[Jim Vanderhoof]

I’m not LDS and grew up in Salt Lake and attended the U. Here’s my 2 cents. As an outsider looking in the LDS faith is very strange. The kids growing up that looked down on me for not being LDS were more likely BYU fans (not all). The LDS kids that didn’t care were more likely Utah fans. I have many close LDS friends that I still play golf and hang out with. Being a die hard Ute fan for many years I have gotten to know many LDS fans that are not only great fans but great people. I love the diversity. We all have the Utes in common. Sports is meant to be an outlet for religion and politics. I love my Ute LDS brothers just as much as my non LDS brothers. Let’s all have respect for each other and keep religion out of our posts. It would be fun to have a pre-game Ute hub party. Lots of knowledgeable people on this board!!

[Tony (admin)]

I totally prefer to keep religion out of our discussions. Unfortunately, we are in a conference with byu and with them as part of the equation sometimes sports and religion are mixed together.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

If BYU has another successful season they will try and lock him up more long term. Hill has made a huge difference since his arrival. Kalani will struggle without him. If BYU struggles this year and Whitt retires it might open the door to get him back. It depends on where his heart is at. A few extra $$$ might help solve the heart issue.

[RoboUte]

I’m going to talk about Buddhism whenever possible and no one can stop me.

[2008 National Champ]

Confucius say: “How come my followers never thought to put a clock in my belly?”

[RoboUte]

Who are any of these people

[RoboUte]

Quite possibly the LB coach

[HATUman]

I love the “trend vs. pause” analogy—spot on. A 9-game win streak isn’t erased by a 2-game blip, especially when one of those wins was by a single point in what was arguably BYU’s best team in decades vs. Utah’s most depleted roster in years. That’s not a reversal. That’s a missed opportunity.

And this year? Utah is poised to bounce back big. Last season fell apart when we lost our QB1 and half the offense. Anyone who watched knows our defense held it together. Now we’ve got a completely revamped offense under Jason Beck and one of the most stable coaching staffs in the country. BYU, on the other hand, downgraded at the most important position on the field. Retzlaff is gone, and they’re left with a guy who struggled at Utah State. We’ve seen what a QB downgrade does to a season—they’re about to learn it firsthand.

Meanwhile, Utah’s future trajectory is clear. Look at what Taylor Randall is doing—not just for athletics, but for the university as a whole. Facilities, partnerships, campus expansions. He’s positioning Utah for a Big Ten invite. That kind of long-term vision will widen the gap permanently if it plays out the way it looks like it could. BYU isn’t making those same moves. NIL helps, sure—but structure, leadership, and vision build dynasties.

This isn’t bitterness. It’s just facts. The rivalry will always be heated, but let’s not confuse a pause for a power shift. The real storm’s coming—and it’s coming from Salt Lake

[HATUman]

Utah had one of the worst injury seasons in program history and was statistically one of the unluckiest teams in the country. We still stayed competitive in six of seven losses with a patchwork offense. This year? It’s not just about health—it’s a revamped offense under Jason Beck. If it’s even half as good as we think it can be, we’re winning those games.

Defensively, we did lose a lot of production, so I expect a slight step back early on. But the youth is talented, and by season’s end, I believe they’ll be back to playing at an elite level. If we stay healthy, we could be looking at high-level play on both sides of the ball. The floor is 8–4. The ceiling? 11–1. This team’s built to bounce back.

[Central Coast Ute]

I agree but Shah has said in the past that he doesn’t want to be a DC and have everything that comes with it. Maybe he was just saying that knowing he wasn’t going to be it for a while. I guess we’ll see but I do hope it’s him.

[Author]

Posts