More commonly known as the Holy War, BYU and No. 22 Utah get to take on each other for the first time since 2013. Other than a brief period during World War II, this matchup has existed since 1922. However, with Utah joining the Pac-12 and BYU becoming and independent, they haven't played in two years. Thankfully, the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl gets to renew the rivalry and everything you need to know from where to live stream it, the betting lines, a preview and prediction are below.
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC
Live Stream: ABC Live
Location: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
Betting Lines: -2.5 Utah; 52 O/U
The Holy War has been one of college football's great traditions. With the new Star Wars movie coming out, "The Force Awakens," many are calling this game "The Holy War Awakens." Suffice to say, it's been missed since the 2013 edition.
Seven of the past nine games between these two teams have come down to the end, with the final scores being separated by seven or less points, and has gone to overtime twice. However, BYU has only won three of them. All-time, Utah leads the series 57-34-4.
This year, though, both of these programs are 9-3. Utah has beaten teams like Michigan, Oregon and Arizona State while BYU has taken down the likes of Boise State and Cincinnati. Obviously, the Utes' wins are a bit more impressive and their schedule has no doubt been tougher playing in a Power 5 conference. But this type of rivalry and the history that these two teams share usually leads to exciting games. And in the first-ever bowl game matchup for these two schools, it makes the event even more special.
BYU:
The Cougars are an extremely balanced team overall. Defensively, they have a top-50 ranked unit against both the run and the pass. They're just a solid defense overall. Offensively, they have 24 touchdowns through the air and 26 on the ground.
BYU is led by an impressive freshman quarterback, Tanner Mangum. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound signal caller has 21 TDs to only seven INTs, and has completed over 62 percent of his passes for over 3,000 yards. He's mobile enough in the pocket to keep plays alive and has a good understanding of the game at a young age, which will help him in this one.
Utah:
Utah, meanwhile, isn't the most balanced team ever. But what the Utes do well, they do very well. On the year, they have a top-10 defense against the run. While the pass defense has been all that great, ranking near the 100-mark in all of college football, they are a team that can make you one-dimensional.
Ultimately, the best way to describe their defense is opportunistic. They force teams to pass the ball, and then take advantage of mistakes. Nineteen (19!) interceptions for any defense any year is quite a bit. That's impressive. They also have 10 fumbles recoveries, and that means they've forced nearly three turnovers per game on average.
Prediction:
Ultimately, this Holy War will come down to the freshman Mangum. If he can take care of the football and still find a way to make plays when they're presented, the Cougars have a shot. So for a prediction, the question you have to ask yourself is, is this kid for real?
From what I've seen, he is.
Final Score: BYU 27, Utah 24
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