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The University of Utah Athletics
Photos by Hunter Dyke and Eli Rehmer
Coaches Corner: The Rivalry Returns
11/6/2024 1:52 PM | Football
Ganther, Powell visit with media ahead of Utah-BYU game
SALT LAKE CITY – After three years, it's back.
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Maybe you were there with your family to witness the 20-point, comeback win in 2018. Or the last-second field goal block by Brandon Burton in 2010. Perhaps your ticket stub from 2004 or '08 is framed on the wall at home.
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In 2003, you cranked the heat for the ride up I-15 after Bryan Borrseon etched his name in Utes lore. You jumped out of your seat in '94 when Bronzell Miller had a strip-sack and Luther Elliss covered the loose change to seal the deal. You saw Scott Mitchell go off for almost 400 yards in the '88 finale.
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There has been no shortage of memorable battles in the 101-game history of this rivalry—far too many to name than there is space here. The pendulum has had its swings over the years. And now, for the first time since 2010, it's a conference battle once again.
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Wear your red on Saturday night for Chapter 102.
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"Being in Rice-Eccles is always an added bonus," said head coach Kyle Whittingham. "It's a big home-field advantage for us. We've got a pretty good record at home. Obviously, we haven't done too well the last couple outings, but we love playing in Rice-Eccles in front of our fans. We need them all there early. We're pushing to get that stadium filled well before kickoff."
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Of the rivalry game, Whittingham added, "We're going to have a lot of former players around this week. We'll have former players at the game on our sideline. That is a big part of the preparation, former players explaining (to the current team) what this is all about from a player standpoint."
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Five former Utes now happen to be on the coaching staff and played in this game. Two of them, running backs coach Quinton Ganther and defensive ends coach Lewis Powell, visited with the media this week to share updates on their position groups and look ahead to the Utah-BYU game.
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Running Backs Coach Quinton Ganther
On the run game getting going…
"I feel good about it, because the mindsets of our players have been locked in all week. I'm looking forward to seeing them play and seeing what they can do."
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On Jaylon Glover's performance at Houston…
"It was a good performance. He was efficient. That was the best thing that he could have done (was to) be an efficient runner in that game. He had four carries and he was efficient on three of the four runs that he had. That was what I wanted to see from him."
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On Micah Bernard's leadership…
"(Micah's) done a good job with leadership. He's been taking steps forward and wanting to be a leader. That shows by the team voting him a captain when Cam went down. Kudos to him; he's been doing a good job with that."
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On the team returning to its identity…
"It's a mindset. It has to be them or me. You have to win your one-on-one battles, to not give up on a play if you're not winning your one-on-one battle…We have to win all our battles."
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Defensive Ends Coach Lewis Powell
What does the rivalry mean to you?
"It means a lot. I've been a part of it since 1999. You guys know what the rivalry is—it's a lot of fun. You can get bragging rights for the year or however long until you next play them. It means a lot to us. We're excited for the challenge. It's one of the best teams in the country; one of the best offensive units in the country. You don't want to face the quarterback; he can throw, run, really smart quarterback that is elusive…somebody that makes great decisions and can throw the deep ball. It's an awesome challenge. We're excited for it and we'll see how we stack up with one of the best teams in the country come Saturday."
Â
On physicality…
"I know that upfront, physicality is our calling card. We have to make sure we're physical up front, and if we're not then we're going to get beat down. It's something we work on every single day. We take pride in being physical. Hopefully we get back to that level that people used to fear."
Â
On the Utah-BYU game being in Rice-Eccles this year…
"It's always awesome to play at home, especially this game. It doesn't matter where this game is played; the crowd's going to be crazy. It's a separation of households. I've got family, brothers that coach on that team, family members at home that are wearing a different color. But it's exciting and we're glad that this year it's at home."
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FOLLOW UTAH FOOTBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
Follow along with behind the scenes content and coverage throughout the season on social media through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com. Â
OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF UTAH ATHLETICS – UTAH 360
The official mobile app of Utah Athletics is Utah 360. Download it today to unlock a refreshed game-day experience that offers access to news and information, schedules, rosters, stats and behind-the-scenes videos, and allows fans to buy and manage game tickets and order concessions straight from their mobile device. The app is available in both the Apple Store (download) and Google Play (download). Add it today, access your game tickets and download them to your smartphone's wallet to make yourself game-day ready!
