Deseret News | BYU opener in Arlington anticipated

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Dick Harmon: BYU opener in Arlington anticipated

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sooner-boy | 9:30 a.m. May 11, 2009

this is going to be a good stat for OU. the sooners are loaded . they'll win by 2 or 3 touchdowns!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prediction.

OU 42- BYU 21

RE: re: geezer | 9:39 a.m. May 11, 2009

When you can beat these teams:

Miami
Penn St.
Notre Dame
Oklahoma
Texas A&M
Kansas State
Arizona State
Washington
California
Virginia
Mississippi State
Syracuse
Georgia Tech
Oregon

then we'll talk...utes are trying to follow BYU footsteps, but but they have a long ways to go...

re: re: re: geezer | 10:51 a.m. May 11, 2009

BCS trips and victories - Utah 2 BYU 0

Until you can accomplish what you like to print on T-Shirts, you are playing second, actually third behind TCU, fiddle in the MWC.

That is a sad testiment to the BYU program.

Nobody cares what happened in the 80's and 90's. You know what, the 76ers won an NBA title around the same time BYU was releveant in football. Only difference is their fans don't still live in the 80's like Cougar fans want to.

1-22 versus last 23 ranked opponents. Pathetic bowl record. Those are the numbers that matter today.

Comments continue below

@10:51 | 11:12 a.m. May 11, 2009

National Championships BYU-1 Utah-0
14 win seasons BYU-1 Utah-0

See, I can do that too. BYU was relevant before Utah even showed up on the radar. And I don't know which t-shirts you are referring to, but I have never seen BYU t-shirts stating that they are going to a BCS game. You can make a strong arguement without making up stuff. Utah has a very good program that is more relevant than BYU, but 2 BCS bowls does not put you where BYU has already been.

ouwooferman | 11:42 a.m. May 11, 2009

Funny thing happened on an OU BYU article... Losers from other schools show up and talk smack. Cant find good things to discuss on your own, but have to play the game elsewhere.

Now to the game...OU has more team speed on both sides of the ball. This one will be over by half time. If BYU and OU are rebuilding their O line, i will take ou's line after practicing against our D. Finnally, OU will have the home field advantage...should prove interesting.

Reality Check | 12:20 p.m. May 11, 2009

I get so tired of reading completely uninformed comments on BYU articles from UofU fans. All of you really need to get a clue. Yes, the UofU had a great season last year. Great.

NO ONE outside of the state of Utah cares about the UofU. No one. Trust me, I've checked and I've talked to everyone outside of the state of Utah and really, no one cares about the UofU football team out here. Why do you think BYU was invited to this game and not MCW Conference Champ and Sugar Bowl winner UofU? Don't kid yourself by thinking OU is afraid to play UofU (or any non-BCS school) at a neutral venue...they're not. It's because people will come to the game to see BYU and it will attract a solid TV audience. That's not true of the UofU.

It's a fact of life and reality that isn't going to change anytime soon. The UofU fan base is just too small and no matter how loud you whine and cry no one cares about your little program.

re: @10:51 | 2:41 p.m. May 11, 2009

Yawn. I was 4 when that happened. Please put down the dusty old textbook from your Sports History Course at BYU and step into the year 2009.

T-Shirts = "Quest For Perfection." You can spin that anyway you like, as Bronco has tried to do, but fact is that when you want to be perfect, and you break your huddles saying "BCS," there is no hidden meaning. You are dying to do what Utah has done. Sadly you failed miserably, and Utah accomplished your "Quest."

As for OU wanting BYU to play because of their name? Hahahahahaha!!!! This is the team that when they had their 1 opportunity to go to the BCS they were told to sit down and go away, right? That name didn't seem to mean much then did it. OU is not afraid to play anyone, even bringing that up is ridiculous. But this game was about finding an opponent who could draw some local fans (LDS members, not necessarily BYU fans) and would be a homecoming patsy.

