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Posted at 10:00 AM EST. 

Utah -7 over BYU

LaVell Edwards Stadium -- Provo, Utah

Streaming: ESPN

10:15 PM EST. The Utes are coming off a 40-17 dismantling of Weber State, but they are not getting much market respect for that win against a nothing opponent. Not that one would expect they would after a Week 1 full of high profile matchups between name-brand programs. While the 23-point win was big, it was not enough for Utah to cover the 29-point spread. When one does not cover, one does not make friends in this market. However, a closer observation of that game script shows that the Utes took their foot off the gas after scoring on its first three drives of the game and taking a 40-10 lead with half the fourth quarter to go. A late Weber State major would sneak them through the back door for the cover, but that should serve us well here. You see, the Utes offense is like a fine automobile. They were not trying to blow the Wildcats off the line in Week 1, at least not on purpose. You don't think the Utes would give away any of their good shit with the Holy War on deck, do you? In reality, coach Kyle Whittingham was just taking the car for a test ride to see what he's got. A 50/50 mix of run and pass is not what Whittingham spoke of in the offseason when he said the Utes would blow it open in the passing game here in 2021. Do not be surprised if the coach has a few tricks up his sleeve.

The Cougars of BYU toppled Arizona 24-16, picking up their first Power Five win of the season. This is a big year for the Cougars, as they were auditioning for a potential move to a Power Five conference themselves. With Texas and Oklahoma on the move to the SEC, there was going to be some fallout in the Big 12. Well, just yesterday, the Big 12 voted to bring BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF into the fold. The Cougs will begin play in the Big 12 in 2023-24. As an independent, the Cougars move does not have much of a negative impact but then again, it might, as yesterday was not a football game but it was a victory and now they’ll have to temper their excitement in preparation for a very tough opponent. The impact may indeed be negative.

The Holy War has been hotly contested as of late, with eight of the last 10 games in this rivalry being decided by eight points or less. With that in mind, this converted touchdown might look like a steep hill for the Utes to climb. We humbly disagree. This is not the same 11-1 BYU team as last year. Not even close. The Cougs lost a lot of players including their amazing college QB and their coach. The Cougars played mistake-free football against Arizona with Jaren Hall leaning hard on his top target, Neil Pau'u. Pau'u racked up eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Dude doesn't have eyes for anybody else. You don't think the Utes saw that game tape? Of course they did. BYU is not in the same class as Utah.

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