I’m only 18 and I don’t remember many Holy War games, but one of the most memorable to me (outside of 04 and 08) would have had to been 2003. That blizzard and shuting the Zoobies out…3-0. It was great. I do remember the 2005 game really well also though. We really weren’t even supposed to be close to them. Then, the Emerald Bowl was that much better.

By the way, you could argue Eddie Wide isn’t at 100% also. It seems like he has limped off the field or been helped out in most games this season. He would tell you he was at 100%, and he will play like it…but I don’t think he is.

There was just so much excitement at Rice-Eccles Stadium with College GameDay being there and Utah about to be the original BCS buster. And then the way the crowd just made enveloped the field as soon as the clock his zero.

But that is an obvious choice. My second favorite is 1994. That was the first time the both teams were ranked. It was a great back-and-forth game in which Utah just managed to win 34–31. It was also satisfying for the way it shut-up the blowhards at school.

There was so much hype going into it. Both teams highly ranked. We had the BCS on the line and were playing at home, and destroyed them

but 1998 is mine.

My family was primarily Denver Broncos fans. My dad sincerely rooted for both schools (he had no religious or academic ties to either), but cheered for Utah. I grew up a BYU football fan (peer pressure is a bitch), and I was pretty stoked about 1996. But I remember not caring much who won the ’97 game, and I got pretty involved in the Utes run in the ’98 NCAA tournament. That completed my transition.

The ‘98 Holy War was my first collegiate football game, and it was fantastic. I remember hearing the interactions of the BYU and Utah fans around us, and how great it was hearing the Y fans get quieter after Utu’s punt return, the defensive stop, and the drive down the field to potentially win the game. Then Kaneshiro doinked it off the fucking upright.

That’s led to me having a complex relationship with defeat as a sports fan. Obviously I enjoy winning, but I accept and embrace losing as part of the experience. Seeing Doman lead that comeback in Lavell’s last season. Watching an overmatched Utah team take the lead with 1:30 left in 2006, only to see Harline on the final play. Looking at basically the same thing the next year in Provo.

As far as wins, ‘99 was pretty great. I was in 7th grade, and everyone really got into it at school. I won a few bets with some friends, the game was exciting, and it’s always nice to win down there.

The ones we won.

I remember it well. Nobody gave us a chance in that game because we had lost our starting QB and had an unproven backup. I was at a pre-thanksgiving gathering with family, and I was very nervous the whole day, Some time later my buddy came over and told me the Utes (particular Brett Ratliff) we’re shredding the Cougs on the ground in the first half. Not wanting to find out the outcome the next day (I had no access to the internet at the time) I went over to a co-workers house, played around with his antenna on his roof and finally got a signal to watch the game on KJZZ (this was back in the dark ages before the mess that is the Mtn. channel). Despite having great success on the ground in the first half, the Cougars didn’t want to go down with out a fight. To say this game was a nail-biter would be an understatement. It’s was funny to me at the time that the game almost ended with the final margin 34-31 (sounds familiar) but the Cougs were stubborn and got the field goal to tie it up and sent it to OT.
  In OT, I was going insane. I’m not a coffee drinker but I sure looked like it at the time. I remember the shock and surprise of my co-worker as the Utes got the score and I went absolutely insane. It wasn’t over yet though, so I watched with eager anticipation at John Beck and the Cougs took the field. At the final fourth down play I was on my feet in dead silence (every second felt like a eternity) when Becks desperate pass to the end zone fell to the turf I exploded…..with all the bumps and headaches of 2005, (losing lots of games we should have won and our best players were down) beating BYU for the fourth strait year was an early christmas gift.
  In conclusion to my story, my joy was rewarded again almost two months later when My Utes totally owned Georgia Tech in the Emerald Bowl. I remember working that night, thus I couldn’t watch the game thus I called up my brother real late and asked him how badly my Utes got beat (We were huge underdogs after all) I rmember the twin feeling of shock and joy when he told me “uh, the Utes WON 38-10”. Good times. :)

Aside from the obvious of 2004 and 2008, I loved 2005 for all the reasons you mentioned.