BYU Seals Bowl Eligibility; Utah Utes Up Next in Holy War

The BYU Cougars have fought back from a 1-4 start to the season and are now bowl eligible.

Next up—the Holy War.

What looked like a laugher in Utah’s favor just a month ago now figures to be a hard-fought game between two equally talented teams.

After four wins over the bottom of the barrel in the Mountain West, this is the game that will show just how far the Cougars have come since their last loss, which occurred on the road at TCU on October 16th and left them staring at a 2-5 record.

The Utes needed a come-from-behind 38-34 victory over San Diego State on Saturday to avoid going oh-fer in its last three games after starting the season 8-0.

Meanwhile, the Cougars easily dispatched New Mexico 40-7 to win their fourth straight and their fifth in their last six games.

What’s on the line?

A second-place finish behind BCS candidate TCU.

With a win by the Cougars, both teams would finish 6-2 in their final seasons in the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars, however, would lay claim to the second-place slot based on head-to-head results.

A bid to the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas may also be on the line. There is some question as to whether the bowl would invite a 7-5 BYU over a 9-3 Utah, especially since it would be the sixth straight trip to Las Vegas for the Cougars.

However, there are three factors in the Cougars’ favor if they were to come off victorious on Saturday.

First, BYU would have won the head-to-head battle with the Utes. Second, they would come into the bowl season with momentum and on a five-game winning streak, while the Utes would enter the postseason in a 1-3 slump.

Third, when considering ticket sales, the Las Vegas Bowl committee would have to take into consideration the relative enthusiasm of the two fanbases to be in Vegas.

You would have to assume that, with where the two programs have come from this season, BYU fans would be much more energized and excited about being in Las Vegas this year than Utah fans, who just three weeks ago had dreams of going to the program's third BCS bowl game in the last seven years.

Of course, all of this talk of going bowling in Vegas hinges on TCU getting that BCS bid.

Bragging rights are always on the line in this rivalry, and perhaps even more so this year as both programs head off in different directions, Utah to the Pac-12 and BYU to independence. This will be the final time that this game has conference implications in this historic rivalry.

Recent history says it will be tight

For the most part this game has been a nail-biter over the last decade or so. In fact, 11 of the last 13 contests between the Blue and the Red have been decided by seven points or less.

BYU has won three of the last four over their hated rivals by a total of just 12 points. Each victory was a thrilling, last-moment win that will go down in the lore of the Holy War.

In 2006, the Cougars won 33-31 on the “Answered Prayer” from John Beck to Jonny Harline.

In 2007, Max Hall completed a miracle throw to Austin Collie on a 4th-and-18 play to keep the winning drive alive for BYU as they defeated the Utes 17-10.

Hall again came through for BYU last year, hitting Andrew George for a touchdown in overtime to lift the Cougars to a 26-23 win.

We will be taking a close look at the key matchups in the game as the week progresses. As for now you can sit back and enjoy reliving the last three BYU wins in this series.

2006: The Answered Prayer, or Harline is Still Open

2007: 4th-and-18, or Miracles Happen

2009: George Is Still Running, or Max Hates Me