Dick Harmon: Utah Utes, BYU football: Kyle Whittingham's former BYU teammates value his friendship

Nobody disrespected their former teammate.

Phillips played in four BYU-Utah rivalry games during his career, and he says it is so unique; both sides have had their turn, but generally they've been pretty evenly matched in the series over the years.

Some argue it's good that there will be a timeout for the rivalry after the 2014 game in Provo; others say it must continue. Still, I've heard from some Utah fans — not fanatics — who believe Utah has moved on with its Pac-12 membership and other priorities.

"I hope it continues," Phillips said. "I think the fans will miss it, the players certainly will miss it. I hope it gets back to a regular schedule. There's so much of it that is at the core of it all, something to look forward to every year. If it's off a year or two, I guess we can't change that. It's a sad day for the state of Utah football if we don't get back to it."

email: dharmon@desnews.com