Deseret News | Decade's best: Cougars, Utes each land 8 stars on 25-man squad

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Decade's best: Cougars, Utes each land 8 stars on 25-man squad

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Richard Noel | 7:49 p.m. July 20, 2008

What about Ty Detmer in 2001? Wasn't he great against all opponents.

Re 7:10 pm | 8:06 p.m. July 20, 2008

How is it just as relevant how the teams played in 1920. Did Utah win the National Championship that year?

1byufan | 8:39 p.m. July 20, 2008

Both utes and cougares are exlent football teames !!!

I think byu has domanated every posision !!!

I really think utah and byu are way above the rest of the moutain west !!!

I have to saw byu well stell be the very best ia all catorges in the state again !!!

Comments continue below

Re: Utah and bYu | 8:50 p.m. July 20, 2008

You shouldn't post a comment in ignorance. BYU beat TCU in 2006 on the hornfrogs home turf when they were ranked 15th in the country. John Beck had two moderate/severe sprained ankles and still picked apart their speedy secondary. His throws were done with pinpoint accuracy in the pocket and his rocket arm with a tight/quick release is a cut above the balls that Alex Smith throws. Smith deserved the honor of #1 because he played on two great teams coached by arguably the best college HC in the land. Beck will have the better NFL career and we will all stop this debate in five years from now when he leads a team to the Superbowl. His arm is better than Smith's and his work ethic is unmatchable. He threw 4000 balls already this year on his own and in practice. But both quarterbacks are very intelligent and had great college careers.

Re: UTE factors | 8:56 p.m. July 20, 2008

Bottom dwelling UNLV shutouts pretenders yewtes, now that's the worst low of the decade.

Re: 7:10 Post | 9:34 p.m. July 20, 2008

There is a difference - I was there in 1984 and lived the emotion of the year.

I was NOT there in 1920 and know absolutely nothing about the players, conference, etc. No emotion whatsoever attached to 1920 - or any games during the 1st half of the century.

Big, big difference my friend.

If I am going to stake my pride on what happened between BYU and Utah decades before I was even born, I think I need a major adjustment in my priorities.

By the way, I started following BYU in 1972 - great timing huh? Bottom line is, however, BYU pretty much spanked the Utes in the early years and have played 50-50 ball during the last twenty.

The game has turned from a boring, one-sided affair to an extremely exciting rivalry.

Kudos to the Utes for elevating their program to where it is now - and making this a very entertaining and competitive rivalry.

Re: re: the ewe | 10:41 p.m. July 20, 2008

"really? Footbal is the "only" think Utah fans have? Then zoobs turn around and brag about their superior attendance at the games mostly because there isn't anything else to do in Provo). Can't have it both ways zoob."

That was absolutely brilliant smack. I must bow to your superior intellect. Stunning.

Utah ... | 11:08 p.m. July 20, 2008

season ticket holders. Which one of you is going to sell me your tickets to the BYU game on November 22 this year?

I hope it's the same one that sold out to me two years ago. The seats were great. The was football wonderfull. Watching the 30 some thousand screaming, red clad, Utes collectively swallow their tongues and fill their pants when Harline caught that ball was priceless.

Let's do it again soon!!!

no comparison | 11:16 p.m. July 20, 2008

National Championships: BYu 1, yewt-ha 0

Heisman winners: BYu 1, yewt-ha 0

Doak Walker winners: BYu 1, yewt-ha 0

Head-to-head since we got rid of Crowton and Urban finished using yewt-ha as a stepping stone: BYu 2, yewt-ha 1

Team that will bring in a lesser opponent as a warm-up game to start the season: BYu 1, yewt-ha 0

Team that is considered to be a lesser opponent and will be brought in as a warm-up game and receive a big paycheck for the beating they will receive: BYu 0, yewt-ha 1

Yes, yewt-ha, you won most of the games back in the early 1900's when most of the games were played at your place and BYu hadn't started taking football seriously yet. Count all those mostly meaningless games if you want, but nobody else takes them seriously. Yewt fans need to though in order to feel good about themselves since things changed and they became the little brother during the 1970's. BYu has been the top program in the state since then and has the national recognition and that is something that just eats at yewt fans to no end day and night. Sweet.

