Holy War (Utah vs. BYU)
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The Holy War is a college football rivalry game played between the University of Utah Utes and the Brigham Young University Cougars. The term Holy War, rather than denoting a war between religions, refers to the intensity of the battle. It is as if the players on both sides of the ball are fighting for their lives, families, freedom, and (as it were) religion. The most intense battle in the history of the world have been over religion and no warrior is more committed to the cause when he is fighting for his 'God'. Only a uniquely intense and fierce battle as this can be used when describing the 'war' between the U and the Y.
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[edit] The Rivalry
The Holy War is one of America's oldest and most heated college football rivalries. In fact, the schools even differ on when the first game was played. Utah claims that the first game was played in 1896 (when Brigham Young University was known as Brigham Young Academy). BYU on the other hand claims that the rivalry dates back to 1922, the first year BYU began playing football. For historical purposes, 1922 is the date most used when referring to the start of the Holy War. The Utes lead the all time series 49-28-4 (.630).
[edit] Utah's early dominance
Utah began its early dominance over BYU with a 49-0 victory on October 14th, 1922. BYU would not get a win in the series until 1942, when the Cougars shocked the Utes 12-7 at Utah. The rivalry then took a hiatus in 1943-1945 as World War II waged in Europe. When the rivalry continued in 1946, the Utes continued their domination over the Cougars, winning or tying the next 12 contests. The rivalry continued its lopsidedness into the 1970 season, where Utah had amassed an incredible 37-5-4 (.848) record against BYU.
[edit] The LaVell Edwards era
By 1972, things began to change down at BYU. The Cougars had hired LaVell Edwards and in his first season, BYU beat Utah for the first time in 4 years. The rivalry rapidly shifted and BYU began its dominance against Utah. From 1972-1992, BYU went an unbelievable 19-2 (.950) against Utah. During this stretch, BYU won one national championship in 1984.
By the mid-1990s, the Cougars' success declined a bit from the years of the 1970s and '80s. Around this time, the Utes began a steady rise.
[edit] The modern rivalry
The rivalry began to change in 1993, when the Utes won their first road game against BYU in 21 seasons. Much of this success could be attributed to Ron McBride, who had been hired as head coach of Utah in 1990. 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 rivaly's history, meeting for the first time as top-25 ranked teams. The Utes won the game 34-31, which was oddly enough the same score of their meeting a year before. Utah ran its rivalry winning streak up to 3 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.
Entering the 2000 season, legendary head coach LaVell Edwards announced that he was retiring. His final game as Cougars head coach came against the Utes in Salt Lake City, where BYU won with an exciting last-minute drive that ended on a touchdown with little time remaining on the clock.
In 2001, BYU entered their game against Utah undefeated and looking to become the first team from outside the BCS to play in a BCS bowl game. A tight game ended with a comeback by BYU, and the Cougars won their second straight game against the Utes for the first time in nearly 10 years.
McBride, who had guided Utah to 6 bowl games and 3 bowl wins, entered the 2002 rivalry game on the hot seat. The Utes had struggled all season long and even with their 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.
Urban Meyer was hired to replace Ron McBride and in his first season the Utes won the Mountain West Conference and finished with their best record since the 1994 season at 10-2. Utah would go on to beat BYU for the second straight year with a 3-0 victory. Significantly, Utah became the first team to shut out Brigham Young in 28 years.
In 2004 Utah would have its best season ever, going 12-0 and becoming the first team from outside the BCS to play in a BCS bowl game. The Utes achieved this goal by beating BYU 52-21 in the most lopsided victory in the recent history of the rivalry. Utah would go on to defeat the Pittsburgh Panthers in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. Urban Meyer then left Utah for the University of Florida and in a bit of a rivalry twist, the Utes named former BYU graduate and football player, and current defensive coordinator at the U, Kyle Whittingham their head coach. The 2004 season also saw the resignation of BYU coach Gary Crowton, who was replaced by Bronco Mendenhall after BYU couldn't get Kyle to leave the U for his alma matter.
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 heavy favorites due to the fact that 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 a JC transfer named Brett Ratliff who had taken just 3 snaps the week before. The Utes went on to win in the first ever overtime game in the rivalry series. The two teams met again in November of 2006, this time in Salt Lake City, where BYU won with a touchdown with no time on the clock, 33-31.
[edit] Historical dates in the rivalry
- 1896: Utah and BYU meet for the seventh time, with the Utes winning 49-0.
- 1942: BYU gets its first win over Utah, 12-7.
- 1972: First year BYU head coach LaVell Edwards records his first victory over Utah, 16-7.
- 1978: Utah gets its first victory against a LaVell Edwards led BYU team, winning 23-22.
- 1984: With a 24-14 win over Utah, BYU continues its undefeated season en route to the 1984 national championship.
- 1988: Utah beats BYU for the first time in 9 seasons, 57-28.
- 1989: Ty Detmer and the Cougars hang 70 point on Utah as payback for the beating they received the year before. (BYU 70- UofU 31)
- 1993: Utah gets its first victory against BYU on the road in 21 years,winning 34-31.
- 1994: The Utes and Cougars meet for the first time ever as ranked teams, Utah wins 34-31.
- 1996: BYU defeats Utah 37-17 on their way to a 14-1 finish.
- 1998: With a missed game winning field goal, BYU hangs on to beat the Utes 26-24, in the first rivalry game played at newly built Rice-Eccles Stadium.
- 2000: LaVell Edwards coaches in his final game, an improbable come-from-behind victory against the Utes. BYU wins 34-27.
- 2001: With an undefeated season in jeopardy, under coach Gary Crowton the Cougars mount a feverish fourth quarter comeback, stunning the Utes 24-21.
- 2002: In what would be Ron McBride's final game as head coach of the Utes, Utah defeats BYU 13-6.
- 2003: Utah's 3-0 victory in Urban Meyer's first year marks the first time in 28 years that BYU is shut out in a football game.
- 2004: The Utes crush BYU 52-21, wrapping up an 11-0 season and becoming the first team outside the BCS to make a BCS bowl game.
- 2005: In the first overtime game played in the series' history, Utah first-year head coach — and BYU alum — Kyle Whittingham leads the Utes to a 41-34 victory over BYU first-year head coach Bronco Mendenhall.
- 2006: BYU wins in Salt Lake 33-31 with an incredible last second touchdown. This game ended Utah's 4 year winning streak in the rivalry. BYU ended the season undefeated in conference play.
