BYU football: Players would like rivalry to be friendlier

PROVO — As BYU linebacker Matt Bauman trudged off the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium last November, a delirious Utah fan accosted him and threw a cup of beer in his face, Bauman says.

As if losing to the arch-rival Utes, 48-24, and watching them celebrate an outright Mountain West Conference championship, an undefeated record and a Bowl Championship Series berth weren't hard enough to endure, an unwanted alcoholic-beverage shower made the whole experience even worse.

To Bauman, that's just another example of how, for some, the BYU-Utah rivalry has turned nasty.

"The last couple of years it's gotten a little over the top, I think," Bauman said Monday. "It's a little too bitter. There's too much bitterness. The fun thing is, it's a really intense rivalry. A lot of schools around the country don't have that. They don't have the opportunity to have an intense rivalry week. It should be something that's fun, fun for the fans and something they can talk about. But it's gotten kind of bitter and more hateful, I think."

Bauman, a Skyline High product, grew up around the rivalry. In fact, he and his family used to be Utah fans — "My whole family has converted to the Y.," he explained — and his wife attended the U.

Bauman has fond memories as a youngster of friends and families exchanging good-natured banter and making friendly wagers based on the outcome of the annual grudge match.

But recalling last year's antics, which he called "stupid stuff," Bauman expressed his frustration over a lack of sportsmanship and decorum on the part of some fans.

"None of that needs to happen," he said. "There's always going to be a winner and loser. Celebrate the winner and get ready for the next year's game. On the field, it's always a physical, tough game. There's talk, as there is with any team, and maybe more emotion and more intensity because it's a rivalry. But that's how it should be. I think sometimes the fans get a little too over-involved, but that's just my opinion."

Cougar defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen, whose older brother played for Utah, has also been on both sides of the rivalry. When it comes to the off-the-field antagonism between fans, Jorgensen said that's "something I definitely wish didn't exist."

A year ago, there were reports of BYU fans being taunted and heckled unmercifully while walking from the parking lot to Rice-Eccles Stadium.