| The Holy War | |
| Teams | Brigham Young University Cougars University of Utah Utes |
| Trophy | see Beehive Boot |
| 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 rivalry game played annually by the University of Utah Utes and the Brigham Young University (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 owned and administered by the State of Utah. 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.[1]
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.
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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.[1]
"There's too much religion involved. I did not like that. I really didn't."
The University of Utah is the flagship university of the state of Utah, while 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.[1] 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.[3]
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.[4] 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.[5]
"When Brigham Young came into the valley, he pointed to where the University of Utah would be and said, ‘This is the place.’ Provo was just an afterthought."
BYU, which is in Provo, Utah, 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.[7] Consequently, the two teams compete for recruits[8] and fan support.[9] It is not uncommon for friends, neighbors, and even family members to have opposite allegiances.[1] 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.
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 (MWC). Each team has had four conference championships since the creation of the MWC in 1999.[10] Utah has twenty-four conference championships in its history,[11] while BYU has twenty-three.[12] Both of these numbers are well ahead of the third place team in the MWC, Colorado State, who has fifteen.[13] 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 (seven points) or less.[5]
Furthermore, BYU can lay claim to a consensus national championship for going undefeated in 1984 and beating Michigan in the 1984 Holiday Bowl. Meanwhile, Utah has been to two Bowl Championship Series bowls: the 2005 Fiesta Bowl (a 35–7 victory over Pitt) and the 2009 Sugar Bowl (a 31–17 victory over Alabama). For these BCS bowl victories, Utah finished ranked in the AP Poll #4 and #2, respectively.
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.[14] 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.[15]
After twenty-three years of not having a team, BYU resumed play for the 1922 season.[1] 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. 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.
In 1972, the rivalry shifted in favor of BYU. The Cougars had hired LaVell Edwards 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's Utes went 0–2 against Edwards during Meek's last two years (1972–1973). Tom Lovat (1974–1976) was 0–3. Wayne Howard (1977–1981) was 1–4. Chuck Stobart (1982–1984) was 0–3. Jim Fassel was 1–4. Finally, Utah found some success when it hired Ron McBride in 1990. McBride would finish with a 5–6 record against LaVell Edwards, but he started with three consecutive losses to Edwards.[5]
"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."
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."[6] 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.
"What I hated the most about BYU was getting trounced."
During the 1980 Holy War, BYU quarterback Jim McMahon helped engineer a blowout. Most of the game he was heckled by a contingent of Utah fans at Rice Stadium. 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.[17] The fifty point margin of victory is the largest for either team in the series.[5]
On November 17, 1984, BYU entered the Holy War 10–0 and ranked #3 in the 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. This was the last time a team not currently affiliated with the BCS won a national championship; the next most recent was Army in 1945.
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. 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.[18] The game came to be known locally as "the Rice Bowl" because the game was played at Utah's Rice Stadium.[19]
"It was just as easy as it looked. It was like we were running against air. It was easy to break tackles and find holes. Their defense didn't seem to be there."
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, 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.[21] The 101 points the two teams scored is still a series record.[5]
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.
The rivalry began to change in 1993, during Ron McBride's fourth season as head coach, the Utes won their first game in Provo in twenty-two seasons and their first since LaVell Edwards 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.
"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."
After the win, Utah fans and players attempted to tear down the north end zone goalpost at what was then Cougar Stadium. 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."[6] The remark is still remembered in rivalry history today.[22]
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.
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 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".[23]
"Even our cheerleaders are kicking your butt."
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?"[24]
"From now on we're going to leave our flags at home and they should do the same."
From the Utah sideline, receiver Steve Smith taunted BYU fans and yelled, "Even our cheerleaders are kicking your butt." BYU's athletic director 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."[24]
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 34–27 with an exciting last-minute drive that ended on a touchdown with little time remaining on the clock.
In 2001, under new head coach Gary Crowton, 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. BYU running back Luke Staley 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 hired him in December 2004.
Urban Meyer 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.
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 on September 25, 1975.[25]
"I really hate them. Playing in the game helped me understand. They are the most arrogant people. It's the whole church and state thing. They're the 'good kids'. We're the 'bad kids.' I didn't feel it in my gut last year like I do now."
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 in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. The Utes final regular season game, a 52–21 victory over BYU, clinched the invitation to a BCS bowl. Urban Meyer then left Utah for Florida. After the 2004 season, Gary Crowton resigned after finishing with his third consecutive losing season.
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 called the coaching rivalry the best coaching rivalry of that decade.[27]
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.
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 with no time on the clock. The win gave BYU an undefeated record of 8–0 in Mountain West Conference play. The play inspired a catch phrase among BYU fans that appeared on t-shirts: "Harline is still open."[28]
"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."
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 bulled into the endzone to win it 17–10. Austin Collie, who caught the Max Hall 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."[29][30] The comment further fueled the religious animosity between the two teams.
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 in the historic Sugar Bowl. Utah beat Alabama 31–17 for their second BCS victory in five years.
"I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, their fans. I hate everything. It felt really good to send those guys home."
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 Andrew George for a 25-yard touchdown reception and the victory.[32] The game was dubbed "George is still running" by BYU fans.[33]
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.[34] Interestingly, Hall had made similar comments the prior year about his tenure at Arizona State University, stating after a game with rival University of Arizona that "My uncle and my grandpa don't really like U of A . . . Playing at ASU and being spit on and having beer spilled on them, and all that stuff".[35] This has prompted Utah fans to jokingly ask what it is that Max Hall's family does during games that would cause two different fanbases to pour beer on them?
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 managed to block the kick, ending the comeback attempt by the Cougars, and giving the Utes a 17–16 victory.
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.
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 | 41–34OT | 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 | 26–23OT | 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.[5] [14]
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