BYU, Utah Ute football: A win, by George — BYU is the champion of the state

PROVO — It wasn't 1984. No national championship was on the line. No big-time bowl game, either.

Try convincing the BYU Cougars and Utah Utes of that.

This year, every year, it's for the championship.

"It's the championship game of the state," said BYU safety Andrew Rich. "That's the caliber of game it is."

So lock another one in the vault. Store it alongside Beck-to-Harline, Hall-to-Collie, Ratliff-to-LaTendresse, the Doman Dive, the Kaneshiro Clank and, of course, 34-31.

These guys never take a breather.

BYU quarterback Max Hall connected with Andrew George in overtime on Saturday to give the Cougars a 26-23 win in the annual rivalry. If there was anything on the line, it would be hard to quantify — other than, of course, the state championship, which has become one huge deal.

Screw up against Florida State or Oregon, melt down against TCU, and people will forget.

Lose the BYU-Utah game, it stays with you for life.

"Each time the game comes to this, each time I think I'm getting a handle on it, I'm not," said BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall.

It gets weird. And tight. And ugly. A couple of million people in Utah, and more outside the state, start feeling short of breath. Does this thing always have to come down to that?

"Always feels like it," said BYU defensive end Jan Jorgensen.

While Mendenhall has been accused of not infusing enough emotion into his team, he wasted no chances on Saturday. The Cougars showed up for warm-ups wearing throwback royal blue jerseys to commemorate the 1984 national championship. Similarly, they added a halftime appearance by the master himself, LaVell Edwards, along with a handful of players from that championship team.

All in all, it was a love-fest supreme.

Except, of course, on the field.

Mendenhall, who insists he prepares the same for every game, ordered his players off-limits to the media after Monday. Even then, he only allowed his captains to talk to the press. Traditionally his players are available until Wednesday.

Small wonder. Going into Saturday's contest, the Utes had won five of the previous seven meetings. Eleven of the last 13 games have been decided by seven points or fewer.