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Preview and Predictions: No. 9 BYU at Utah

It's been three years since BYU broke the streak on that September night at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Cougar fans have had 1,155 days to enjoy the win, but conference expansion has brought the two teams together again.

The 102nd installment of this storied rivalry will be played Saturday night at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.

This year's version of the Holy War is the biggest . . . ever? Others much older than me may disagree, but there has never been a game played between these two teams with this many implications.

With a win, BYU is a step closer to locking in a spot in the Big 12 Championship game and a berth in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. A quick trip to Salt Lake City is the toughest test remaining on the Cougars' schedule and they will undoubtedly be able to see the finish line if they can take care of business.

Utah, on the other hand, came into this season hoping, and perhaps even expecting, to be in the exact position BYU is in. Instead, the Utes are just 1-4 in conference play and are looking to salvage a bowl game at this point. Their last strand of hope for the season? Playing spoiler to the team they hate most.

The Holy Way tends to be anything but holy. Throughout the years, both sides have contributed to a number of shenanigans and ill-tempered quotes. From Max Hall's infamous declaration of hatred for the Utah program to a group of Ute football players performing a mock baptism and deleting the video the week of the game, there always seems to be something that drives fans from both teams crazy.

This year's bit was Ute running back Jaylon Glover. During Utah's media availability on Monday, when asked about what the rivalry means to him, he replied, “Excuse my language, but it’s (expletive) BYU, man.”

All that is off the field, however. On the field, this matchup will feature two teams that couldn't really be having more different seasons. Coming into the season, BYU had questions about the quarterback position, but it didn't take long for Jake Retzlaff to answer those questions and solidify himself as QB1. The Utes were confident that having 7th-year senior Cam Rising would be the answer to their offensive problems, but it all came crashing down when Rising got hurt six quarters into the season.

Now Utah has fired its offensive coordinator and benched Isaac Wilson, who was proclaimed the starting quarterback after Rising's ailments were pronounced as season-ending. It's still unclear as to who will be under center Saturday night for the Utes, but many indications point to Brandon Rose, who relieved Wilson in Utah's loss to Houston two weeks ago.

The Utes have averaged a measly 14.4 points per game in conference play this season. This bodes well for BYU, which has been playing its best defense in seasons. Defensive coordinator Jay Hill will surely prepare his defense for both Utah quarterbacks, as it is still a toss-up. If the Cougars can control the line of scrimmage and contain standout running back Micah Bernard, there really isn't enough firepower on the Ute offense to threaten a lot of points.

Offensively, BYU needs to continue to do what it's been doing. With an average of 35.1 points per game and 253.5 rushing yards over the last two games, the Cougars offense has found a rhythm on the ground and through the air. Utah's defense has a reputation for being stout, so Retzlaff and the offensive line will have to bring their A-game.

On paper, everything points to BYU, but that's where it gets dangerous. It's the Holy War, after all, and anything can happen in these bitter rivalries. Will the Cougars show up and play the way they've been playing, or will Utah rise up and spoil a dream season? Well, if you really want to know, just read the predictions.

Karter Baughan (4-4) — Utah 21, BYU 20

BYU opens as a 4-point favorite on the road at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Imagine saying that before the season! This is an all-time “throw-the-stats-out-the-window” game — strange things always happen in these rivalry matchups. The turnover margin will determine the outcome. We still don’t know who Utah’s QB will be, which adds to the unpredictability. Even though it doesn’t make much sense, I think the Cougars will lose the turnover battle against this struggling Utah team and end up losing an ugly game. (I’ve been wrong about BYU for a while now.)

Kevin Humphreys (5-3) — BYU 23, Utah 20

On paper, BYU should walk out of Rice Eccles Stadium Saturday night victorious, but unfortunately for the Cougars, football games are played on the field. The last time BYU won in Utah was in 2006 when John Beck found his guy Jonny Harline for one of the best plays in BYU history. Since Beck was carried off the field in 2006, BYU has suffered some heartbreaking losses at Utah. In 2010, one of the more controversial plays in the rivalry's history happened when Brandon Bradley intercepted a pass and fumbled the ball back to Utah, which changed the entire game. That game ended on a game-winning field goal attempt from BYU’s Mitch Payne that was blocked as time expired. In 2012, BYU had opportunities to tie the game on two field goal attempts from Riley Stephenson in a game that BYU lost 24-21. In Kalani Sitake’s first season at BYU in 2016, Taysom Hill was stuffed by Utah’s defense on a two-point conversion attempt to win the game. In 2018, BYU relinquished a 27-7 second-half lead to lose 35-27, the last time BYU and Utah played in Salt Lake City. This Saturday, BYU will end the losing streak at Rice Eccles in a nail-biting victory to win its second in a row against Utah and keep its dream season alive.

Me (2-6) — Utah 26, BYU 20

Look, if you haven't figured out the bit by now, then I can't help you. This BYU team has proven me wrong week after week, but as a lifelong Cougar fan, I know better than to let my guard down. I'm being dead serious when I say that I think BYU's undefeated season comes to an end Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Do I have some fancy stats to back it up? No. What I do have is years and years of history that show the Cougars losing in that building and underperforming in this game. Utah has absolutely nothing to lose, a new quarterback and a reckless abandon attitude that you can't buy. A nippy November night just seems like just the right place to disappoint, and trust me: the disappointment will come sooner or later for this team. I think BYU turns the ball over multiple times, giving all the momentum in the stadium to the Utes, and the crowd carries them through. It was fun while it lasted.