This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Some irony comes into play with this week's games involving Utah's FBS programs. What is logical about Utah and Utah State meeting for the last scheduled time, while BYU and Boise State are booked to play every year through 2023?
The further irony is that USU appears to have played its way off Utah's schedule by getting good. Something will be lost in the coming years when the Utes are playing home-and-home series with San Jose State and Northern Illinois instead of USU. But here's the thing: Having invested a lot of words in campaigning for the future of the Utah-BYU series, I can't say that Utah-USU carries anywhere near the same statewide impact.
By winning in 2012 after a two-year break in the series and coming really close in 2013, the Aggies have restored some competitiveness to a rivalry that was a joke for about 25 years. Utah's domination included three wins in Logan by a 154-16 total in this century. This decade's games have been fun, though, and it's too bad that the series will become only intermittent at best after Friday. But I do understand Utah's dilemma with three annual nonconference slots and two historic in-state rivals. I can't make the Utes play BYU and USU every year. It should happen once in a while, though.
As for Friday's game, USU quarterback Chuckie Keeton and his offense will have a tough time producing the 27 (in overtime) and 26 points they posted against Utah in 2012 and '13. Just to score 17 points last week, Michigan needed some help from a Ute penalty to keep a touchdown drive alive and then added a late TD after the Ute offense missed an opportunity to run out the clock.
And the Ute defense should improve, with the anticipated return of cornerback Dominique Hatfield. His reinstatement this week, no matter what USU receiver Hunter Sharp tweeted, is not ironic. Ute coach Kyle Whittingham has handled Hatfield's situation properly from the start, when he indefinitely suspended the player amid a felony charge. Once that charge was dropped, the level of discipline was left up to Whittingham.
To say that Hatfield was suspended for one game is technically accurate, but misleading. He didn't practice in August, which makes his punishment significantly greater than just missing a game. Sharp, meanwhile, has practiced with the Aggies, after two-game suspensions for him and two teammates were announced.
Having said that, I credit USU Matt Wells for the integrity it took to enforce a two-game suspension for the undisclosed violation of team rules. It would have been convenient for Wells to say that one game was sufficient punishment, considering the second game is at Utah. The Aggies missed Sharp while failing to produce an offensive touchdown in a 12-9 win over Southern Utah in Logan, and they'll have a tough time scoring in Salt Lake City.
Imagine if Utah's Andy Phillips kicks a winning field goal against USU — about 24 hours after his sister, Bizzy, delivered the winning goal as BYU beat USU 1-0 in women's soccer. But this football game shouldn't be that close.
The pick • Utah 27, Utah State 13.
BYU vs. Boise State • Compared with Utah-Utah State, Saturday's game in Provo is much more difficult to analyze. I have conflicting images of how BYU dominated Boise State in Provo in 2013 and how the Broncos shredded BYU's defense in Boise last October. And then there's the variable of how BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum will perform in his first start against a defense that held Jake Browning, Washington's celebrated freshman QB, to 150 passing yards last week.
Then again, the Broncos were fortunate to escape with a 16-13 victory, when Washington missed a field-goal try that could have forced overtime. What's interesting to me is how the vibe about Mangum in Provo is so positive as he replaces the injured Taysom Hill, compared with the sense of doom that accompanied Christian Stewart's ascent to the position when Hill was hurt last October.
Undoubtedly, a lot of it has to do with Mangum's rally at Nebraska, topped by his last-second, game-winning pass to Mitch Mathews. Yet if that Hail Mary had fallen incomplete, Mangum would have gone 6 of 11 for 69 yards — and those statistics included the fourth-down, up-for-grabs pass that Nick Kurtz caught for a 38-yard gain.
That's not to dismiss the poise and athletic ability Mangum showed in both the second and fourth quarters as he replaced Hill. But when you remember that BYU also is missing running back Jamaal Williams this season, the offense's challenge becomes greater — especially this month, as Mangum faces the Bronocs, UCLA and Michigan.
It probably is good that Boise State is coming to Provo this year, as opposed to Mangum facing the Broncos near his hometown of Eagle, Idaho. That might have created too much pressure for his first start. Even in Provo, pulling off a win will be difficult.
The pick • Boise State 21, BYU 20.
Twitter: @tribkurt