Reasons why BYU students are rooting for a rival this weekend
Nov 22, 2024, 5:00 AM | Updated: 4:56 pm
Fans fly flags before a game between the University of Utah Utes and the Brigham Young University Cougars held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah — BYU students will do anything to keep the hope alive for their football team to make it to the Big 12 Championship Game. And that includes cheering for a University of Utah win this weekend.
It’s a big weekend. Wins and losses will determine who remains eligible for the Big 12 Championship Game.
Deciding factors this weekend
Today, BYU, Colorado, Arizona State, and Iowa State are at the top of the conference leaderboard. All are well within reach of the championship title.
But, Colorado and BYU are the only two teams that could seal their spot in the championship game this weekend.
Related: Utah police arrest suspect accused of throwing a water bottle at BYU cheer coach
The Cougars and Buffalos have only one conference loss this season, making both of their conference records 6-1. Arizona State and Iowa State have two conference losses and a 5-2 conference standing.
Therefore, the Cougars would need a win against Arizona State and a Utah win over Iowa State to secure a head-to-head win over Arizona State. That scenario would also give BYU a two-game conference lead over Iowa State.
Colorado needs a win against Kansas. The Buffs also need BYU and Utah to win, to secure their championship spot.
Root for a rival?
And therein lies the rub for BYU fans. They must ask themselves if a championship spot is worth rooting for their rival.
“I guess if BYU benefits from it, then sure why not,” said freshman Tate Young.
“I think I would [root for Utah] just for that reason,” said junior Kylie Miles. “Because I love BYU and I bleed blue, so I would totally support Utah just so we could make it.”
BYU junior Hudson Nelson believes it’s a necessary evil.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend right?” he said.
Students are confident in a BYU win this weekend
Campus morale plummeted after the Cougar’s loss to Kansas at LaVell Edwards Stadium last weekend. But they’re still keeping their heads held high.
“I’m still getting over it,” said Young. “It’s tough, but I believe we can bounce back.”
Students say several mistakes were made throughout the game that they hope will be fixed this weekend. They noted time management, choosing better play calls, converting in the red zone, and smarter throws by quarterback Jake Retzlaf as examples of mistakes.
But not all students believe the loss was a bad thing.
“I think the team became a little overconfident,” said Nelson. “I think that the scare here kind of shocks us back in… This is kind of the wake-up call that we needed.”
Overall, BYU students understand the importance of a win against Arizona State this weekend. But they’re confident the Cougars will pull through.
BYU kicks off against Arizona State at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Utah faces Iowa State in Salt Lake with a 5:30 kickoff.
