The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...

(MWC). Each team has had four conference championships since the creation of the MWC in 1999. Utah has twenty-four conference championships in its history, while BYU has twenty-three. Both of these numbers are well ahead of the third place team in the MWC, Colorado State

Colorado State Rams football

The Colorado State Rams football program, established in 1893, represents Colorado State University and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference under head coach Steve Fairchild...

, who has fifteen. Other than the 2011 meeting, the recent games in the Holy War have tended to be close, with the final score of fourteen of the last eighteen games being within a touchdown

Touchdown

A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...

(seven points) or less.

Furthermore, BYU can lay claim to a consensus national championship

NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship

A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...

for going undefeated in 1984 and beating Michigan

Michigan Wolverines football

The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...

in the 1984 Holiday Bowl

1984 Holiday Bowl

The 1984 Holiday Bowl was one of the games that determined the national championship in college football for the 1984 season. Played on December 21, 1984 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California, it pitted the BYU Cougars against the Michigan Wolverines; BYU won the game, 24-17...

. Meanwhile, Utah has been to two Bowl Championship Series

Bowl Championship Series

The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...

bowls: the 2005 Fiesta Bowl

2005 Fiesta Bowl

The 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2005, was the 34th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game was played between Utah and Pittsburgh, in front of 73,519 fans. It is notable for being the first BCS game to feature a team from a non-BCS conference, and the only BCS bowl to feature a...

(a 35–7 victory over Pitt

2004 Pittsburgh Panthers football team

The 2004 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2004 college football season in which they won a share of The Big East Conference Championship and were awarded with a BCS berth to the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.- Schedule :...

) and the 2009 Sugar Bowl

2009 Sugar Bowl

The 2009 Allstate Sugar Bowl was the 75th annual edition of the annual college football bowl game that is part of the 2008–09 bowl season of the Bowl Championship Series 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season...

(a 31–17 victory over Alabama

2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

The 2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 76th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 17th within the SEC Western Division...

). For these BCS bowl victories, Utah finished ranked in the AP Poll

AP Poll

The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...

#4 and #2, respectively.

The Brigham Young Academy years

Before 1903, BYU was known as Brigham Young Academy (BYA). During the 1890s, Utah and BYA played six times in football. The two schools split the series 3–3. The first meeting was an unusual April contest that Utah won 12–4.

BYA stopped playing football sometime after these six games and did not start again until 1922, after it had become Brigham Young University (BYU). BYU does not recognize these first six meetings and only recognizes football games played after 1922.

Utah's early dominance

After twenty-three years of not having a team, BYU resumed play for the 1922 season. Utah began its early dominance over BYU with a 49–0 victory on October 14, 1922. BYU would not get another win in the series until 1942, when the Cougars shocked the Utes 12–7 at Utah. The rivalry then took a hiatus from 1943 to 1945 because BYU did not field a team due to World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. When the rivalry continued in 1946, the Utes continued their domination over the Cougars, winning or tying the next twelve contests. The rivalry continued this trend into the 1972 season, at which point Utah had amassed a 41–8–4 (.811) record against BYU.

The LaVell Edwards era

In 1972, the rivalry shifted in favor of BYU. The Cougars had hired LaVell Edwards

LaVell Edwards

R. LaVell Edwards is a former American football coach of Brigham Young University . With 257 career victories, he ranks as one of the most successful college football coaches of all time...

and in his first season, BYU beat Utah 16–7 for BYU's first victory over Utah in four years. The win signaled the beginning of BYU's dominance against Utah. From 1972 to 1992, BYU went 19–2 (.905) against Utah.

During those years, Utah went through a series of coaches that all ended with losing records against LaVell Edwards and BYU. Bill Meek

Bill Meek

William M. Meek was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Kansas State University , the University of Houston , Southern Methodist University , and the University of Utah , compiling a career college football record of 78–88–7.-Early life:Meek was born in...

's Utes went 0–2 against Edwards during Meek's last two years (1972–1973). Tom Lovat

Tom Lovat

Thomas Lovat is a former American football coach in the NCAA, National Football League, and the Canadian Football League.Lovat started coaching at Utah, there he became the defensive line coach in 1967. Next he went to Idaho State University coaching the defensive secondary and offensive line...

(1974–1976) was 0–3. Wayne Howard (1977–1981) was 1–4. Chuck Stobart

Chuck Stobart

-External links:...

