The Holy War has real weight this time.
Utah comes in unbeaten and with a direct path to the Big 12 championship, while BYU still has a College Football Playoff case that looks stronger because of the Notre Dame win and shakier because of the loss to unranked UCF. The result could ripple into the top of the playoff committee’s rankings this week, which gives Saturday’s meeting plenty of bite.
The biggest question for BYU starts on the ground. The Cougars have not been able to get much going in the rushing game, and that showed again against Arizona State, when they finished with just 47 rushing yards and 1.6 yards per carry.
That problem gets even more concerning with injuries on the offensive line and uncertainty around running back LJ Martin’s availability. Utah, meanwhile, has been stout against the run, ranking 22nd nationally at 101.4 rushing yards allowed per game.
If the Utes bottle up BYU early, Bear Bachmeier could be pushed into obvious passing downs, and that would make the Cougars easier to defend.
Utah has its own pressure point, and it runs through Devon Dampier. The quarterback’s dual-threat ability is a major part of what makes the Utes go, but BYU’s defensive front has a chance to make life difficult if it can win its matchups and keep Dampier from breaking contain. If the Cougars can force third-and-long and take away explosive runs, Utah’s offense could lose its rhythm.
The opening quarter may tell a lot. Utah has been fast out of the gate all season, outscoring opponents 89-6 in the first quarter.
A quick Utes lead would put BYU in a tough spot and force the Cougars away from the style they’d prefer to play. But if BYU gets on top early, the pressure shifts to an undefeated Utah team that hasn’t won this rivalry game since 2019.
Special teams could also tilt things. BYU has the clear edge there, sitting seventh nationally in SP+ compared with Utah at 77th. That kind of gap can matter in a game where field position is likely to be a big deal.
And then there’s the turnover battle, which could decide everything if this turns into the kind of tight fourth quarter rivalry game both sides are built for. Utah cannot afford to hand BYU short fields.
In the end, the danger for BYU is getting shoved around at the line of scrimmage. The danger for Utah is letting this become a messy, defensive, turnover-heavy fight. Both teams have a path to making Saturday miserable for the other.
In Other News...
Utah Just Landed A Huge Chance To Impress Alex Jensens Target
A busy stretch is ahead for Matija Lukic, and Utah is right in the middle of it. The Serbian prospect is set to make a whirlwind run of official visits over eight days, with stops that also include BYU, Boston College, Duke, N.C. State, North Carolina and UConn. For the Utes, it is a meaningful opportunity to make an impression on a player whose profile has been built well beyond the usual high school circuit.
Alex Jensen has already made it clear that European recruiting and the programs overseas connections matter in this chase, and Lukic fits that mold. He is coming off a strong international resume, including a silver medal with Serbia at the FIBA U17 World Cup, while also developing with Casademont Zaragoza in Spain. Utah gets its turn to sell itself in a crowded race, and the next few days could go a long way in showing where it stands. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Is Winning But One Problem Still Wont Go Away
Utah kept its unbeaten start intact at the Huntsman Center, beating Towson 67-57 in a game that looked comfortable at times and messy at others. The Utes leaned on defense and a useful lift from the bench, and they did enough to build a lead as large as 15 points while moving to 2-0.
Still, the win came with the kind of slippage that can linger if it does not get cleaned up quickly. Utah had to work through a turnover problem that repeatedly gave Towson extra chances and made a double-digit cushion feel less secure than it should have, even in a game the Utes were clearly in control of for much of the night. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Landed A Four-Star Guard With Real Big 12 Upside
Utah added another notable piece to its backcourt with the commitment of four-star point guard Jamaal McKnight Jr., a senior at Iowa United Prep who originally hails from Maryland. McKnight has built a rsum that includes stops at DeMatha Catholic and Long Island Lutheran, and he drew interest from multiple major programs before settling on the Utes.
For Utah, the appeal goes beyond rankings. McKnight pointed to the coaching staff and the campus atmosphere as key factors in his decision, a sign the Utes were able to make a strong impression in a crowded recruiting race. In a Big 12 landscape where guard play matters so much, landing a player with McKnights background gives Utah another reason to feel better about its long-term perimeter outlook. [Read more 🡒]