If you pass through Guardsman Way on a typical Utah game day, you’ll find hundreds of boisterous fans adorned in Ute red and black, celebrating another college football Saturday under a tailgate tent.

Grills sizzle with hot dogs and hamburgers. Smokers cook up brisket and ribs. If you hang around long enough, you may even catch a hint of beer.

This Saturday could look a little different, however, with No. 3 Utah set to take on in-state rival No. 9 BYU at 10 a.m. MST in Salt Lake City.

It will be the Utes’ first 10 a.m. game since they lost to Texas Tech a year ago at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utes and Cougars haven’t had a 10 a.m. kick since 1996.

“I think my reaction first was, ‘Oh great, we’re not going to have to watch the first quarter on ESPNews. We’ll be able to have it be the first thing on the air,” Utah fan Stuart Spencer told The Salt Lake Tribune.

His second thought? “OK, what does that do to the tailgate?”

Heck, even BYU head coach Kalani Sitake believes that will be one of the biggest adjustments.

“It’s more of an adjustment for the fans to get up,” Sitake said. “I mean, it’s early tailgate, and I think the menu is probably more breakfast stuff, [but] I like ribs any time of day, even in the morning.”

So what will the tailgate scene look like on Saturday morning?

Spencer and his tailgate group have concocted a plan. They’ll arrive the night before and spend the night on Guardsman Way like giddy kids on Christmas Eve.

Their group has a trailer, but if there’s not enough room, tents and sleeping bags will be at the ready.

“I’m calling it the breakfast bowl because it’s going to be an awesome time to grab a little bit of French toast before we dive into lunchtime,” Spencer said.

“We’ll get to the tailgate about 5 or 6 a.m. to get everything rolling. We want to get into our seats by 9 a.m., though. You’ll probably see fans have a little fun Friday night and into Saturday morning.”

Some fellow tailgaters — like Utah fan Drew Watson — aren’t as keen on the campout. But the breakfast? He’s in for that.

“We’ll do coffee, donuts and breakfast,” Watson said. “And we’ll hang out at the tailgate for a little bit, and then we plan on getting in once the gates open at 8:30.”

Will fans have the beers flowing in the morning, too?

“We’re a mixed tailgate, so we do have alcohol, but we also have non-drinkers, so we will have beer,” Watson said. “My guess is it’ll probably be for after the game.

“Before the game, for me, it’s just coffee. Let’s just get energy, wake up, and get in there. But I do hope some people start drinking and get a little rowdy.”

The early game is also causing restaurants and bars to make adjustments, with many opening their doors early on Saturday for the game.

“It kind of makes for a longer day, which is good for business,” Beer Bar co-owner Duncan Burrell said. “Luckily, we can open at 10.”

Beer Bar will be open and serving alcohol immediately — which may be a rarity on Saturday morning. Beer Bar has a “club license,” which allows it to serve alcohol at 10 a.m.

At restaurants with liquor licenses, fans may have to wait until 10:30 a.m. for alcohol service.

Burrell doesn’t think the early start will impact the crowd size at Beer Bar too much.

“I do expect it to be busy,” Burrell said. “I’ve taken a few calls about it already. I’m kind of expecting that people who can’t get in will want to have that camaraderie and fan experience.”

While the start time has been widely panned by fans of both BYU and Utah, some have seen the upside of an early kick.

For one, Watson can get home at a “decent time” rather than 2:30 a.m., as he does after late-night starts.

And there may be more eyes on the game this way. Spencer said he’s excited for the East Coast to check out the BYU-Utah rivalry game — even if it means the Utes won’t have the perceived Rice-Eccles night game advantage.

“I’d prefer an early kickoff, so that way the East Coast can actually get to see these two brands go at it,” Spencer said. “For a normal game, I’m all in for an 8:15 kick because then we’ve got an all-day tailgate, and that’s always a blast. That’s a good Saturday. So I think it really just kind of depends on the scenario.”

Now all Watson and Spencer want is a Utah win.

“This should really be a weekend where we’re celebrating some great football,” Spencer said. “Both teams are in the top 10. So I just think from a fan perspective, there’s never been a better time.”