(1982–1984) was 0–3. Jim Fassel

Jim Fassel

-Professional:-Personal life:Before the 2003 NFL season, Fassel was reunited with a son, John Mathieson, whom he and his wife Kitty gave up for adoption in 1969. The couple was unmarried when he was born....

was 1–4. Finally, Utah found some success when it hired Ron McBride

Ron McBride

Ron McBride is the current head coach of Weber State University's football team. Coach "Mac" has over 40 years of coaching experience, including 13 years as head coach at the University of Utah....

in 1990. McBride would finish with a 5–6 record against LaVell Edwards, but he started with three consecutive losses to Edwards.

Wayne Howard's Crusade

During the 1977 meeting, BYU was on the way to winning in a 38–8 blowout. Nonetheless, LaVell Edwards put starting quarterback Marc Wilson back into the game so Wilson could set an NCAA record for passing yards. Wilson succeeded in setting the record (subsequently broken) and finished the game with 571 passing yards. The incident infuriated Utah head coach Wayne Howard. After the game he said, "This today will be inspiring. The hatred between BYU and Utah is nothing compared to what it will be. It will be a crusade to beat BYU from now on. This is a prediction: in the next two years Utah will drill BYU someday, but we won’t run up the score even if we could set an NCAA record against them." The next year, Wayne Howard made good on his promise. The Utes came from behind to upset the Cougars 23–22. The 1978 win was Utah's first against a LaVell Edwards coached BYU team.

Jim McMahon says, 'Scoreboard.'

During the 1980 Holy War, BYU quarterback Jim McMahon

Jim McMahon

James Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...

helped engineer a blowout. Most of the game he was heckled by a contingent of Utah fans at Rice Stadium

Rice Stadium (Utah)

Robert Rice Stadium was an outdoor athletic stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, located on the campus of the University of Utah. Originally opened in 1927 as "Ute Stadium," it was the home of the Utah Utes football team. Renamed for Robert L...

. After throwing for another touchdown late in the 56–6 win, he simply pointed at the scoreboard to quiet the hecklers. The game was in the midst of a 12–1 BYU season. It was also their second consecutive win against Utah and their eighth win out of the last nine games against Utah. The fifty point margin of victory is the largest for either team in the series.

National Champions

On November 17, 1984, BYU entered the Holy War 10–0 and ranked #3 in the AP Poll

AP Poll

. BYU overcame several turnovers to win 24–14. BYU would finish the season 13–0 and the only undefeated team in Division I-A (now the Football Bowl Subdivision). They were voted number one in the final AP Poll as well as the Coaches' Poll to become the consensus national champions

NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship

. This was the last time a team not currently affiliated with the BCS won a national championship; the next most recent was Army

Army Black Knights football

The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....

in 1945.

The Rice Bowl

In 1988, Utah had not beaten BYU since 1978 and entered the Holy War as 11-point underdogs. Utah had a mediocre 5–5 record while BYU was 8–2 and had already accepted an invitation to the Freedom Bowl

Freedom Bowl

The Freedom Bowl was an annual post-season college football bowl game played at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California, from 1984 to 1994. Beginning with the 1995 season, the Freedom Bowl's WAC tie-ins were merged with that of the Holiday Bowl and the game was dissolved...

. BYU looked ready to humiliate the Utes again. Instead Utah and quarterback Scott Mitchell jumped on BYU early and took a 21–0 lead on the way to winning 57–28. The 1988 team set a series record for points scored against BYU—a record that stands today. The game came to be known locally as "the Rice Bowl" because the game was played at Utah's Rice Stadium

Rice Stadium (Utah)

The Great Ute shootout

The next year, in 1989, BYU got their revenge. They set a series record by scoring 70 against Utah. BYU jumped to a 49–0 lead before Utah scored its first touchdown just before halftime. Behind quarterback Ty Detmer

Ty Detmer

Ty Hubert Detmer is a former National Football League and NCAA quarterback. He starred at Brigham Young University, where he set many records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1990...

, BYU would score eight touchdowns on its first eight possessions and amass over 750 yards of total offense during the 70–31 win. Utah would score three meaningless touchdowns in the fourth quarter against BYU's reserves. The 101 points the two teams scored is still a series record.

The modern rivalry

By the mid-1990s, the Cougars' success leveled off from the years of the 1970s and '80s. Around this time, the Utes also improved significantly, and the rivalry became much more competitive.