Re: ALL BYU POSTERS | 2:50 a.m. July 21, 2008

BYU's opponents from your BIG "National Chamionship" year, if you can even call it that, were a combined sub .500.

Total - 61- 83- 2 (.417)

**BYU's 1984 team is the only one in the history of college football to win a National Title without beating a team that finished in the final Top 25 poll. While Michigan and Pitt were highly ranked a certain points in the season, Michigan finished the season 6-6, and Pitt finished 3-7-1.

Pitt - 3-7-1
Baylor - 5-6
Tulsa - 6-5
Hawaii - 7-4
Colorado State - 3-8
Wyoming - 6-4
Air Force - 8-4
New Mexico - 4-8
UTEP - 2-9
SDSU - 4-7-1
Utah - 6-5
Utah St - 1-10

Michigan (Holiday Bowl) - 6-6

Dixie Dan | 6:52 a.m. July 21, 2008

How many of the Y's selection were African Americans?

kcc | 8:12 a.m. July 21, 2008

To Dixie Dan: Just how many true African American "Blue Chip" athletes do you think BYU signs, compared to the PAC-10, the ACC, the Big Twelve, etc. etc.?? Very, very few if any! This should answer your question, so stop trying to make this a race issue!

Observer1 | 8:14 a.m. July 21, 2008

Owen Pochman? Are you kidding me? He did have a few very impressive hits, but if he had simply kicked the ball through the endzone, he wouldn't have had to be making those impressive hits near midfield. This should be about his kicking skills and not his hitting skills that never would have been necessary if he could have kicked better in the first place.
GO COUGARS!!!

Payne over Pochman | 8:44 a.m. July 21, 2008

Matt Payne? Are you kidding me? I know he had some great hits at a couple of games - but his job was to make field goals - and there were a couple of games he lost for us because he couldn't make them. He missed THREE field goals - all should have been easy - in a game against New Mexico where BYU lost 21-14. In that game against Boise St. where he had those great hits, Payne missed a field goal at the end and lost the game for us. I'd much rather have a field goal kicker who is clutch and makes them when it matters than someone who will make great hits. Anyway definitely shouldn't be on this list.

U | 9:19 a.m. July 21, 2008

The real numbers:

How many current apostles played football for BYU? None that I can think of. Utah? 1.

Elder Wirthlin played for UTAH in the 1930s and that makes that time period relevant for me.

Dave | 9:25 a.m. July 21, 2008

Did someone seriously ask about Detmer in 2001? Yikes...

Re: Dave | 10:09 a.m. July 21, 2008

Ya, and nobody would be surprised if it was some Ute fan that has fun spending his time making unintelligent posts while making them look as if they were posted by cougar fans. Wow, get a life.

Re: U | 10:16 a.m. July 21, 2008

Wow, really? You think that Utah is now the school that all of the apostles want to beat BYU?

The Past | 10:37 a.m. July 21, 2008

The key to the past, is only in things that have a reflection of what is happening right now. And there is nothing that matters before the moment that Wittingham and Mendenhall took over their respective programs. Not the 1984 championship, not the Crowton era, not the Urban era, or anything else. Of course, it is fine to look in the past and remember the times that Utah beat BYU or BYU beat Utah. It is also fun to make a Cougar fan remember when they were dominated 52-21 or to make the Ute fans remember when they blew a win on 4th & 27 or 4th & 18 or on a 80-yard drive with a minute left only finish it with an 11-yard touchdown pass. This is what makes a rivalry.

But as I said before the only things that matter now that are in the past are the things that make the scene what it is today. And for the most part the only things that qualify for that are the past 3 years with Mendenhall & Witt. And although the Utes took the first year. The cougars have obviously dominated the past couple of years.