Take your pay day, and beating, and we'll all log on to hear the disgust with Maxie and the defense the next day.

Fred | 2:48 p.m. May 11, 2009

My goodness, You Utah people really like to fight with eachother. I think that you need to start thinking about your entire conference and how victories outside of your league by one are victories by all. OU respects all Utah teams (not saying that Utah State has been REALLY off lately), and I know that OU is honored to meet and play BYU. Not saying that OUs' spped and skill would not end up putting BYU in a world of hurt, the Coughers should enter this game as an opportunity to play well, represent their conference, and have fun.

I Care | 2:49 p.m. May 11, 2009

I live in Idaho and I CARE about UofU. I even tried to get on my ol' Utah letterman jacket when Utah played in the Sugar Bowl (it didn't fit).

Re: Reality Check | 2:57 p.m. May 11, 2009

Fact: Based on this persons post, they do not know what a fact is.

Thank you Sooners | 5:43 p.m. May 11, 2009

So far the Sooner fans are showing a lot of class. Utah fans need to GROW UP. You are all an embarrassment to the MWC, college football, and most of all, society.
Go away Ute trolls, this has nothing to do with you. When we beat you by 4 touchdowns this year I don't want to hear excuses like we got lucky or that it was obviously the refs fault, or our better, obviously faster athletes forgot to stretch before the game, that's the only real reason we lost so bad.

Re-Reality Check | 5:50 p.m. May 11, 2009

Okay...so there was one person in Idaho that I didn't check with before writing that last post. I guess I was wrong. There is at least one person outside of the state of Utah who cares about the UofU football program. Although I'm still not sure why a UofU fan is reading about BYU and then taking the time to post on the message board.

And yes I'm pretty sure I do know what a fact is. The fact is that BYU was scheduled to play OU because they're a well-known program and will draw well in TX and on TV. The UofU program is not at that level from a fan and $ perspective. That is a fact.

Before you go throwing around BCS wins, etc (which, trust me, we're all well aware of), I'm talking about national attention and perception. BYU has it. The UofU football program doesn't.

Whether BYU will win against OU is another question, but my main point was that BYU is viewed as a better program on a national level. It will take decades for the UofU to catch up.

dvo | 7:05 p.m. May 11, 2009

the cougars will be fortunate to score.

I Care | 8:44 p.m. May 11, 2009

Actually, I attended BOTH Utah and BYU. I actually graduated from BYU in '84. I follow BOTH football teams with great interest. I enjoy watching and cheering for BOTH teams along with, gasp, Boise State!

cute ute | 10:08 p.m. May 11, 2009

If we try hard we may win a national championship in football like BYU.

SLAUGHTER | 10:39 p.m. May 11, 2009

OU 44 BYU 10

Re: 10:08 p.m. | 11:02 p.m. May 11, 2009

You tried hard last year didn't you?

Been there | 12:16 a.m. May 12, 2009

I was in Dallas a few weeks ago. I was heading to a Texas Rangers / Kansas City Royals game and I wasn't aware that the two stadiums are in the same area. I was just simply in awe when I recognized this new football facility. I have never liked the Cowboys, but I had to admit that this stadium was the best I had ever seen. I couldn't keep my eyes off of it as it was simply incredible.

re: Thank You | 8:01 a.m. May 12, 2009

The last time you beat the Utes by more than 1 touchdown was 13 years ago. So your claim of 4 TD's just shows your ignorance.

This rivalry has come down to two scenarios over the last decade. Either it's a close game down to the wire, in which case each team has pulled out 4 wins, or the Utes blow out the Cougars, which accounts for the other two Utah victories since 1999.

6-4 last 10 for the Utes
10-6 last 16 for the Utes

No excuses needed, we are just better than you are.

re: National Perspective | 8:08 a.m. May 12, 2009

BYU has a national perspective, as long as your conversation is occurring in an LDS wardhouse somewhere around the country.