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Maybe you were there with your family to witness the 20-point, comeback win in 2018. Or the last-second field goal block by Brandon Burton in 2010. Perhaps your ticket stub from 2004 or '08 is framed on the wall at home.
Â
In 2003, you cranked the heat for the ride up I-15 after Bryan Borrseon etched his name in Utes lore. You jumped out of your seat in '94 when Bronzell Miller had a strip-sack and Luther Elliss covered the loose change to seal the deal. You saw Scott Mitchell go off for almost 400 yards in the '88 finale.
Â
There has been no shortage of memorable battles in the 101-game history of this rivalry—far too many to name than there is space here. The pendulum has had its swings over the years. And now, for the first time since 2010, it's a conference battle once again.
Â
Wear your red on Saturday night for Chapter 102.
Â
"Being in Rice-Eccles is always an added bonus," said head coach Kyle Whittingham. "It's a big home-field advantage for us. We've got a pretty good record at home. Obviously, we haven't done too well the last couple outings, but we love playing in Rice-Eccles in front of our fans. We need them all there early. We're pushing to get that stadium filled well before kickoff."
Â
Of the rivalry game, Whittingham added, "We're going to have a lot of former players around this week. We'll have former players at the game on our sideline. That is a big part of the preparation, former players explaining (to the current team) what this is all about from a player standpoint."
Â
Five former Utes now happen to be on the coaching staff and played in this game. Two of them, running backs coach Quinton Ganther and defensive ends coach Lewis Powell, visited with the media this week to share updates on their position groups and look ahead to the Utah-BYU game.
Â
Running Backs Coach Quinton Ganther
On the run game getting going…
"I feel good about it, because the mindsets of our players have been locked in all week. I'm looking forward to seeing them play and seeing what they can do."
Â
On Jaylon Glover's performance at Houston…
"It was a good performance. He was efficient. That was the best thing that he could have done (was to) be an efficient runner in that game. He had four carries and he was efficient on three of the four runs that he had. That was what I wanted to see from him."
Â
On Micah Bernard's leadership…
"(Micah's) done a good job with leadership. He's been taking steps forward and wanting to be a leader. That shows by the team voting him a captain when Cam went down. Kudos to him; he's been doing a good job with that."
Â
On the team returning to its identity…
"It's a mindset. It has to be them or me. You have to win your one-on-one battles, to not give up on a play if you're not winning your one-on-one battle…We have to win all our battles."
Â
Â
Defensive Ends Coach Lewis Powell
What does the rivalry mean to you?
"It means a lot. I've been a part of it since 1999. You guys know what the rivalry is—it's a lot of fun. You can get bragging rights for the year or however long until you next play them. It means a lot to us. We're excited for the challenge. It's one of the best teams in the country; one of the best offensive units in the country. You don't want to face the quarterback; he can throw, run, really smart quarterback that is elusive…somebody that makes great decisions and can throw the deep ball. It's an awesome challenge. We're excited for it and we'll see how we stack up with one of the best teams in the country come Saturday."
Â
On physicality…
"I know that upfront, physicality is our calling card. We have to make sure we're physical up front, and if we're not then we're going to get beat down. It's something we work on every single day. We take pride in being physical. Hopefully we get back to that level that people used to fear."
Â
On the Utah-BYU game being in Rice-Eccles this year…
"It's always awesome to play at home, especially this game. It doesn't matter where this game is played; the crowd's going to be crazy. It's a separation of households. I've got family, brothers that coach on that team, family members at home that are wearing a different color. But it's exciting and we're glad that this year it's at home."
Â
Â
FOLLOW UTAH FOOTBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
Follow along with behind the scenes content and coverage throughout the season on social media through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com. Â
OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF UTAH ATHLETICS – UTAH 360
The official mobile app of Utah Athletics is Utah 360. Download it today to unlock a refreshed game-day experience that offers access to news and information, schedules, rosters, stats and behind-the-scenes videos, and allows fans to buy and manage game tickets and order concessions straight from their mobile device. The app is available in both the Apple Store (download) and Google Play (download). Add it today, access your game tickets and download them to your smartphone's wallet to make yourself game-day ready!
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Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballFormer Utah Football Head Coach Urban Meyer inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
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