1990–2000: Edwards versus McBride

The rivalry began to change in 1993, during Ron McBride

Ron McBride

Ron McBride is the current head coach of Weber State University's football team. Coach "Mac" has over 40 years of coaching experience, including 13 years as head coach at the University of Utah....

's fourth season as head coach, the Utes won their first game in Provo in twenty-two seasons and their first since LaVell Edwards

LaVell Edwards

R. LaVell Edwards is a former American football coach of Brigham Young University . With 257 career victories, he ranks as one of the most successful college football coaches of all time...

became BYU head coach. Late in the fourth quarter, Utah's kicker Chris Yergensen, who had already missed two out of three field goals on the day, attempted to break the 31–31 tie. This time, Yergensen did not miss and kicked the game-winning 55-yard field goal, the longest of his career, with less than a minute remaining.
After the win, Utah fans and players attempted to tear down the north end zone goalpost at what was then Cougar Stadium

LaVell Edwards Stadium

LaVell Edwards Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Provo, Utah, on the campus of Brigham Young University. Primarily used for college football, it is the home field of the BYU Cougars....

. Cougar players returned to the field to protect the goalpost from being torn down. About the incident, Lenny Gomes, a BYU nose guard, said, "Typical Utah bullshit. All those guys think that's all there is to life. But when I'm making $50–60,000 a year, they'll be pumping my gas. They're low-class losers." The remark is still remembered in rivalry history today.

The 1994 season was McBride’s best, as he led the Utes to a 10–2 record and a top-10 finish in national rankings. The Utes and Cougars also staged one of the best matchups in the rivalry's history, meeting for the first time as top-25 ranked teams. The Utes won the game 34–31, which was coincidentally the same score of their meeting a year before. Utah ran its rivalry winning streak up to three games a year later, with a 34–17 win at BYU. The Utes and Cougars would trade wins and losses the next couple of years, before the 2000 season.

The Kaneshiro doink

In 1998, the first Holy War was played at the newly renovated Rice–Eccles Stadium, BYU entered the game with a 8–3, (6–1 WAC) record and was playing for a berth in the WAC Championship game. Utah entered the game with a 7–3, (5–2 WAC) record and was hoping to land a bowl game and spoil BYU's WAC Championship hopes. BYU took a 26–17 lead when Owen Pochman

Owen Pochman

Owen Pochman is a former National Football League punter and placekicker who played in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers . Pochman is an alumnus of Brigham Young University.-References:...

connected on a 47-yard field goal with 2:41 left to play in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, Utah's Daniel Jones returned the ball 95 yards to cut the lead to 26–24. Utah's defense held BYU and forced them to punt. Utah moved the ball to the 15 yard line where Ryan Kaneshiro attempted a 32 yard field goal. The attempt bounced off the right goalpost, which preserved the win for BYU and caused the goalpost to shake from the "doink".

Utah cheerleader pummels an aggressive fan

During the 1999 edition of the Holy War, Utah recorded its fourth consecutive win in Provo. Early in the fourth quarter, Utah scored a touchdown when quarterback T.D. Crowshaw completed a four-yard-pass to Donny Utu to put Utah up 20–10. In celebration, Utah cheerleader Billy Priddis ran along the visitor's sideline with a large "U" flag. An unidentified BYU fan ran onto the sideline and tackled Priddis from behind. Priddis turned around and started punching the fan. He landed seven or eight punches before security separated them. About the incident, Priddis said, ""There's 65,000 fans here, does he think I'm not going to retaliate?"
From the Utah sideline, receiver Steve Smith taunted BYU fans and yelled, "Even our cheerleaders are kicking your butt." BYU's athletic director

Athletic director

An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...

Val Hale purported to have chastised Priddis and the rest of the Utah cheerleaders. After the game he said, "I told them from now on we're going to leave our flags at home and they should do the same. All it does is initiate the fans to throw things out of the stands."

Edwards' last game

Entering the 2000 season, legendary head coach LaVell Edwards

LaVell Edwards

R. LaVell Edwards is a former American football coach of Brigham Young University . With 257 career victories, he ranks as one of the most successful college football coaches of all time...

announced that he was retiring. His final game as Cougars head coach came against the Utes in Salt Lake City, where BYU won 34–27 with an exciting last-minute drive that ended on a touchdown with little time remaining on the clock.

2001 and 2002: Crowton versus McBride

In 2001, under new head coach Gary Crowton

Gary Crowton

-External links:* *...

