Ute Stars, Coach Tight Lipped On Rivalry Game Against BYU
Jul 26, 2019, 11:41 AM | Updated: Jul 29, 2019, 12:59 am
HOLLYWOOD, California – Utah players and head coach Kyle Whittingham kept tight lips about their season-opening rivalry game against BYU at this year’s Pac-12 Media Day.
Whittingham did the usual and brushed it off as just another non-conference game. He commented it is nice to lead the season with your non-conference games.
“Last year with the rivalry game being at the end of the season (it) felt weird,” said Whittingham.
He commented that the most important thing about the scheduling of the rivalry game is that the team doesn’t have an interruption in Pac-12 play.
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“Having the rivalry game right out of the gate certainly gets your players’ attention,” Whittingham commented.
Kyle Whittingham discusses opening up against rival BYU. pic.twitter.com/d8KXGdKkPw
— KSL's UnRivaled (@KSLunrivaled) July 26, 2019
Bradlee Anae, senior defensive star for the Utes, said the game means more to the fans than the players so it is fun for them to play it up.
“It’s not as serious as the fans take it,” said Anae.
Back in May, Anae was part of a little disruption on Twitter between Utah and BYU players talking about the rivalry game where he promised to wreck everything…especially BYU.
Especially BYU. https://t.co/MoTg6DeUVd
— Bradlee Anae (@BradleeAnae) May 7, 2019
A few BYU players, including freshman quarterback Zach Wilson responded with things like, “Can’t wait,” and “You’ll see.”
😂 you’ll see https://t.co/tJboVoOrsY
— Zachary Wilson (@zachkapono) May 8, 2019
At Pac-12 Media Day, Anae said, “Us as players we kind of just chuckle at that stuff…I have some friends on BYU… we just laugh at that stuff because at the end of the day we are entertainers.”
Zack Moss, Utah’s star running back, gave a little more when it came to the BYU question. He commented that the Utes have heard the talk.
“We’ve played it in the weight room working out,” said Moss. “The first day of fall camp is about those guys down South.”
. @PresMoss2 on BYU game – "We know what they said, we play it on the speakers in the weight room." @KSLunrivaled @AlexKirryKSL
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 24, 2019
At BYU Media Day, Cougars had a lot to say about Utah and the upcoming rivalry game. Beating Utah was a hot topic among Cougar coaches and players.
“Everybody knows that we should have won that game and everybody knows that we can beat those guys. I think guys are buying in and they don’t want that to happen again. In my four years here, I don’t want to be the last guys who were here four years and never beat those guys. I want to get three straight,” said Wilson.
"I just look at it like we're gonna make Utah kinda pay." Zach Wilson talks about the dynamic of playing against the team he grew up cheering for. #BYUMediaDay pic.twitter.com/ntiVFTJWSm
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 18, 2019
“I am sick of it, I think our team is sick of it, our coaches are sick of it. We are healthy, we are all coming back, we’re fired up. It’s been a goal of ours to beat Utah for this whole off-season,” said BYU linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi.
"We're ready. It's been a long time coming." Isaiah Kaufusi says after coming so close last season, they're ready to beat Utah in the 2019 season opener. #BYUMediaDay pic.twitter.com/BahGsltwQM
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 18, 2019
The Utes take on the Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on August 29, 2019. The Utes have won eight straight games against the Cougars and nine of the last 10 games.
