The Holy War BYU v Utah

[donovan]

It is like following a bad soap opera listening to the banter in the media between these two teams. Viliseni Fauonuku pretty much decided that everyone should know how the programs feel about each other during the Outback Steakhouse Welcome Reception on Wednesday night. He grabbed a microphone during what was supposed to be a dance off between the teams and delivered a fairly unambiguous message, "BYU. Y'all a good team but you're a dirty team. Don't start nothing. Won't be nothing." Besides wondering if English is taught at Utah, this was the gas on the fire of a long standing feud going back over 100 years. BYU, in my opinion, is not dirty than any other team. They poke, spit, curse, kick and punch like most teams do. (There is a reason plastic shields are now worn by may) The expectation should be higher and I wished they acted and reacted more maturely. (This is why Texas "Christian" University is my least favorite in the country. (I shall omit the personally seen examples of their behavior.)

This year a lot stems from where they are. Utah was passed over for better bowls. They went to the PAC 12 for a chance and they may be a little anxious in thinking it comes so automatically. BYU choose to stay independent and have to pay that price. Losing Mendenhall was a big price.

I am not sure who I picked on the Confidence poll but this morning I think Utah by 14. There offensive and defensive lines will dominate BYU. BYU's hope is getting the plays off and fast receivers. Their QB can deliver the ball.

[Spence]

I have Utah. I think they will be too much for BYU this year. You never know how a team losing a coach will respond. I don't think BYU has the market cornered on dirty play. A few years ago they cought Robert Smith choking a Wisconsin QB in a pile up. It is ridiculous, but it happens in almost every pile up.

[donovan]

This is ugly.

[donovan]

Can a game end 140-0?

[donovan]

What a game! Credit to both teams, but especially to BYU. Thre are no moral victories, but some wins get tarnished. Start of good bowl games.

[Eric]

It's too bad they spotted Utah 35 points in the first quarter. I'm sure the Utes played it close to the vest, but it was an evenly-matched game throughout.

[Cane from the Bend]

Actually, BYU was the better team, once they finally settled down, and just played their game --- and you're right; had the Cougars even mounted one scoring drive in the first quarter, we are talking about a whole different outcome.

This game reminded me of Pete Carol, and his ways of attempting to politic his way into a national championship situation.

Three weeks after having lost to Unranked Oregon State, about not being ranked in the BCS top two, Carol said,"Well, yeah, it's a shame. We are being punished for playing one bad half of football".

My thoughts then were, USC had been outscored 28 to O in the first half of that game, and the Trojans lost that game, because they dug themselves such a deep hole, they could not come back to win in the second half --- USC wasn't being punished for playing 1 half of a game poorly. Rather, they were being evaluated as a team who did not play all four quarters of the game at a competitive level --- at least, not at a championship level.

As such, that is why games are not won and lost in a single half of football. And as we saw in the Holy War Bowl yesterday, they are certainly not over, just because you played so well, or so terribly in a single quarter.

BYU played remarkably well in order to get themselves close enough to feel like a win was possible. Utah, did play mostly conservative through the 2cnd and 3rd quarters. But BYU had a few defensive stands that proved they weren't going to just lay down the rest of the way.

I agree, Donovan --- this was definitely the best way day one of the Bowl Season could have started off.

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