, BYU entered their game against Utah undefeated and looking to become the first team from outside the BCS to play in a BCS

Bowl Championship Series

bowl game. A tight game ended with a comeback by BYU. BYU running back Luke Staley

Luke Staley

Lucas Staley is a former American football player who starred as a running back at Brigham Young University from 1999 to 2001.-High school career:...

raced down the sideline with 1:16 left to play to make it 24–21 and BYU DB Jenaro Gilford intercepted a pass on the ensuing Ute drive to seal the victory. The win gave the Cougars consecutive wins against the Utes for the first time in nearly ten years. The Cougs, however, failed to bust the BCS, losing to Hawai'i in their final game. In an ironic twist of fate Utah would become the first team to bust the BCS just three years later.

McBride, who had guided Utah to six bowl games and three bowl wins, entered the 2002 rivalry game in danger of being fired. The Utes had struggled all season long and even with their 13–6 victory against BYU, Utah finished with their second losing season in three years. The 5–6 finish sealed McBride’s fate and he was fired in 2002; Weber State University

Weber State University

Weber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...

hired him in December 2004.

2003 and 2004: Crowton versus Meyer

Urban Meyer

Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...

was hired to replace Ron McBride. Under Meyer, Utah players were not allowed to use the name BYU and began referring rather to the Team Down South or TDS (BYU being about 50 miles south of the University of Utah). This reference has become a tradition among some Utah fans.

Scoring streak ends

In Meyer's first season, the Utes won the Mountain West Conference and finished 10–2, which was their best record since the 1994 season. The last game of the regular season, Utah beat BYU for the second straight year with a 3–0 victory. The victory snapped BYU's NCAA record for scoring in 361 straight games—BYU's first shutout since a 20–0 loss to Arizona State

Arizona State Sun Devils football

The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....

on September 25, 1975.

BCS busters

In 2004 Utah would have its best season up to that point, going 12–0 and becoming the first team from outside the BCS to play in a BCS bowl game. They went on to win their matchup against Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Panthers football

Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...

in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl

2005 Fiesta Bowl

. The Utes final regular season game, a 52–21 victory over BYU, clinched the invitation to a BCS bowl. Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer

Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...

then left Utah for Florida

Florida Gators football

The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...

. After the 2004 season, Gary Crowton resigned after finishing with his third consecutive losing season.

2005–present: Mendenhall versus Whittingham

In 2005, Bronco Mendenhall and Kyle Whittingham started as head coaches at their respective programs. Whittingham was offered the job at BYU before turning it down and accepting the position at Utah. This has added to the rivalry between the two coaches. Whittingham leads Mendenhall 4–3 in the series. Five of the seven games have been decided by a touchdown or less. In a December 17, 2009 column, writer Stewart Mandel

Stewart Mandel

Stewart Lance Mandel is an American sports writer who focuses on college football and college basketball. Mandel was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, attending Sycamore High School, and is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism....

called the coaching rivalry the best coaching rivalry of that decade.

First overtime game

The 2005 season saw some striking parallels between the two programs. Both had replaced their former head coaches, struggled through parts of their seasons, and would finish the regular season with 6–5 records. When the two met in Provo in November 2005, BYU was looking for its first win against the Utes in three seasons. Utah was looking for a winning record and a shot at a bowl game. BYU entered as the favorite because Utah would be playing without its starting quarterback and its best wide receiver, who had been injured in their previous game. The Utes were starting JC transfer Brett Ratliff who had taken just three snaps the week before. Ratliff surprised the Cougars by completing 17 of 32 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns, and rushing for 112 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. He was responsible for all five Utah touchdowns. The Utes won the first ever overtime game in the rivalry series 41–34.

Harline is still open

When the two teams met again in November 2006, this time in Salt Lake City, BYU jumped out to an early lead, then fell behind and trailed for much of the game, but finally won it 33–31 with an impressive last-minute drive, capped by a touchdown pass from John Beck to Jonny Harline

Jonny Harline

Jonathan "Jonny" Harline in North Brunswick, New Jersey) is a current member of the band Perfect Disorder. He played college football at Brigham Young.-College career:...

with no time on the clock. The win gave BYU an undefeated record of 8–0 in Mountain West Conference

Mountain West Conference

play. The play inspired a catch phrase among BYU fans that appeared on t-shirts: "Harline is still open."

'Magic happens.'