Unfortunately for Cougar fans, that is the extent of their national pressence. They have become the third fiddle in the MWC, right behind their rival and TCU.

BYU has "fans" nationwide, or that is to say LDS members who will pay some attention just because it's a BYU team.

Take a step out of the bubble and read some national writers for a while, and no Dick Harmon is not a national writer. Even with losing their senior QB, Utah is still getting more national attention and respect than either TCU or BYU from most accounts. And why wouldn't they? Utah is far and away the class of the non-BCS conferences. And the envy of Cougar fans everywhere.

BYU was chosen because yes there are LDS members in Texas who might purchase tickets or tune in, and because they pose no threat to the Sooners. You are the homecoming cupcake that real programs schedule to give their fans a show. At least you're getting $3 million for 3 hours of humiliation.

geezer | 8:19 a.m. May 12, 2009

RE: 10:51 A.m. poster

You don't care what happened in the 80's cause you probably weren't thought of yet. Let me remind you. BYU won title after title and that is part of BYU's legacy. By the way, Utah was consistently HORRIBLE in the 70's and 80's. Your team was a complete joke. Go ahead and dismiss the Cougars past. Cougar fans can play that game too. We'll just dismiss the 2004 BCS win as a boring win over a mediocre Pittsburg team. 2008 was a win over a way overrated Alabama team that didn't show up to play the lowly Utes. Utah won't schedule the Oklahoma's, Florida's because they know the real Utes would be exposed.

Re:Re-Reality Check | 8:26 a.m. May 12, 2009

Are these the kind of "facts" that you learn in school? What is an opinion and what is fact?

re: Everything is riding on this | 8:57 a.m. May 12, 2009

The game was in the works LONG before Utah beat Alabama;

The game is just a reflection of the national respect BYU football has been building since the 70's.

Just like with Utan/Alabama, nobody will be expecting a BYU win.

Then again, nobody was expecting a BYU win when the Cougars played #1 Miami. Or BYU's 59-0 shutout of a UCLA team BYU barely squeaked past in the Las Vegas Bowl just 6 months earlier.

On paper, nobody expects the Cougars to stand a chance against the might Sooners (a team which was MUCH better than the Crimson Tide last season).

Not having a chance, may give the Cougars just the edge they need to pull off the upset.

geezer | 9:38 a.m. May 12, 2009

re: 8:08 poster (re : National Persepective

Here's the bubble you're living in. No one outside of Salt Lake City cares about your beloved Utes. Utah has no national credibility because the rest of the nation feels the same as I do about the Utes. They just don't care. Welcome to your bubble boy world.

re: geezer | 9:38 a.m. May 12, 2009

Got over it old man. Nobody cares what happened in 1970 or 1980. Those results have no affect on anything that happens in the 2009 season. It just fills space in an old textbook on your shelf.

As for the 2005 & 2009 BCS victories by the Utes, those results actually have an affect on the 2009 season. You see, when recruits get to see a team on television beat down Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, they add Utah to the list of BCS schools they are considering. When a kid gets to see grainy footage on KBYU of games played before they were born, they turn the channel.

Your championships way back when are irrelevant on today's landscape. Georgia Tech and Colorado won a share of the NC back in the 90's, yet they don't still claim to have national respect. Just oblivious Cougar fans hold that distinction.

re: 8:57AM | 9:43 a.m. May 12, 2009

You're forgeting one very important point. Yes, Oklahoma is better than Alabama was last year, thus the Cougars opponent will be better than the Utes was, but not by a huge margin, as Alabama showed by competing more with Florida than Oklahoma did.

The biggest difference is the huge disparity in the Cougars team versus the Utes team who beat Alabama. I'd say the Utes are at least 24 points and 6 turnovers better than the Cougars (48-24), and that's with Austin Collie and a senior O-Line. That margin is even greater this year.

The opponent is a little better, but the team wanting to pull of the upset is extremly inferior to the Sugar Bowl Utes.

