Utah’s schedule included three teams that ended the season ranked in the College Football Playoff Top 25, and the Utes beat two of them – No. 14 MI and No. 15 OR (with the 62 points racked up by Utah being the most points ever scored by an opponent in Autzen Stadium).
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This time, however, the game itself will take place almost 400 miles away…in Las Vegas.
Both coaches are familiar with Las Vegas because of previous trips here to play UNLV or in the Las Vegas Bowl. On top of the heat of the rivalry, BYU players will surely be playing with extra fire to win one last game for their highly respected coach. “It’s going to be an electric atmosphere at the 24th edition of our game on December 19”. BYU had accepted an invitation to the game, days earlier. Utah leads the overall series 54-31-4 and won the last contest by a 20-13 tally in Provo in 2013. “Through our past experience, we know that the people involved with the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl will provide a wonderful experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans”.
They ranked as high as No. 3 in the polls after winning their first six games of the season.
On December 19, 2015, the Cougars will be playing their rivals, the University of Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. “We have a great history and relationship with Las Vegas”. “BYU-Utah is one of the great rivalries in college football”.
In a news release, the headline stated, “Pac-12 Sends Record 10 Teams To Bowl Games”. BYU is playing without Taysom Hill, Jamaal Williams and friends. We are extremely excited to be able to relive this rivalry.
BYU senior tight end/defensive end Remington Peck added: “There is an emotion with this game that is indescribable and I wouldn’t want it any other way”. Bowl officials announced the inclusion of BYU, which went 9-3 on the season, last week.
Others said the Utes wouldn’t want to play BYU since Utah might feel like it would have too much to lose and too little to gain in that matchup.
Fans of both teams have been vocal on social media in expressing both excitement and disappointment about the matchup.
You better believe the loser of the bowl game will have a lot of motivation to get ready for the rematch next September.
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Utah will make its fifth Las Vegas Bowl appearance and its second straight. Utah finished the season tied for first-place in the Pac-12 South division, losing a head-to-head tiebreaker to USC for the right to appear in the conference championship game.