In 2007 the teams clashed on November 24, in what was a mostly defensive game. The game's first 12 points were only field goals, BYU's Mitch Payne scoring 9 points. Utah then scored the first touchdown, taking the lead 10–9. In the fourth quarter, BYU came back with a late-game drive that included a 4th and 18 from its own 12 yard line. Four plays later, freshman running back Harvey Unga

Harvey Unga

-Chicago Bears:Unga was selected by the Chicago Bears with a seventh round selection in the 2010 Supplemental Draft. He was signed to a four-year contract on July 21, 2010....

bulled into the endzone to win it 17–10. Austin Collie

Austin Collie

Austin Kirk Collie is a Canadian-American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Colts in the fourth round in the 2009 NFL Draft...

, who caught the Max Hall

Max Hall

Max Hall is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at BYU.-Early years:...

pass to convert the 4th and 18 to a first down said about the play, "I wouldn't say it was lucky. We executed the play well. We should have had another one. Obviously, when you're doing what's right on and off the field, I think the Lord steps in and plays a part in it. Magic happens." The comment further fueled the religious animosity between the two teams.

Back to the BCS

Utah captured another undefeated season in 2008 and defeated BYU 48–24. Max Hall turned the ball over 6 times against Utah's defense. Utah garnered another invitation to a BCS game, where they were matched up with the highly favored Alabama Crimson Tide

2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

in the historic Sugar Bowl. Utah beat Alabama 31–17 for their second BCS victory in five years.

George is still running

In 2009, in the second overtime game in series history, BYU defeated Utah 26–23. BYU held a 20–6 lead entering the fourth quarter. Utah scored 14 fourth-quarter points to force overtime, but their comeback fell short. Utah managed a field goal in overtime to take a 23–20 lead, but on BYU's possession, Max Hall connected to tight end

Tight end

The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...

Andrew George for a 25-yard touchdown reception and the victory. The game was dubbed "George is still running" by BYU fans.

During the postgame press conference, Hall was asked if he felt he had redeemed himself for his performance in the previous year's game in which he had five interceptions and one fumble. Hall responded, "A little bit, yeah. I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program. I hate their fans. I hate everything. So, it feels good to send those guys home. They didn't deserve it. It was our time and it was our time to win. We deserved it. We played as hard as we could tonight, and it felt really good to send them home and to get them out of here, so it is a game I'll always remember." When asked for a clarification and whether he really hated Utah, Hall said, "I think the whole university and their fans and organization is classless. They threw beer on my family and stuff last year, and did a whole bunch of nasty things. I don't respect them, and they deserve to lose."

The next day, Hall issued an apology for his "remarks". He alleged that his "family was spit on, had beer dumped on them and were physically assaulted on several occasions" during the previous year's game at Rice–Eccles Stadium.

Burton's Block

For 2010, the BYU/Utah game was played at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. It would be the last game for the two teams as conference rivals. BYU, which had begun the season 1–4, had won 5 of their prior 6 to post a 6–5 record going into the game. Utah, which had begun the year 8–0 and was ranked as high as #5 in the BCS standings, had lost 2 of their last 3 games and came in at 9–2. Neither team made much headway at first, and BYU scored two field goals, one in each of the first two quarters, to lead 6–0 at halftime.

Utah pulled starting quarterback Jordan Wynn to start the second half, and backup Terrance Cain threw two interceptions on consecutive possessions, stalling any chances of a Ute comeback. Late in the third quarter, the Cougars got a touchdown on a 21-yard pass play from Jake Heaps to McKay Jacobson, to take a 13–0 lead.

The fourth quarter began with Utah getting on the board for the first time, with a 40-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 13–3. BYU's quarterback, Jake Heaps, fumbled a handoff on the ensuing possession, and Utah recovered. Utah capitalized, with quarterback Jordan Wynn throwing a 37-yard touchdown pass to DeVonte Christopher, which reduced their deficit to three points, 13–10. The Cougars slowed the momentum somewhat by scoring a field goal, to make it 16–10.

A number of turnovers seemed to swing the momentum back towards Utah, as Matt Asiata scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 3 yard run to make it 17–16 with 4:24 remaining. BYU then drove down the field to Utah's 22-yard line, to set up Mitch Payne for a game-winning field goal. However, Utah cornerback Brandon Burton

Brandon Burton

Brandon Burton is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings. He was considered one of the best cornerback prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft. Burton was selected with the 139th pick in the fifth round of the draft by the Minnesota Vikings.-Early years:Burton attended Clear Creek High...

managed to block the kick, ending the comeback attempt by the Cougars, and giving the Utes a 17–16 victory.