People didn't expect Utah to whip Alabama, but thought they could hang with them. BYU couldn't hang with the athletes at TCU, Utah and Arizona. Hate to see what happens in Dallas.

Texan4OU | 9:53 a.m. May 12, 2009

it will be a good game. OU is loaded and will do very well. The ticket prices and thirty-five dollars to park is a joke. If you haven't been to the area, the highway system in arlington is a joke. Be prepared to wait for at least an hour in backed up traffic. I would rather this contest been played in Norman and a return to Provo. I am a long time season ticket holder with the Sooners and I hate giving any money to Texas as OU already plays the OU-UT game in Dallas, and if OU wins the Big 12 South, we will return to this Cowboy Stadium for the Big 12 Championship game.

geezer | 11:35 a.m. May 12, 2009

re: 9:36 a.m.
RE; 8:19
I guess BYU is currently so horrible that they've beaten the Utes 2 out of the last 3 years. The Utes current program must be abysmal if they can't dominate lowly BYU. We'll see how the almighty BCS Utes do this year at LES. Better dead than red still works just fine.

Howard Roark | 11:47 a.m. May 12, 2009

I'd like to say this stadium is a tribute to Jerry Jones' ego but its not big enough.

Jerry is only copying Daniel Snyder which begs the question; How long til Al Davis copies Jerry?

Re: Howard Roark | 12:23 p.m. May 12, 2009

Love the name! Great book. Al Davis will build a bigger stadium that will be filled to about 10% capacity.

Ragnar Daneskjold

Rich | 12:42 p.m. May 12, 2009

The Honor Code has nothing to do with BYU's inability to land top-rated high school runners. Most recruits want to play in BCS bowl games for national championships, and the only way BYU or Utah can play in such a game is to win every single game and then have a bit of luck besides. An athlete who attends USC or even Northwestern has a better chance of playing on national TV in a highly regarded bowl game than any athlete who goes to BYU or Utah. This is why BYU and Utah hardly ever are able to recruit any of the top 200 rated high school athletes. When it comes right down to it, BYU and Utah are so closely matched that it's difficult to predict which team will win in their head-to-head matchup each year. But one of them has won a national championship.

re: geezer | 12:45 p.m. May 12, 2009

Come on geezer. I know you're old enough to remember farther back than 3 years. You say 2 of 3, convenietly starting with the Cougars first win in 5 years against the Utes. Nobody is buying that garbage you're spouting.

5 of 7
6 of 10
10 of 16

Those are the current Utah victories in this rivalry. So yes, the Utes have been the dominate team in the rivalry in recent years.

Also, I think the Utes will do just fine in LES this year. They have won 6 of the last 8 games in Lavell's stadium. With the two victories for the Cougs by 10 combined points or so. For as good as you claim to be at home, I guess that doesn't apply to the Sugar Bowl Champion Utes.

Vegas Bowl or bust for the Cougs. That's how low the ceiling is for your team.

re: Rich | 12:52 p.m. May 12, 2009

Correction. Going to BYU means you'll never see a BCS game. Going to Utah means you'll get to experience the 3-4-5-6 BCS bowl game for the school, depending on when you attend.

The only way a BYU athlete goes to a BCS game is if they purchase a ticket and travel with Ute Nation. We've all seen that to be the truth haven't we.

Georgia Tech and Colorado won a NC in the early 90's. Strangely enough their fans have moved on from then. When will Cougar fans join that club?

Lie | 1:14 p.m. May 12, 2009

"If you were to lie down the Empire State Building beside one of the arches ...."

Huh? "lie"? - it's "lay"! - or was that a lie? - meaning not telling the truth? ..lol

easy there buddy | 1:44 p.m. May 12, 2009

Re: 12:52 p.m.

