Ugh.

Utah did not play well and really didn't deserve the game. I think this was the ugliest Holy War since McBride's final season and to tell you the truth, the Utes really were lucky to be in the game. With that said, the defensive effort Saturday was great. It's just too bad it wasn't enough to win the game.

Offense: D - Utah's offense was horrible for most of the day, except at the end when they finally reached the end zone. The play calling was really bad, especially that triple reverse which failed miserably. Mack only had 13 carries on the day, which was a pathetic number and barely touched the ball on Utah's first trip to the Cougars' red zone. There Utah turned it over, costing the team at least 3 points -- which could have ultimately been the difference in the game.

Brian Johnson was not good, the receivers couldn't catch and the play calling was poor. The Utes barely had any sustained drives and I was really disappointed in the offensive line play. This is without a doubt the worst offensive performance since the UNLV game.

Defense: B - I want to give the defense an A, but I can't get over giving up a first down on 4th and 18. That play will haunt Utah for the rest of the year, knowing that a stop there would have essentially ended any BYU comeback. With that said, the defense did a great job at getting to Max Hall and shutting down the passing lane to the  tight ends.

It wasn't perfect, though. Unga pretty much had his way with Utah early and the Cougars, like the Utes, dropped some key passes. In fact, Utah was an Austin Collie catch from losing the game. But I can't help but agonize over that final drive, which I think Gary Andersen actually called very well. He put pressure on Hall, forced a sack and on 4th and 18 did the exact opposite of what he did last year, went to man coverage and it should have worked. Except McCain failed to make the stop, the catch was caught and BYU got a huge first down. It's important, though, to realize that while Utah could have won with a stop there, they did not lose the game on that play. Which takes me to the next grade.

Refs: F - I'm not going to blame the officials for this loss. However, when Utah gave up that first down on BYU's final drive, the Cougars were still far from being in field goal range, especially with their kicking troubles. It was three calls, two BS pass interference calls and an absurd personal foul, that put BYU in scoring position. Had those calls not been made, Utah probably holds BYU to the point where the Cougars are setting up for a 45-yarder to win the game. Now the question, do they make it?

Special Teams: B - Louie Sakoda did what was asked from him, making a field goal and a huge extra point in the final minutes of the game. Utah's kick off and punt coverage wasn't bad and the special teams performed about as good as I thought they would.  

Coaches:

• Andy Ludwig: D - Ugh, Andy. I've bit my tongue over the past few weeks because Utah has won, but Saturday was not a game he called well at all. The offense was impotent, barely moved down field and essentially cost Utah an 8th straight victory. The 13 touches for Mack, trick plays and the fact Utah passed on 3rd and 4 from the goal line really do not sit well with me.
• Gary Andersen: A - It's just too bad the offense couldn't help out Andersen's D. The defensive effort was pretty spectacular, even with what happened at the end of the game. I just wish it were enough.
• Kyle Whittingham: B - I'm not putting this loss on Whittingham. Utah wasn't embarrassed and he had his team ready to play. It's just they couldn't find any offensive production and that was the difference.

Oh well, maybe next year?

Yeah, I rarely swear on this blog, but this deserves it. I'll say it one more time, #$^%!

This loss stings, but it isn't nearly as bad as last year, since Utah played great then and really struggled today. The Utes were lucky to be in this game because, with everything that happened, it should have been an easy BYU victory. But give credit to the Cougars, they made the plays and Utah couldn't come up with a big stop...even if it was 4th and 18.

This loss sucks, but I'm not blaming the defense, because without that effort, the Utes probably would not have had a chance to win it. I'm also not going to put this at the foot of the refs, even though all three of those calls on BYU's last drives were bullshit. In the end, Utah needed ONE DAMN STOP AND THEY COULDN'T DO IT. Because of that, the Cougars roll on and Utah now needs to regroup for their bowl game.

Damn.

All I ask is for a victory. PLEASE LET IT HAPPEN, KYLE!

The Final Stop!

Gameday
Utah	TDS

What to expect when Utah has the ball: Everything and anything. Andy Ludwig will open up the playbook and that might include some trick plays as well. However, the Utes won't shy away from the running game, especially if it works for them early.

