Utah, BYU football: Everyone's hyped for historic final MWC clash

SALT LAKE CITY — This is supposed to be the last one that matters.

With BYU headed to independent status and Utah ticketed for Pac-12 membership, this afternoon's game at Rice-Eccles Stadium could be the last conference matchup the rivals ever play against one another.

Decades of joint league membership in football will conclude with this season-ending Mountain West Conference clash. However, thanks to undefeated TCU, there are no championship implications.

Does it matter? Not really.

Utah's biggest sporting event has much more than a title riding on it each year.

"Definitely. The winner wins the state pretty much, has bragging rights for the whole rest of the year," said Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn. "And with what's going on next year, it's a good lift-off."

Impending changes, however, likely won't alter the passion associated with the series.

"The game itself carries so much weight anyway, I don't think it would matter if we were in the same conference, different conferences," said BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall. "I think the tradition of the game holds enough regardless of what other things you add to it.

"It will be interesting to play it earlier in the year from now on. That will be quite a bit different. How that affects the rivalry, it will be hard to say."

This will be the last November meeting between the Cougars and Utes. Because of Pac-12 scheduling rules, the rivals will meet in September starting next season.

"Every game matters and this series goes on," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "Now it's going to be in a different time slot which will give it, definitely, a different feel. But it'll continue on — at least in the near future."

As for the present, players from both sides are looking forward to the matchup.

Utah center Zane Taylor, a team captain, acknowledged it's a perfect "Senior Day" scenario. Taylor and 17 others will be honored in pregame ceremonies.

"This is my last big game to play in front of my family and friends here at Rice-Eccles," he said. "There is nothing better than being able to play my last game, Senior Day here at Rice-Eccles, against BYU. It's going to be great."

The Utes, he added, vow to be ready.

So, too, do the Cougars.

True freshman quarterback Jake Heaps is eager for the challenge.