Rout remains fresh for BYU

It has been a long year for Brigham Young, waiting for a chance at redemption after being routed by rival Utah.

The No. 25 Cougars (2-0) get their shot Saturday in Salt Lake City. The game is being televised at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 (Cable 31).

The Utes blasted BYU
54-10 last Sept. 17 in Utah's most lopsided win in the series in 88 years. BYU turned the ball over seven times and surrendered 47 unanswered points after leading 10-7 late in the first half.

"At the end of the day the scoreboard tells the truth," senior linebacker Brandon Ogletree said. "That day they beat us by 44 points. That day they were a better football team. We don't believe they are a better football team now. We feel we have something to prove."

Since that defeat, the Cougars have won 11 of 12 games, including the Armed Forces Bowl. But the 54-10 thrashing remains fresh in their minds.

"It's big. It's a big game. We just can't make it bigger than it is," senior quarterback Riley Nelson said. "The challenge will be to stay cool, calm and collected and play our game in a hostile environment."

■ RIVAL REVERSAL - In many ways, the teams' circumstances are flipped from last year.

Utah had the better defensive rankings in 2011. Now, BYU is ranked higher in total defense (BYU No. 10, Utah No. 15) and run defense (BYU No. 12, Utah No. 31).

On Saturday, it will be the Utes (1-1) who are breaking in a young offensive coordinator. Brian Johnson, 25, the youngest offensive coordinator in the country, will call his first game in the rivalry.

Last year, BYU's Brandon Doman admitted to significant struggles during his debut season.

Most notably, Utah, not BYU, has major quarterback issues. While the Cougars are finally settled at the position with Nelson, the Utes are debating whether to play senior Jon Hays or freshman Travis Wilson in the wake of starter Jordan Wynn's season-ending injury against Utah State.

The venue is different, too, with the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

"Love it. Love it," Ogletree said. "Love their fans. Love the hostility. It's a great environment to play in. It's a pleasure to be up there."

■ CONTAINING WHITE - Utah is 9-0 when running back John White rushes for 100 yards. He was held to 97 in last week's loss at Utah State. BYU contained White to nine yards rushing in the first half last year in Provo, but he broke loose for 165 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.

■ STREAKS - Utah is 52-31-4 against BYU, including victories in seven of the last 10 meetings. However, BYU is
20-14 against the Utes since 1978 and 10-1 in the last 11 meetings when the Cougars start a senior at quarterback.

■ SERIES ENDING? - Saturday is the last scheduled game in Salt Lake City. The teams play in Provo next season, then the rivalry takes a break for at least two years. BYU and Utah have played every year since 1946. The teams competed in the same conference for 113 years until 2011, when BYU went independent and Utah joined the Pac-12.

Dave McCann is a news anchor for KSL television in Salt Lake City and is the play-by-play voice for BYU sports on BYUtv. He is also the host of True Blue, which airs Monday nights at 5:30 on BYUtv. Dave can be reached at dmccann@ksl.com or on twitter @DaveMcCannKSL.