What to expect when TDS has the ball: A lot of passes to the tight ends and Harvey Unga. Robert Anae likes to open up the offense that way and I don't expect that to change against the Utes. They probably won't air it out, but if the opportunity arises, they will.

How Utah wins: Don't get burned on the tight end passes and find an offensive flow. It's also important Utah convert on turnovers. If they do that, they could win easily. Hopefully it happens and here's to a victory celebration Saturday night!

The leprechaun is back for the biggest regular season game of them all. Bring us home, Lucky!

8-0 I be, after a Saturday afternoon victory.

Let's hear what you think. Register for a free account here and leave your comments, predictions and other gameday chatter below in the comments section. GO UTES, BEAT TDS!

You can only spend so much time breaking down the game before you start getting bored with all the statistics that make up each team's offense and defense. So instead of just another entry on what Utah must do to beat BYU (and what they must do to beat Utah), I've decided to just go ahead and throw out my predictions for Saturday.

Like I said in the past, this will be a low scoring game, or at least low compared to the past three Holy Wars. I believe this favors Utah, which is why I think they'll win. With that said, this is how I see that victory happening.

Firstly, Utah will do considerably well on Unga, though he will have some big receptions on the day. I do think BYU will open its offense up by utilizing the tight end. If there is a weakness in Utah's defense, it's that they struggle defending tight ends. But with Utah controlling the running game and containing the downfield threat, the Cougar offense won't work nearly as well as some expect. Honestly, I think their offensive production will be much like it was against TCU, however, Utah's offense isn't nearly as inept as the Frogs. That will be the big difference in this game.

On offense, Utah will rely on the running game, but don't expect Mack to bulldoze through their line for 100 or more yards. That's ok, though, because I believe Utah will still have a decent amount of yards on the ground. Expect Brian Johnson to run, because BYU does not defend mobile quarterbacks very well. I think that will open up the Utes' downfield passing attack, which should easily exploit the BYU secondary.

Special teams will also play a role in this game, as BYU does not do well at punting the ball. Look for Utah to start with decent yardage on most drives and even if they fail to convert, it should push the Cougars back deeper into their own end zone and make it far more difficult to move down field. Field position could be key in this game, especially if Utah creates a few turnovers and then capitalizes on them.

Even though I think Utah will win, it'll be a close contest. Neither team is going to blow open the game and that will make for some tense football. I'm going to say Utah wins, 28-17. However, that score will only be that large because the Utes will add a game sealing touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Let's hear your predictions. Post 'em below and hopefully those that pick Utah are right on the money.

You're next, BYU!

50-0

28-10

??

Two teams down and one to go in Utah's Revenge Tour 2007. Each victory has been fairly easy for the Utes, but that won't be expected Saturday. Nope, not when you're facing a team that, like Utah, has won 7 games in a row. But Utah has an edge and I expect that to become more apparent as Saturday's game ticks to a close.

The most important aspect of this game, I believe, will be Kyle Whittingham's ability to outcoach Bronco Mendenhall. I'm not sure who will be the better coach in the long run, bur right now you've got to give the edge to Bronco, since he's already won two conference championships. However, in the past two contests, I think Whittingham has outcoached Bronco. That was evident in last year's game, when a far better Cougar team needed a miracle to beat the Utes. Had Bronco actually outcoached Whittingham, the game would have never come down to one play and BYU easily would have rolled. It didn't happen, much like a year prior when Whittingham again outcoached Bronco down in Provo.

Whether you feel Whittingham is a good coach or not, you can't deny his ability to coach his team up. The fact Utah rolled Wyoming after Joe Glenn's comments and then calmly did away with New Mexico is proof of this. If anyone thinks Utah will come out flat against the Cougars, they do not know Kyle Whittingham or this rivalry. If there is one good trait Whittingham learned from McBride, it's the ability to beat BYU. McBride, even when the Utes weren't nearly as good, always seemed to end the season with a victory against the Cougars -- or at least kept them in the game. Well now Utah and BYU are apparent equals and I think that will prove to a gigantic advantage for the Utes.

