The Football Dichotomy Between Utah and BYU in 'Holy War

This weekend marks a first in the Holy War rivalry. Both the Utah Utes and BYU Cougars enter this game as top ten ranked teams. This will also be the 104th meeting between the two teams. Before that game kicks off, here are nine specific factors that shaped Utah’s role in this rivalry.

Whether it was the origins of the university or a public dislike for each other, there are reasons for Utah to feel the way it feels about BYU. In 1850, the namesake of BYU, Brigham Young, founded both BYU and the University of Utah. The LDS Church connection did not last long. In 1892, the Territorial Legislature officially renamed the school to the University of Utah.

Utah and BYU share a rather strange occurrence on the field. In 1998 and 2012 respectively, both teams lost a game the same way. By bouncing a would-be game-winning field goal off the uprights. In 1998, it was Utah’s Ryan Kaneshiro who missed off the right upright. In 2012, BYU kicker Riley Stephenson doinked a game-winning FG attempt off the left upright. However, most everything else has been a tale of two very different programs.

Utah and BYU do not agree on much, besides not liking each other. Some of it is the result of highly contested matchups and the nature of competition. The battle of red vs blue has been as contested as any rivalry in the nation.

In a rivalry world that includes Ohio State and Michigan, Notre Dame and Navy, or even Texas vs Oklahoma, the Holy War remains one of the most consistent and contentious rivalries in the sport.

The Holy War is full of lopsided wins, close battles and games that include controversy and banter. However, there is a personal disdain for those competing in this annual game. The two programs don’t even agree on what the all-time series tally actually is.

It seems basic record keeping could determine who leads the all-time series and by exactly how much. However, there is a dispute between the two teams that dates to the 1890s. Despite the success of BYU in the 1980s and 1990s, there is a perception that BYU leads the series. Utah leads the all-time series by almost 2:1, but the answer to what the record is will be off by 3–6 games depending on which program you ask.

The short answer is that BYU does not count the six matchups played between 1896 and 1989. In that stretch, Utah played the Brigham Young ‘Academy’ six times, winning three of them. BYU’s contention is that no BYU vs Utah game counts until after the BYA became BYU.

The 3rd-ranked Utes welcome No. 7 BYU to Salt Lake City on Saturday. The game will air at Noon ET on ABC.