Shock and awe

The 2011 BYU home game against rival Utah was the duo's first non-conference game after sharing 13 years in the Mountain West Conference, with Utah having left for the Pac-12, and BYU declaring conference independence. Anticipation for this year's game was high with both teams (1-1) and both teams suffering very tight losses to marquee teams the week before (Utah losing @ USC, and BYU losing @ Texas). The game was shown on ESPN2 thanks to a TV deal recently struck between BYU and ESPN at the close of last season. BYU hoped to show their offensive strength with their now 2nd year QB Jake Heaps who showed a promising effort in their loss to the Utes last year, while the Utes hoped to show themselves worthy of their big-conference membership by making evident the widening gap between the two programs.

Utah won the toss and differed to the 2nd half. BYU suffered a rough start on its opening drive, when on its 3rd play the ball was snapped over Heaps head. The 2nd year QB tracked down the ball and attempted to throw it away, but mishandled the pass, dropping it into the endzone, where it was recovered for a touchdown by Utah DE Derrick Shelby (That play was later featured in that week's ESPN 'not top 10'). The remainder of the 1st Quarter held similar luck for BYU, with Runningback JJ Di'Luigi fumbling on 1st and goal from the Utah 6 yard line. The 2nd Quarter proved closer with BYU completing a 32 yard TD pass to WR Ross Apo. Utah answered with its own 30 yard TD pass to freshman TE Jake Murphy, just two minutes before the half. Utah led 14-10.

After a first half that seemed to promise the typical nail-biter game that the last decade of this rivalry had shown, it was anything but. The Utes scored 40 unanswered points in the 2nd half (a total of 47 unanswered). Turnovers continued to plague BYU, who would finish with 7, including JD Falsley's mishandled kickoff return at their own 6 yard line, QB Jake Heaps fumble at their own 6 yard line, and QB Riley Nelson's fumble after being sacked, recovered 57 yards for a TD by freshman LB V.J Fehoko. Other scoring plays include a 59 yard pass to freshman WR Dres Anderson and rushing TDS by RB John White IV of 1, 35, and 62 yards. Many of the Cougar faithful headed for the parking lot at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Utah rushed for a season high 242 yards, while holding the BYU rush effort to only 11 yards.

The final result of 54–10 was the largest margin of victory for either team in the Holy War since a 55–7 BYU victory in 1983, and Utah's second-largest margin of victory ever in the Holy War (the Utes achieved a 49–0 shutout victory in 1922). Utah's 54 points were the second-most the Utes had ever scored against BYU (they scored 57 in 1988). In tradition of bestowing each season's game with a catchphrase that sums up the match, Ute fans remain undecided.

Game results

BYU victories are colored ██ dark blue. Utah victories are colored ██ crimson. Ties are white.

