The no. 14 Utah Utes and BYU Cougars will both begin the 2019 college football season by facing their biggest rival. These two in-state rivals will collide at 10:15 EST on Thursday, August 29, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. Fans can watch the game on ESPN.
Based on the Week 1 college football odds, the Utes are 5-point favorites on the road. The over/under for the game is currently set at 48 points.
Expectations are high for Utah heading into the 2019 season. Last season, the Utes won a rather mediocre Pac-12 South division, taking them to the league’s championship game for the first time since joining the Pac-12 in 2011. Despite losing in the Pac-12 Championship Game and the Holiday Bowl to finish 9-5 and outside the top-25, the Utes will be expected to take another step forward this year.
As the only team in the Pac-12 South that’s ranked in the preseason polls, Utah is the clear favorite to repeat as South division champs and return to the conference title game. Obviously, their game against BYU won’t have any bearing on whether they win the Pac-12. But aside from wanting to win a rivalry game, the Utes have a favorable schedule that could allow them to sneak into the College Football Playoff conversation if they can avoid an early-season loss.
Meanwhile, BYU is trying to work their way into the national spotlight. A 4-9 campaign in 2017 was a huge step backward for the Cougars. However, going 7-6 last season, including a bowl win, was a big step in the right direction. Head coach Kalani Sitake is hoping to build off that in his fourth season as the head coach at his alma mater.
The Cougars are also staring down the barrel of a brutal September schedule. After hosting Utah, they have games against Tennessee, USC, and Washington in consecutive weeks. A loss in their season opener could put the Cougars on a path toward starting 0-4. Such a scenario would make it difficult for them just to reach a bowl game this season.
There’s also the tiny matter of this being a massive rivalry in the state of Utah. Dubbed as The Holy War, this is one of the most fierce rivalries in college football. It’s rare that these two schools open the season against one another, especially since they ended last year’s regular-season against one another. Utah won that game 35-27, which was their eighth straight win over BYU, a streak the Cougars are desperate to stop.
Between this being a season opener for both teams and a rivalry game, it’s not easy to make a pick. On the one hand, there’s a lot to like about Utah heading into the season. They are worthy of being Pac-12 South favorites. On the other hand, I think BYU is being undervalued ahead of the season. The Cougars are also at home, which should give them a lift. I’m not sure if BYU can pull off the upset. But this looks like a game that could be decided by a field goal, so I like the Cougars to at least beat the spread.
The one thing that gives Utah a huge advantage is the return of quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss. Utah beat BYU last November despite both players missing the game due to injury. Both are healthy now and could be the two biggest difference-makers on the field. Huntley had the Utah offense humming last October right before he got hurt while Moss has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons.
However, the BYU defense has a chance to be a top-20 caliber defense this year. They were no. 18 nationally in total defense a year ago and bring back most of their starters. The Cougars have good size on the defensive line, which should help to keep Moss and the Utah rushing attack from dominating the game. The BYU secondary should also be much-improved from last season. They won’t be able to shut down the Utah offense completely, but the Cougars should limit the number of big plays they give up.
Meanwhile, the wild card in this game is BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. He sparked the BYU offense as a freshman last season when he replaced senior Tanner Mangum in the middle of the season. With a little experience and more practice time under his belt, Wilson could be poised for a breakout campaign. The BYU rushing attack should also be much improved with the addition of South Carolina grad transfer Ty’Son Williams. If the Cougars can bring a little more balance to their offense, they’ll have a chance to move the ball against a Utah defense that will be introducing new players at linebacker and in the secondary.
To be fair, I’m not sure if an upset is in the cards for the Cougars. But I think the BYU defense can keep them in the game and I think the BYU offense will find a way to score some points. The Cougars have enough to make this game close in the 4th quarter, so I’ll take my chances on them losing but beating the spread.