K you really need to settle down. Utah has had 2, I repeat, 2 good years in their ENTIRE 150 some odd years of football program history. Maybe we should say Wake Forest deserves to be mentioned with all the top programs in the country because their football program has had 2 great years in their whole 200 years of football also. And you're over here talking about 6 BCS bowl games? You really need to calm down, seriously. Maybe BYU will win the next 12 conference championships outright because they have won 2 in the last 3 years. BYU has come within 7 games of going to 3 BCS bowls in the past 3 years. So to say BYU is NEVER going to go to a BCS bowl is really just dumb. Utah fans will never give credit where credit is due.

The fact that Utah | 1:48 p.m. May 12, 2009

is consistently compared to BYU, and not the other way around, speaks volumes.

The fact that Utes make that comparison by diparaging BYU, says even more. And it isn't good.

BYU may well get humiliated by OU, but the fact that Utes are predicting it, and already glorying in it, does not discourage anyone. BYU is in the game, you are not.

And you predicted an equal humiliation last year - against UCLA.

Even loyal blue BYU fans will admit that BYU was a headcase last year. If Max and company show up with the right head this year... I'll take our chances.

Thanks OU fans, for good spirited fan talk.

Quest T-shirts | 1:57 p.m. May 12, 2009

Does anyone know where I can get my allotment of Quest for Perfection shirts in blue this year? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Dave | 2:01 p.m. May 12, 2009

When will you zoobies realize you are now a second rate program in the Mtn West, you won't ever regain the glory of the 80's. Heck the cougars don't even hit in practice or practice in pads, seems to me that before too long byu will move into a club level flag football league where they'll get beat by the intramural teams from Logan, Salt Lake, and Ephraim.

re: buddy | 2:15 p.m. May 12, 2009

Credit due.

BYU is a solid football program. They have a nice history of dominating the WAC when the WAC had few football powers. They beat teams they should beat, and lose to teams who are equal or better regularly. Their ceiling appears to be the Vegas Bowl.

Your comments about the 7 games within 3 BCS games is probably the most ridiculous comment I have ever seen on this website. Heck, the Cougars came within 6 games of winning the NCAA championship this year too, it's a banner season!

I love how Cougar fans classify the Utes BCS runs as "good years." Talk about not giving credit. Good is what the Cougars have been recently. Great it what the Utes have done twice now. Don't get those two differences confused.

Ask Alabama if Utah has a top football program? Nationally the Utes are now getting lumped into the annual group of teams who have a good chance to play in the BCS. BYU is classified as the team likely to print their intentions on T-Shirts, only to fail.

Big Dave | 2:31 p.m. May 12, 2009

This is going to be a great game, in a great venue, with two great teams. I feel sorry for the Ute fans here either relishing at predicting an OU romping (which I admit could happen) or saying the BYU is horrible now.
You should hope BYU will beat OU both for the national recognition of the MWC and so we can improve the importance of the Utah-BYU rivalry.
Congrats on beating Alabama, Utah. I think your offense will struggle this next year, but so will BYU's defense.
Just because BYU got a great game in a great venue don't get your knickers in a twist.

Dave | 2:57 p.m. May 12, 2009

Yeah it would be great to have the Cougars win this game for the recognition it will bring to the state and the league, but come on, who really believes the game won't be over by halftime? Even if OU is having a down year, I really don't think BYU has any chance to compete at that level. I'm sure the Sooners will have some practices where they actually hit with pads on, while this will likely be the first full contact practice/game that BYU will have since the Spring game.

Big Dave | 3:42 p.m. May 12, 2009

Dave,

You sound exactly like what ESPN and half the country said about the Utah/Alabama game.
If you don't respect BYU as a legitimate team can you really say Utah deserves respect?
BYU has a great offense returning. Assuming they can put some defense together they can compete with OU. If the right pieces fall in place they can make it happen. BYU has the talent to win especially if OU underestimates them out of the gate.

re: Big Dave | 4:15 p.m. May 12, 2009

Please, don't compare BYU with the Utes from 2008. The Utes were about 24 points and 6 turnovers better (48-24) than the team BYU fielded last year. And with the loss of Collie and the senior O-Line, that discrepancy is even larger now. Not to mention Oklahoma is a better team than Bama. Not by much seeing how Bama played Florida, but they are a better team.