Date	Winner	Score	Location	Series
April 6, 1896	Utah	12–4	Salt Lake City	Utah 1–0
November 14, 1896	Utah	6–0	Salt Lake City	Utah 2–0
December 5, 1896	Brigham Young Academy	8–6	Provo	Utah 2–1
December 4, 1897	BYA	14–0	Salt Lake City	Tied 2–2
December 18, 1897	BYA	22–0	Provo	BYA 3–2
November 24, 1898	Utah	5–0	Salt Lake City	Tied 3–3
October 14, 1922	Utah	49–0	Salt Lake City	Utah 4–3
October 27, 1923	Utah	15–0	Provo	Utah 5–3
October 25, 1924	Utah	35–6	Salt Lake City	Utah 6–3
October 31, 1925	Utah	27–0	Provo	Utah 7–3
November 13, 1926	Utah	40–7	Salt Lake City	Utah 8–3
November 12, 1927	Utah	20–0	Provo	Utah 9–3
November 17, 1928	Tie	0–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 9–3–1
November 2, 1929	Utah	45–13	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 10–3–1
October 18, 1930	Utah	34–7	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 11–3–1
October 17, 1931	Utah	43–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 12–3–1
October 15, 1932	Utah	29–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 13–3–1
October 14, 1933	Utah	21–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 14–3–1
October 13, 1934	Utah	43–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 15–3–1
November 2, 1935	Utah	32–0	Provo	Utah 16–3–1
October 31, 1936	Utah	18–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 17–3–1
October 2, 1937	Utah	14–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 18–3–1
October 15, 1938	Tie	7–7	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 18–3–2
October 14, 1939	Utah	35–13	Provo	Utah 19–3–2
October 5, 1940	Utah	12–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 20–3–2
October 18, 1941	Tie	6–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 20–3–3
October 10, 1942	Brigham Young University	12–7	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 20–4–3
October 12, 1946	Utah	35–6	Provo	Utah 21–4–3
October 11, 1947	Utah	28–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 22–4–3
October 9, 1948	Utah	30–0	Provo	Utah 23–4–3
October 8, 1949	Utah	38–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 24–4–3
October 7, 1950	Tie	28–28	Provo	Utah 24–4–4
October 6, 1951	Utah	7–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 25–4–4
October 11, 1952	Utah	34–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 26–4–4
November 26, 1953	Utah	33–32	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 27–4–4
October 9, 1954	Utah	12–7	Provo	Utah 28–4–4
October 8, 1955	Utah	41–9	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 29–4–4
October 5, 1956	Utah	41–6	Provo	Utah 30–4–4
October 12, 1957	Utah	27–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 31–4–4
September 27, 1958	BYU	41–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 31–5–4
October 9, 1959	Utah	20–8	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 32–5–4
October 7, 1960	Utah	17–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 33–5–4
October 14, 1961	Utah	21–20	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 34–5–4
October 13, 1962	Utah	35–20	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 35–5–4
October 12, 1963	Utah	15–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 36–5–4
November 7, 1964	Utah	47–13	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 37–5–4
November 6, 1965	BYU	25–20	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 37–6–4
November 12, 1966	BYU	35–13	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 37–7–4
October 28, 1967	BYU	17–13	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 37–8–4
November 2, 1968	Utah	30–21	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 38–8–4
November 22, 1969	Utah	16–6	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 39–8–4
November 21, 1970	Utah	14–13	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 40–8–4
November 20, 1971	Utah	17–15	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 41–8–4
November 18, 1972	BYU	16–7	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 41–9–4
November 24, 1973	BYU	46–22	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 41–10–4
November 23, 1974	BYU	48–20	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 41–11–4
November 15, 1975	BYU	51–20	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 41–12–4
November 20, 1976	BYU	34–12	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 41–13–4
November 5, 1977	BYU	38–8	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 41–14–4
November 18, 1978	Utah	23–22	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 42–14–4
November 17, 1979	BYU	27–0	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 42–15–4
November 22, 1980	BYU	56–6	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 42–16–4
November 21, 1981	BYU	56–28	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 42–17–4
November 20, 1982	BYU	17–12	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 42–18–4
November 19, 1983	BYU	55–7	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 42–19–4
November 17, 1984	BYU	24–14	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 42–20–4
November 23, 1985	BYU	38–28	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 42–21–4
November 22, 1986	BYU	35–21	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 42–22–4
November 21, 1987	BYU	21–18	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 42–23–4
November 19, 1988	Utah	57–28	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 43–23–4
November 18, 1989	BYU	70–31	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 43–24–4
November 17, 1990	BYU	45–22	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 43–25–4
November 23, 1991	BYU	48–17	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 43–26–4
November 21, 1992	BYU	31–22	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 43–27–4
November 20, 1993	Utah	34–31	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 44–27–4
November 19, 1994	Utah	34–31	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 45–27–4
November 18, 1995	Utah	34–17	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 46–27–4
November 23, 1996	BYU	37–17	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 46–28–4
November 22, 1997	Utah	20–14	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 47–28–4
November 21, 1998	BYU	26–24	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 47–29–4
November 20, 1999	Utah	20–17	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 48–29–4
November 24, 2000	BYU	34–27	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 48–30–4
November 17, 2001	BYU	24–21	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 48–31–4
November 23, 2002	Utah	13–6	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 49–31–4
November 22, 2003	Utah	3–0	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 50–31–4
November 20, 2004	Utah	52–21	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 51–31–4
November 19, 2005	Utah	41–34^OT	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 52–31–4
November 25, 2006	BYU	33–31	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 52–32–4
November 24, 2007	BYU	17–10	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 52–33–4
November 22, 2008	Utah	48–24	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 53–33–4
November 28, 2009	BYU	26–23^OT	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 53–34–4
November 27, 2010	Utah	17–16	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 54–34–4
September 17, 2011	Utah	54–10	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 55–34–4

Series record sources: College Football Data Warehouse.

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