Growing up in Salt Lake, I used to attend Utah-BYU games, but don't have clear memories of any until the 1972 game.

This was back in the days when the Utah vs. BYU game wasn't nearly the big deal it is now. There was no weeklong hype, usually just a single article in the paper the day before and one or two the day after.

Utah's biggest rival was still Utah State, even though the Aggies were no longer in the same conference. It was also a much more competitive rivalry than Utah-BYU, with the Utes holding a commanding 38-5-4 edge in the series heading into the 1972 game in Salt Lake.

After losing three games to the Cougars in the mid-60s, the Utes had come back to win four straight, including a last-minute victory the year before in Provo on a Marv Bateman field goal. There was no reason to think things would be any different in 1972.

Utah came into the Nov. 18 game with just a 5-4 record, but with a 4-1 league record, the Utes were on the verge of their first WAC title and a possible berth in the new Fiesta Bowl. They just needed a win over BYU and one the following week over Colorado State to claim a piece of the title and a bowl berth.

The Cougars came into the game with a matching 5-4 record, but were just 3-2 in the WAC and out of the running for the title.

The concern coming into the game was the health of each team's quarterback. Utah's Don Van Galder had injured his shoulder a week earlier against Utah State, while BYU's Dave Terry had a cast taken off his hand the day before.

The game wasn't well-played — there were 14 fumbles in the game and Utah had four passes intercepted from its reserve quarterbacks. BYU led 9-7 in the fourth quarter and an apparent touchdown run by Utah's Steve Odom on a punt return was called back by clipping.

In the end, the Cougars escaped with a 16-7 upset victory.

Oh, did I mention, that BYU was led by a little-known first-year coach who had been an undistinguished high school coach at Granite High in Salt Lake a few years earlier, a guy by the name of LaVell Edwards?

I didn't realize it at the time, nor did anyone, but that game in 1972 was the start of something special. It was the first of many victories for BYU over Utah, 19 of the next 21 years to be exact.

The Utah-BYU rivalry would never be the same.

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E-mail: sor@desnews.com

I didn't realize it at the time, nor did anyone, but that game in 1972 was the start of

something special.