BYU football: After storied rivalry moment, Andrew George, Max Hall will influence another meeting with Utah

"It's been fantastic. I really appreciate all that he brings to the table as far as wisdom and experience," Nelson said. "Then just his knowledge of the game. He was very knowledgeable when he was here, then the time he spent in the NFL he learned a lot. He's a student of the game and I am, too. Every little tidbit that he has to offer, I just soak it up."

Said Mendenhall, "When you put Max and Riley together, I'm not sure there's a more competitive combination of guys on the planet."

So, a few years removed from teaming up on their game-winning touchdown, George and Hall will impact this year's BYU-Utah showdown, even if it is in smaller, unseen ways.

What will George be telling Cougar players this week about the rivalry?

"I would tell them, the game gets built up so much. It's hard to not be super amped-up for the game and let the hype in the community affect you," he said. "If you can, try to block it out and treat it like any other week. In that '09 game, there was a lot of trash talk and chippy stuff going on. But by the second quarter, things settled down and it's like any other game. You're just playing ball. That's the advice I would give."

By George, he knows what he's talking about.

Email: jeffc@desnews.com