With that said, the Utes will still need to do some stuff well if they are going to win this game. You can't just rely on motivation, because that'll only get you so far. I want to see Utah run the ball, if Mack can go for 100 or more yards, I don't see how Utah won't win. However, if he's stuck in the 50s or even 60s, the Utes will be hard pressed to find a way to win. Likewise, the Utes will need to shut down the Cougar running game and keep Unga far from the century mark. BYU doesn't run the ball nearly as much as Utah, but when they do they've proven successful. If Utah shuts down their running game, however, it will give Max Hall and the Cougar offense one less option.

It's also vital the Utes find a way to stop BYU's passing to the tight ends. If anything scares me about the offense, it's this, because the Utes have struggled at times defending that type of offense. It's quick striking and can net a lot of yards if not defended well. Dennis Pitta could prove to be a thorn in Utah's defensive side, especially on 3rd downs, as Max Hall likes to go to him when BYU is need of a gain. However, the Cougars do not have an explosive offense and while those passes work, it's not going to be enough without a down field threat and a running game. I would much rather force BYU into a one-dimensional offense than have them pass down field and run all over the Utes.

I'm actually excited for this game and can't wait to see how the Utes will defend the Cougar offense. If Utah keeps BYU in the 20s Saturday, they should win. I like that, so hopefully Utah can easily keep them there.

Obviously there are more aspects to winning than just three things, but I think in order for the Utes to succeed Saturday, Utah will need to accomplish all three of these things -- or at least come damn close. While I feel good about Saturday, it's a rivalry game and every aspect of the contest matters. That means one mistake could prove costly and we can't have that, can we?

• Pressure the hell out of Max Hall! Hall is a good quarterback, but when pressured does not perform terribly well. If the Utes fluster him, he will turn the ball over and Utah has been great at forcing interceptions this season. Though BYU has done pretty good for how much they've turned the ball over this season, Utah is a different beast than the traditional teams BYU has faced. They will capitalize on those turnovers and they will be costly. However, that will require Utah to actually force those turnovers and the best place to start is by pressuring Hall.
• Capitalize on turnovers. It's important Utah capitalize on forced turnovers. They've done a great job of this throughout the season and they will need to continue against BYU. If, like I said above, they force Hall into mistakes, the success off those turnovers could be the difference in the game. With turnovers, the Utes will most likely be dealing with a short field, which Utah has done well in all season.
• Exploit the Cougar secondary. The Cougar secondary isn't horrible, but they do give up over 200 yards through the air in a game. If Brian Johnson can carve up this secondary, Utah should easily work its way down field. However, Johnson has struggled at times when throwing deep and that can't happen Saturday. It can't happen because BYU does have a stout run defense, only giving up 92 yards per game. If Utah struggles in its passing game, relying on the run might not be enough to move the ball to the point where the offense can be successful.

It will be interesting to see how BYU's offense does against the Utes' defense. I think Utah's defense will be the best the Cougars have faced all season and BYU's last real defensive opponent -- TCU -- could have won if they had any type of offense. The Utes, though, do have that offense and this is why I'm optimistic about their chances. With that said, this won't be a high scoring game -- at least compared to the last three. I wouldn't be surprised if the final score was somewhere in the 20s, instead of the 30s like last year. Of course the Utes will win and everything will be right in the world again.

One game.

One goal.

One team.

One victory.

It's simple, Saturday afternoon Utah will begin its march toward victory down in Provo. They will leave LaVell Edwards Stadium doing something nearly every Utah team has done since 1993, defeating the Cougars on their home field. Only once, in that span, has Utah been defeated down there, that will not happen Saturday. The Utes will win.

Utah will win because its coach knows the importance of this game and every player knows the importance of beating BYU. Utah will win because they will outplay the Cougars, just as they have the past five contests. Utah will win because history is on their side, as BYU has won but once in 14 years in their home stadium. Utah will win because their defense is like no other the Cougars have seen this season. Utah will win because I can't fathom a loss and would never enter this with the mindset that it is a losable game. Because it isn't, Utah will win, that's just how it is. Deal with it.

