PROVO - Kalani Sitake and Morgan Scalley don’t come at the Utah-BYU rivalry from the same place, but they’ve landed in the same spot.
One is a former BYU fullback who spent a decade coaching in Salt Lake City before coming home to his alma mater. The other is a Utah lifer, a former Highland High standout and All-American safety who has worn the “Utah Man” label for years. Different paths, same message: keep the rivalry fierce, but keep it rooted in respect.
“I think the Utah-BYU rivalry is one of the best in the country, honestly,” Scalley told reporters in his first trip to The Star in Frisco, Texas, for Big 12 football media days as a head coach. “I have so much respect for Kalani and his staff.
A lot of his staff I've worked with. But it's definitely mutual respect.”
Sitake echoed that sentiment and made it personal.
“Morgan Scalley is a good friend of mine,” he said. “We worked together for a decade at Utah when I was coaching there. I was great friends with Kyle Whittingham, too.
“Kyle Whittingham leaves, and another great friend of mine is the head coach at Utah. Nothing has really changed there.”
That tone matters in a rivalry that has had plenty of heat - and a few ugly moments - in recent years. BYU snapped a nine-game losing streak in 2021 and has won the last three meetings, including a 24-21 victory last fall in Provo. The teams are set to meet again Nov. 7 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The series is also one of those rare ones where even the all-time record depends on who’s doing the counting. Utah leads either 62-37-4 or 59-34-4, depending on who you ask.
For years, plenty of people around both programs have pushed for a more measured rivalry, one with less venom and more mutual appreciation. That conversation has only grown louder after a couple of troubling incidents.
Two years ago, a North Salt Lake man was arrested and charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault after police said he threw a water bottle onto the field and hit a BYU cheer coach following Utah’s last-minute 22-21 loss. A year later, an Emery County man was arrested and booked into jail after making threats of violence on social media, including posts that said “anyone wearing red on Saturday is getting shot” before the annual matchup.
Scalley said the extremes are part of the problem.
“You're always going to have the extremes,” Scalley said. “That's the unfortunate part, is you're going to have those extremes where people are doing stuff that you're not proud about.
“I just think the way Kalani and I model our relationship with one another and the respect we have for each other and our programs should lead the way, hopefully leads the way.”
That same dynamic shows up in families, where loyalties can split right down the middle. Scalley has a daughter who recently enrolled at BYU, while Sitake has had several family members graduate from Utah.
It shows up in players, too. Keanu Tanuvasa spent his first stretch at Utah, starting 19 of 24 games on the defensive line before transferring to BYU last season. He finished with 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention honors.
The fifth-year senior said some Utah fans turned on him after the move, which he understands given the rivalry. Still, he has friendships in Salt Lake City, and he’s glad that when the talk comes around again, it’s about football.
“I think it's going to be a little surreal (going back). Utah was home for more than 20 games in that stadium,” he said.
“I'm hoping Utah is who they have always been: a violent place, and a place filled with energy and enthusiasm. I'm looking forward to going in there.
I know it will be very competitive, and a little hostile. But I'm looking forward to that as a BYU player.”
Sitake said that’s the kind of energy he wants the rivalry to be known for - intense, yes, but also full of good people on both sides.
“There are so many positive things that are going around on both sides,” he said. “I think we celebrate some of the really cool things that are happening with the rivalry game.
“The respect level and the love, I don't know if there's going to be anything different,” Sitake added. “We've always respected and loved our rivals.
I think they feel the same way about us. I know; I was there.
I think that's what makes it even more fun.”
In Other News...
BYU Suddenly Has A Major Defensive Question Before Camp
As the Big 12 wrapped up its annual media days and preseason buzz turned toward the 2026 college football season, BYU found itself dealing with a reminder that summer storylines can change fast. The Cougars were already looking ahead to a defense that was supposed to lean on Faletau Satuala after Tanner Walls departure for the NFL, making the safety one of the more important pieces on the roster heading into camp.
Satualas presence matters because BYU is trying to build on a 12-2 season and keep the momentum from one of the programs best recent runs. Any uncertainty at a spot that was expected to anchor the back end of the defense adds a little more intrigue to August, especially with camp approaching and the Cougars still sorting out how their new-look defense will come together. [Read more 🡒]
AJ Dybantsa Faces A Familiar Problem On His Biggest Stage Yet
The NBA Summer League is about to put a familiar matchup back in the spotlight, with Washington and Utah set for a primetime meeting that will also serve as AJ Dybantsas debut for the Wizards after he went first overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. On the other side, Darryn Peterson has already looked comfortable in summer action for the Jazz, giving the game a little extra edge for anyone who has followed the two young stars from the start.
Peterson has had the upper hand every time these two have crossed paths before, a detail that hangs over this one even without needing much explanation. Their history stretches back through high school and college, and now the stage is bigger, the stakes are louder, and the next chapter arrives with both players trying to establish themselves in front of a national audience. [Read more 🡒]
BYU May Already Have Its Next Freshman Breakout In Camp
Spring camp gave BYU a fresh look at a rookie class that already seems to have a few players pushing for real roles, even if most of the group is still in the early stages of development. Wide receiver Jaron Pula and Legend Glasker are among the newcomers drawing attention on offense, while the defensive line has its own cluster of intriguing bodies in Braxton Lindsey, Nusi Taumoepeau and Ulavai Fetuli. Add in offensive tackle Bott Mulitalo, and the Cougars have a freshman group that looks more like a long-term pipeline than a class waiting quietly in the wings.
The most interesting part for BYU is how quickly some of those names are forcing their way into the conversation. Spring observations and coaching comments suggest there are already freshmen who look capable of helping sooner than expected, especially on the edges and in the trenches where depth charts can change fast. The question now is which of these first-year players can turn camp momentum into actual playing time once the season starts, and which ones will keep building toward a bigger role down the road. [Read more 🡒]