"This will always be about family. There are others who have ties to Utah and BYU," Tom said. "The sad thing is, fans, not players, make this rivalry ugly. They say things that are nasty to players and coaches. I've seen it at both places. Utah fans can be the worst, but BYU fans are equally guilty — and they're sober.

"At the end of the day, when the games are over, families remain families and loyalty should always be the priority; it is with me and it should be for us all. This is just a game."

Sitake said, in his opinion, Saturday's game will match two of the best football teams to ever face off in this rivalry.

"It is a huge game and it will be close," he said. "It will be competitive because they both have great players whom I respect. I hate to see one of them lose, but one of them will.

"The only way I can look at this is both teams should come out and play their best and the best team should win. That's all you can ask for."

BYU-UTAH RIVALRY WEEK

No. 16 BYU at No. 8 Utah
Saturday, 4 p.m.
Rice-Eccles Stadium
TV: The mtn.;
Radio: 700 AM, 1160 AM, 102.7 FM

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E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com