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Show Thanksgiving 2007 THE RIVALRY Similar-styled coaches draw Edwards' praises Ex-BYUcoach believes both are on track Natalie Dicou STAFF WRITER The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Coke and Pepsi. Letterman and Leno. Kyle Whittingham and Bronco Mendenhall. Some pairs will forever be linked whether they like it or not. They walk parallel paths. These duos can't escape each other because of their analogous places in pop culture history. Mendenhall and Whittingham. Bronco and Kyle. The Beaverturaed-Cougar and the Cougarturned-Ute. When the two coaches eventually hang up their whistles—whether they're fired or have practice facilities named after them—then* legacies will be compared. "There's a lot of similarities to them," said legendary BYU head coach La Veil Edwards, who knows both men well. Whittingham played his college ball for Edwards 25 years ago. "The more you thinlc about it, the more there are a lot of similarities. Their backgrounds, their experiences, their age is pretty close to the same," Edwards saidBoth Whittingham and Mendenhall are former defensive coor- dinators who took over the state's two major football programs in the same year. "They're both no-nonsense guys," Edwards said. "I think they're probably really well-liked by their teams because of their approach. A better word is probably 'respected.'" Both men were exclusively defensive players. Both come from "football families." Both earned masters degrees at the same school where they did their undergraduate work—Whittingham at BYU, Mendenhall at Oregon State. Mendenhall has arguably been more successful because of the perception that he righted a sinking ship while Whittingham took over the Utes at the peak of the program's success. Utah has since not lived up to expectations since he was .named head coach— whether they were realistic or not. Mendenhall went 6-5 in his first year at the helm. He followed that up with a 10-2 campaign. Last year, the Cougars led the nation in home whining margin, blasting opponents by an average of 35 points at La Veil Edwards Stadium. "I think he's done very well," Edwards said. "He's been very fortu- PREVIEW continued from Page J He is strung out past the left hash mark. A Utah defensive back sprints for the BYU backfield. Beck rolls right. Beck sprints toward the right hash mark. Beck plants his back foot, cocks his arm and releases the ball. The BYU quarterback is simultaneously hit by a Utah defender. Beck lofts a throw across his body. The pass hangs in the air headed for the left side of the end zone. Autumn fades into winter, winter melts into spring. BYU tight end Johnny Harline goes to his knees and cradles Beck's pass. Half of Rice-Eccles Stadium is jolted with an eternity's worth of pain. The other half storms the field. Thirteen seconds. Another chapter in the books. What will happen next? Just when it looks as if every story in the rivalry has been told, the next year brings something new. This year is no different. Not since 1993 have BYU and Utah appeared to be so evenly matched. Back then, Utah finished with a 10-2 record and a No. 8 ranking in the coaches' poll. BYU finished 10-3 and ranked No. 10. That year, the "Holy nate to have a couple of good quarterbacks and they've done well and he's kept them healthy." Whittingham went 7-5 in his rookie campaign and then 8-5 in his second season. But Whittingham, Edwards said, has not been lucky with injuries. "It hurt Kyle last year when (Brian) Johnson got hurt and wasn't quite ready early in the year," Edwards said. "I think he's done very well because there's nothing you can do about (injuries). You just have to move on." Edwards believes the two men's coaching styles vary slightly. "They coach offensively maybe a bit differently but not as much as you would think because they both kind of spread it out," Edwards said. "Utah runs a little bit more of an option-oriented attack with their quarterback and they both throw quite a bit. BYU probably throws a little bit more." After almost three years at their respective head coaching posts, Edwards gives both Mendenhall and Whittinghara a positive assessment. "I think they're both excellent coaches," he said. n.dicou@ chronide.utah.edu War" resulted in a 34-31 win for Utah and went down as one of the greatest games in the rivalry series. This season, Utah won't be the underdog. Neither will BYU. Both teams are playing as comprehensively as their capabilities allow, and both teams arc leaning on traits that became the foundation for their respective football programs more than two decades ago. Max Hall has grown into his BYU quarterback roll and has the Cougar offense purring like a welllubricated engine. Darrell Mack's violent runs and the U offensive line have propelled the Utes on the ground. Both teams are playing superior defense. In fact, the two rivals are playing so well on the defensive side of the ball that both rank in the top-20 in the nation in fewest total yards allowed per game. Interestingly, both teams' defensive strengths mirror what the other does well on offense. BYU ranks No. 15 in the country JYlEHCOBB/lht Daily Utoharcnidt University of Utah coadi Kyle Whittingham and Brigham Young University coach Bronco Mendenhall share a similar, no-nonsense coaching style that earns respect from their players. in run defense. Utah's resistance against the aerial attack ranks No. 8. Numbers, rankings and records have never mattered much in this rivalry, so there is no reason to think Saturday's game will be any different. It used to be that whenever the "Battle of the Boot** was decided in Provo, BYU was as safe a bet as money could get. From 1974 to 1991, the Cougars were 10-0 when the "Holy War" was held in their home stadium. Then, in 1993, things flip-flopped. From '93 to the present, Utah has lost just one of the seven BYU-hosted grudge matches. This year, Utah will be looking to pay BYU fans the same heart-sinking blow that the Cougars delivered to Ute fans last year. BYU will be looking to protect its house. Players on both sides know this is the one game that transcends what they do on the field. "This is a big rivalry," Utah offensive lineman Kyle Gunther said. "Probably one of the best rivalries in the country, as far as you cither hate one team or you love one team." Once the pregame prayer has been delivered and the coin is tossed, BYU and Utah will take their respective places on the field, ready to write the rivalry's next chapter. tpizza@ chronicle.utah.edu |
