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BYU Cougars vs. Utah Utes
The BYU Cougars and Utah Utes seasons did not go as planned, but they can still get to a nice bowl game by knocking the other off in the regular season finale between the rivals in the game played Saturday evening from Provo.
The teams from the state of Utah are ranked 18th and 22nd respectively, but they were both ranked higher in the preseason, but bowed out earlier in a conference in which one loss is damaging to their national pedigree.
Both dropped their first game of the season on September 13 with BYU (9-2, 6-1) being shellshocked at home by, what turned out to be, an average Florida State tam, 54-28 while Utah (9-2, 6-1) saw the nation’s second longest winning streak snapped at 14 with a 31-24 loss in Oregon.
While the TCU Horned Frogs have, deservedly, garnered their share of headlines from the Mountain West, the two teams plugged away and both dropped a second game, both to TCU, along the way.
The Horned Frogs are heavily favored in their game with New Mexico this weekend and if they do the expected and win, the winner of Saturday’s game between the BYU Cougars and the Utes will likely head to the Las Vegas Bowl on December 22 with the loser heading to San Diego for the December 23 Poinsettia Bowl.
The BYU Cougars come into the game the hotter of the squads, winners of three straight after a 38-21 home victory over Air Force last Saturday with quarterback Max Hall passing for a season-best 377 yards and five touchdowns.
With the win, Hall officially clinched his place in the BYU record books, winning his 30th career game at the school, passing Ty Detmer’s 29 victories for most in school history.
Hall may have his hands much more full with Utah’s 15th ranked defense against the pass, allowing 176.4 yards per game. That defense made Hall turn the ball over six times in last year’s 48-24 loss. He threw a career-high five interceptions and lost a fumble in the loss.
Utah is coming off a 38-7 drubbing of San Diego State last week, with all 38 of their points coming in the first half.
Utah has won five of the last meetings with BYU and also five of the last road meetings with the Cougars. The Utah Utes are also perfect in three games when both teams are ranked.
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