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Kyle Whittingham may not view the Rumble in the Rockies as a rivalry — not yet, anyway — but Christian Shaver does.
The Colorado defensive end remembers well the atmosphere in a 24-17 loss to the Utes at Rice-Eccles last year, because he was part of the crowd.
"We were the only ones dressed in Colorado clothes," said Shaver, then a standout for Jordan High.
Utah hung on to beat Colorado, with senior Trevor Reilly picking off a Sefo Liufau pass and tossing the ball into the south end zone seats for one of the Utes' most memorable moments in a forgettable season.
Shaver wasn't in pads then, but he wants vengeance.
"It's a rivalry to me, for sure," he said by phone Tuesday.
Even if Colorado doesn't have the hard feelings for Utah that it does for Colorado State, and though the two schools hadn't played each other for 41 years until both joined the Pac-12 in 2011, a win over Utah is the end-all goal right now for the Buffs.
Because it's the end.
Heading into its finale, Colorado has whiffed eight straight times in conference play. While Utah will be playing for its fifth conference win of the season, and momentum heading into a bowl game, Colorado will be playing for its fifth conference win, ever.
There's even more on the line than that, though, said Buffs head coach Mike MacIntyre, who has told his players and media that he views the season finale as a rivalry game.
"It's the last game of the year, we play 'em every single year, we don't rotate," he said on Tuesday's media call. "I don't know if it's a big game for them, but it's a big game for us."
The fact is: Colorado is widely seen as the worst team in the Pac-12 South. Utah is widely seen as the team that's better, at least, than Colorado.
Utah's Clint Shepard said Monday that Utah would prefer a rival with more cachet, but at this point, Pac-12 powers aren't giving the Utes any extra thought.
It's all about perception.
And perception factors into recruiting battles, too, said MacIntyre.
Shaver thought he might redshirt, but he has started as a true freshman and is now listed as the No. 1 backup defensive end, having totaled 17 tackles.
Originally from Phoenix, he chose Colorado over a more vague offer from the U. simply because, he said, the coaching staff showed a greater interest.
Shortly after he committed, he received a call from Utah coaches formalizing their offer, but his mind was already set.
So while he wasn't exactly wooed by Colorado's flashy results, he's on board with MacIntyre: He'd like to change the pecking order at the bottom of the South.
To do that, they have to beat Utah.
Besides, adds Liufau, a potential starter Saturday: Whether it's a rivalry game or not — he seems less excited than MacIntyre and Shaver about the notion — it's enough that it's the last game of the season, against a team that they might have beaten if not for Liufau's late error last year.
"We definitely want to beat Utah, and send our seniors out the right way."
Twitter: @matthew_piper —
Utah at Colorado
O Saturday, 11 a.m.
TV • Pac-12 Network