Yes, we have won 9 in a row against BYU

[ProudUte]

But, a guy on Cougar Board recently pointed out that it’s worse than that.  He posted that the last significant BYU victory in the rivalry came in 1996 when the Cougs beat the Utes 37-17.  That was 25 years ago.  This made me think about what has happened with Utah football in the last 25 years:

1999 – Left WAC for Mountain West Conference.

2002 – Mac is let go and Meyer hired.

2003 – Won our first outright conference championship in over 40 years by beating BYU 3-0 in a blizzard.

2004 – Had an undefeated season and became the BCS-buster.  Demolished Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl on January 1, 2005.

2005 – Whitt becomes head coach.

2005 – Alex Smith becomes the first and only Ute to be picked first in the NFL draft.

2008 – Another undefeated season and another major bowl victory against Alabama.

2011 – Joins the PAC12 conference.

2012 – A stupid loss to Colorado prevents Utah from winning the PAC12 South in first season in the conference.

2018 – Utah wins PAC12 South and played UW for the conference championship.

2019 – Utah wins South again gets ranked as high as number 5.  They are in the playoff discussion until being defeated by Oregon in the conference championship game.

2021 – Utah expands Rice Eccles Stadium.

[tarheelio]

I am an East-coaster that didn’t become a Ute until 2002, so I wasn’t paying attention in the 1990’s. But the way I see it, Utah has owned this rivalry from 1993 through now.

[Yergensen]

I agree, I believe the tide started to turn with the hiring of Coach Mac and specifically in the 1993 holy war on a single play, the 50+ yard field goal to beat BYU 34-31 in their stadium.  The two decades of dominance they held over us was broken and we’ve been trending up, at times quantum leaps, ever since.

BTW – what was the name of that Ute kicker?

[ProudUte]

It was you. 🙂

[utefansince79]

I was with my father in the north end zone.  Zoob fans near us were laughing saying the kick had no chance but a short time later were silenced as we and other Ute fans there started going crazy. 

Watchng that kick slip inside the uprights is by far my favorite sporting moment of all time. 

 

 

[Yergensen]

Nice!  For the record, I’m not actually Chris Yergensen, but I was there that day.

[2008 National Champ]

do i get extra credit for knowing your first name? or which dorm you were in during the 87/88 school year? nickname?

[Yergensen]

Do share

[2008 National Champ]

I wouldn’t want to mess with anyone’s anonymity on here. However, I did live in Austin Hall from Jan 88 through Dec 88. There was a guy who was very proud of his younger brother and claimed that his brother would someday be coming to Utah to be the kicker.

Ever since I first noticed your handle, I wondered if you might be the same person. We had different groups of friends but our paths would have crossed often at the Mario machine. We would have also played tennis, volleyball, drank beer, and even made it over to the 7 hole golf course at least once.

[Yergensen]

It doesn’t look like we crossed paths.  I was at the U from 92 to 98.  Sounds like we had similar college experiences though, great times.

[ironman1315]

You were there that day the strength of BYU failed.

[Duhwayne]

It’s been a great period to be a Ute fan. Only a couple programs have been able to enjoy that kind of growth in terms of profile.

Byu’s story is one of mean reversion. It beat Utah like five times over 90 years until Lavell Edwards. After Lavell the win rate is about like before. Last year they feasted on cream puffs. If I fought a class of sixth graders I would feel pretty tough too. I think they only have four mulligans on the 2021 schedule. I’d be surprised if they end up in a bowl. No wonder all their guys declared. Most people on good teams stayed around I think. All ours did. The next couple of years might be as important for Utah’s future as 2003 and 2004. If superleague starts to take off some of the P5s will get dropped and B12 and P12 are vulnerable. Just keep winning.

[PhiladelphiaUte]

As much as the zoobies like to claim/pretend otherwise, the Pac-12 isn’t really that vulnerable.  We have the Rose Bowl.  There’s no way the “superconferences” would leave without it, and there’s extremely little chance that the Rose Bowl would go anywhere without the Pac-12 and BigTen.  Therefore, it’s the Big XII who’s the most vulnerable.  And especially considering the fact that Texas just isn’t a “team player”.  They’re so self-absorbed and in-it-for-themselves that given a choice between leaving for the SEC, BigTen, or Pac-12….vs. staying in the Big XII, those non-Longhorn Big XII teams would be FAR more interested in leaving, than any other conferences’ members.