Utah had the athletes to at least compete with Alabama before the game started. Everyone was picking Alabama to win, but not a large margin (except Barry Switzer).

BYU didn't have the athletes last year to even compete with Utah or TCU, and looked slow against an average Pac-10 team in Vegas. What makes you think they are going to be more athletic and quicker this year? Assuming they can put some defense together is like saying the Jazz could win the title if they only could play some inside defense. Neither is close to a reality.

If you want to play the underestimating card fine, but do not try to compare this BYU team with the Utes, who managed to be "Perfect" last year.

RE! Some Lame Ute Fans- | 5:03 p.m. May 12, 2009

I wish I was a Saint and could predict how both BYWHO and the MIGHTY UTES were going to do this season-- in fact if I were that good I'd place some rather large bets in Las Vegas.. Oh golly, I better not bet-- I'm sorry

Dave | 6:32 p.m. May 12, 2009

The only difference was that Utah actually had a fighting chance, oh yeah, and some heart, which doesn't make my comment anything close to being "exactly like what ESPN said." I'm trying to remember how well the Cougars finished last year....anyone, anyone?

Re: 4:15 p.m. | 9:58 p.m. May 12, 2009

The fact that you needed 6 turnovers to set up 24 of your points is saying something too. Whotah was not as good as they like to think they were last year. A last second touchdown to beat AFA and a 3 point win over UNM, regardless if it was on the road shows that you weren't as invincible as you like to think you were.

BYU also scored more points against Utah than Alabama did last year. If they can put up points against the "mighty Utah defense," especially with 6 turnovers, then they can certainly compete with Oklahoma. The way BYU played I'm surprised we didn't get shut out. I'm not saying BYU will necessarily win but there's no question that they have a chance, and if they play their A-game they will be a competitive team in this game.

re: Re: 4:15pm | 8:23 a.m. May 13, 2009

48-24
13-0
Sugar Bowl Champs

Dang Utes were so lucky last year. I only with Bronco had paid up his tithing like Kyle must have, the Cougars would have been the "Perfect" team.

I find it so amusing that a team who commited 6 turnovers doesn't think they were completely outclassed. Silly like Cougar fans.

Zoob Nation | 8:25 a.m. May 13, 2009

I think we can all agree that national respect is earned by winning big games.

So lets see...

BYU: 1-23 against ranked teams
UTAH: 2-0 in 2008 against top-10 teams, 4-0 top-25

As far as OU-BYU. BYU will get slaughtered, to say they have a chance just like Utah-Bama is absolutely ridiculous considering Utah's defence was great last year and BYU stunk.

BYU defence allowed...

0-12 Washington to score 27 points one shy from their season best against Standford
35 points by UNLV at LES
42 points against CSU
BYU got smacked around by ranked teams

BYU is a good program but you Zoob Nation are living in a bubble if you think that over the last 10 years big brother is relevant on the national stage.

Utah as still work to do but they are by far the best program in the state... today... not 1980s.

RE: Re: 4:15 p.m. | 8:48 a.m. May 13, 2009

BYU was lucky it was only 6 INTs because there were two that were dropped. What it says is Utah's defense kept them in the game while Ludwig stumbled his way to a victory. Utah's defense was great, just ask Bama.

Guess what genius 0-12 Washington was 2 points from beating BYU. Just face it BYU has no defense and cannot beat ranked teams. If I am wrong then please tell me when was the last time they beat a ranked team?

BYU | 9:19 a.m. May 13, 2009

Once again, everyone wants to know what's happening around BYU football. Where's the 100 comments about U football? Oh ya. I know. Everyone is dreading what's coming this year at the U. Some crazy stories exist that say they'll be good again, but none can say why. No QB, no receivers, average RB's and lost the only impact players on D. Sounds like a great club to me.

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