Am I nervous? Hell yeah I am. Every rivalry game makes me nervous, but it's a confident nervous. It's the type of nervous I had heading into the 2004 Holy War -- though I don't expect near the same result. Frankly, Utah has appeared nearly unstoppable over the past seven games. Their closest contest, against TCU, wasn't really all that close. The Utes have won their past three games by a combined score of 105-13, yup, Utah will win.

Not that I'm overlooking BYU, because they're a very good team, but Utah will win. Utah win because last year BYU, with its best team in 10 years, rolled into Salt Lake and played a Utah team with an inconsistent offense, an up and down defense and still barely won. Well this ain't last year's Cougars and surely this ain't last year's Utes. Utah will win.

This Saturday the Utes will leave LaVell Edwards Stadium with a victory, an 8 game winning streak and a possible top-25 ranking. They'll also leave BYU emotionally shattered on their home field, just as they did in 2005. Why? Because Utah will win.

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought I'd give out some costume ideas for those that still haven't purchased their costumes. Enjoy.

Bronco Mendenhall Costume

Accessories: Fake horse poop

Curtis Brown Costume

Accessories: Fake plastic testicles to grab.

Jonny Harline Costume

Accessories: Harline's Cell Kiosk Is Still Open

If any of you happened to catch David Locke today on 1320 KFAN, he discussed how BYU should always roll in the Mountain West and that no team, not even Utah, should come close to competing with them. It's his belief that BYU already has the built in recruiting base with the LDS Church, the finest facilities in the Mountain West and the tradition needed to win big. And while I don't doubt any of that, the notion they should just cruise to conference supremacy is flawed. Flawed because BYU hasn't done that since pretty much the early 1990s.

I feel that the Mountain West is made up of three tiers. Making up tier one is Utah, BYU and TCU, with Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico and Wyoming making up tier 2 and San Diego State, along with UNLV, completing the lower level tier 3. The separation of these teams, in their respective tiers, is negligible, but I do believe the gaps between each level is not. Now while BYU is obviously on the upswing right now and I don't doubt they will beat most teams in the conference, to expect them to win every game every year is unrealistic. Just as unrealistic as it would be to expect the Utes to never lose a conference game again. The Mountain West is not like the WAC, where one team can truly dominate and go a few years without a loss to a conference foe.

The problem with what Locke is suggesting is that he doesn't seem to understand the recent history of BYU football. His opinion on this matter seems to be shaped by a window of excellence that hasn't been repeated since the first George Bush left office. That isn't to say the Cougars aren't good, because they are, but they aren't nearly the consistent force they were in the 1980s. In fact, with the Mountain West as difficult as it is, I don't think they ever could be again. The same goes for both Utah and TCU, as well. What I see for BYU football is pretty much what I see for both Utah and TCU. Years where any of those three teams are on the top and neither three really having poor seasons. It's going to be a consistent battle and in my mind there does not seem to be an edge for BYU, Utah or TCU.

Locke says that BYU, with its ties to the LDS Church, will automatically have an inside advantage to LDS recruits. This is true, but it's absurd to believe that every one of those recruits will turn out to be solid D1-A talent and that they will all automatically choose BYU. In reality, the top LDS talent doesn't nearly break BYU's way as it has in the past. Let's not forget that BYU lost out to USC for the play of Stanley Havili not too long ago. It's happened before and it will happen again. Locke also seems to ignore the fact Utah hasn't done too shabby themselves in the recruiting department. Whether Utah has out recruited BYU recently is pretty subjective, but I would wager the gap between the two isn't as wide as Locke might believe.

The Utes and Cougars have pretty much been neck and neck over the past 15 years for a reason. Neither team has sustained dominance for longer than a couple of seasons and I really don't expect that to change. The Cougars will win their share of conference championships, but I think -- under the right leadership -- Utah will too. BYU will defeat Utah and Utah will defeat BYU. If anyone expects either team to struggle, or play second fiddle to the other for a prolonged time, they need to read up on the rivalry. There is a reason that, outside of 2004, every game these two teams have played together recently has gone down to the final play. That will not change and I expect both Utah and BYU to duke it out in the future for conference championships. That's just the way this rivalry has broken recently and I don't see why it will be any different with Bronco instead of LaVell Edwards.