The "Holy War"

BYU and Utah will face off at Lavell Edwards Stadium this Saturday night on ESPN2.  The 2011 version of the annual "Holy War" game will be the earliest the Cougars and Utes have ever played in the season (they have only ever played one other time in September).  With Utah's move to the Pac-12 this season, a September game became the only option as the Pac-12 conference prefers that its teams only play conference games in November (when the Cougars and the Utes have traditionally squared off).    It is also the first time ever that the teams are playing each other when they're not in the same conference.  Many have predicted that the BYU-Utah rivalry will be diminished because they will no longer have the potential to be playing for a conference championship, which has been the case many times in recent years.  I agree that the rivalry will be different than it has been in the past, but as long as they continue to play on an annual basis the rivalry will still be able to keep pace with other non-conference rivalries such as Michigan-Notre Dame, Florida-Florida State, and Georgia-Georgia Tech for the following reasons:

Utah dominated the rivalry early on, but it has been even (3-3)
in the last 6 years.

History
Even though they may no longer be in the same conference, fans will still be able to draw upon the intense history of the rivalry.  The teams have been playing football since 1896...or 1922 depending on who you ask.  The rivalry even extends to a disagreement on when the rivalry officially began.  Utah claims the first time the teams squared off was in 1896 when Utah played Brigham Young Academy and won 12-4.  BYU claims the rivalry began in 1922 when Utah beat BYU, 49-0.  BYU apparently didn't realize the rivalry had actually started until 1942 when they finally beat the U for the first time after tying them 3 times and losing 18 times.

BYU and Utah fans will forever be neighbors, friends, foes, and rivals!

Proximity
A quick drive up or down I-15 separates the two schools with mixed fan bases in between and beyond the Wasatch Front.  But it doesn't matter which conference the teams are in, they will always be competing for the same recruits, sponsors, and fans as long as Salt Lake and Provo stay about 50 miles apart.  A rivalry thrives on winning and losing, pride and humiliation, taunting and trash-talking.  Fans and families are sometimes split right down the middle of the BYU-Utah divide.  The losing team will have to endure the taunts, cheers, and scores even though the teams may not be in the same conference standings.  Does "34-31", "4th and 18", and "Beck to Harline" ring any bells?  Utah coach, Kyle Whittingham, recently said, "It's the biggest single sporting event in the course of a year.  It's the biggest thing that happens in this state."  That's what a rivalry is all about.

Current BYU President and LDS Church General Authority, Cecil Samuelson,
holds a bachelors, masters, and an M.D. from the University of Utah.  Which
team will Cecil be cheering for on Saturday?

Religion
That's right, I said it!  Whether you like it or not, the "R" word will always feed the BYU-Utah rivalry.  For example, when Max Hall had his infamous rant after BYU's overtime victory in 2009 ("I don't like Utah.  In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them.  I hate their program, I hate their fans...I think the whole university, their fans and their organization, is classless."), Utah fans, especially the fans who were not members of the LDS Church, pointed out the fact that in his ranting and raving, Max Hall was also including the prophet of the LDS Church, along with many other senior leaders in the Church who had attended to the University of Utah, when he deemed the entire university and organization as "classless".  The University of Utah is the state university of Utah while BYU is the flagship university of the LDS Church.  Many University of Utah alumni are members of the LDS Church, and BYU fans are all stereotyped as self-righteous zoobies.  Even when the BYU football players thank the Lord and give him the "glory" as Austin Collie did after his "4th and 18" catch in the 2007 BYU-Utah game, he became a lightning rod of controversy instead of just normal comments that seem to roll off every successful athlete's tongue.  Former Utah head coach Wayne Howard once said that "There's too much religion involved (in the BYU-Utah rivalry).  I did not like that.  I really didn't."  And the resulting dislike - and even hatred - is what the rivalry is all about.

BCS or No BCS?
Utah was invited to the BCS party and BYU was not.  Simple as that.  Many BYU fans now have a complex about the fact that Utah has a better chance to go to a BCS game by winning its conference than BYU does, even though BYU has not earned the right to play with the big boys as Utah has by going undefeated in '04 and '08 and winning a BCS Bowl game on both occasions.  Along with the monetary aspects of being part of a BCS conference, Utah will be able to tantalize BYU fans with the notoriety of being part of a BCS conference, even though Utah will more often than not still end up at the Vegas Bowl instead of the Rose Bowl.  BYU is now an independent team with a sweet TV agreement with ESPN, set with the ability to schedule its own teams and not have to split its TV and Bowl revenues with 10 or 12 other conference teams.  Which path is better and more successful will fuel the rivalry in the years to come.

Tackling and defense will be strong on Saturday night, but the key will be
which team will be able to best execute on offense.

The Holy War - 2011
With all those factors as a backdrop, BYU and Utah both come into this year's game with identical 1-1 records, with both teams coming off close disappointing losses to the 2006 BCS National Championship title game contenders, Texas and USC.  Both teams come into the game still trying to find their rhythm on offense, and both teams come in with a stout defense.  The key to this game will be obvious - whoever scores the most points will win.  Sounds blatantly stupid and obvious, but it is true.  Utah barely averages 300 yards of offense per game this year and BYU averages a soultry 275.  If BYU can get its running game going, which has only averaged 67 yards per game, or if Utah can find its passing game, which averages a high school-like 169 yards per game, watch out!  Favored by 4.5 points over Utah, BYU will have the slight home-field advantage as they will be ready to play for the home fans for the first time this year.  The BYU defense's strength is the run defense and I would expect BYU to be able to find enough holes in the Utah defense to run their way beyond 100 yards for the first time this year, control the game, and make just enough plays to win, 21-17.  But of course I think BYU is going to win, I am a self-righteous zoobie after all...