Re: Yman | 10:42 a.m. July 21, 2008

What???? You've got to be kidding, drunk, or completely insane! I am a HUGE Y fan, but Erik Weddle was, and is a great player, and a class act "on and off the field." He is one of the best players to ever play in the MWC or in the WAC.

Re: re: the ewe | 10:53 a.m. July 21, 2008

"Then zoobs turn around and brag about their superior attendance at the games mostly because there isn't anything else to do in Provo."

I flew to LA to see a Bruce Springsteen concert. The place was sold out. There must not be anythig else to do in LA either. That, or maybe people will show up if you have a good product.

Remember that Utah sells out RES once every two years. They enjoy watching "The Zoobs" play too.

Anonymous | 10:56 a.m. July 21, 2008

And whether or not you had an injury here or a disadvantage there, that doesn't change your record, that doesn't give you an extra few points in this game to give you the win that would otherwise be a loss. You have to deal with what you have on the table, and if you can't win with that, then that's your fault. It doesn't give you the win, it gives you the loss that you already had, along with a bunch of fans that gain the reputation of "poor losers". At that same time, I understand that you could have done better if you had this or that go your way, but it happens to everybody. Nobody has things go the way that they want it, and every team has some problem to deal with. It's just a reflection of their coaching and execution by players in what the results are. I would say the only exception is the rare occasion when the game is over and it's in the refs hands and they blow a call. But even if there's still one play remaining, you can still deal with the call and try to pull out a win.

Re: The Past | 11:05 a.m. July 21, 2008

I agree to a certain extent with your comments. If we are going to consider the past, we should look at everything and not just limit it to that period of time that is most convenient to our particular position and which most supports the team we root for.

I must, however, disagree with your assessment of the past three years. Yes, Utah took the first year, but it would be a serious overstatement to say that BYU dominated the last two. In each of the last three games, the winner has pulled it out at the very end of the game. Neither team has been dominant and each of those games has been a nailbiter.

reality | 11:16 a.m. July 21, 2008

By the way Harline has a super bowl ring with the Giants!

Re: The Past | 11:22 a.m. July 21, 2008

I agree with a lot of what you had to say. I also agree with what the other person to respond has said. I wouldn't call it domination. I would also make the argument that the time that the players have been on the team or associated with the team would be relevant. So that would be 4-6 years for the seniors.
As far as the article. I think most of these people belong, with a few debatable replacements. But overall, a good list.

re:Re: The Past | 11:05 a.m | 12:13 p.m. July 21, 2008

Didn't Utah have the ball at the end of the game last year? Didn't they still lose?

I believe things like that come down to preparation and heart.

I also notice that they don't put things like injuries, who dominates who, why "your team" lost on the scoreboard, they just put up the score and the one with the most points wins, and the others lose.

If you lose and are classy about it, people respect you and feel you have a chance to come back next year. If you lose and whine, doesn't that make you a whiney poor loser.

Living in the culture of being a bunch of whiney poor losers is sort of negative, and doesn't garner much respect, makes your team lose heart, and when they get down, instead of we have a chance, and go out to try to salvage a win, it "Well, here we go again, another loss.

Then, when you get shutout at UNLV, it's UNLV sucks, it's a fluke, we need more excuses.

Winners put up "W"s.
Losers put up "L"...

Utah's best player, instead of working out to prevent injuries, is reading about "golf".

That's just stupid...

Fiesta Bowl | 1:15 p.m. July 21, 2008

Dear Utes,

We can't wait to have you back this year.

Sincerely,

The BCS

Re: re:Re: The Past | 11:05 a.m | 1:57 p.m. July 21, 2008

Dude, your colors are quite apparent; and the fact that you have to come and post a comment bashing Utah illustrates your insecurity. How many times have you and your fellow byu fans made excuses for a byu loss. I've certainly heard and read plenty of them, which by your definition makes byu a bunch of "whiney poor losers". Do us all a favor and just keep your inane comments to yourself.

Philly Ute | 2:04 p.m. July 21, 2008

Enough with this rivalry crap...the article had nothing to do with it. Why don't all of you that are so well-versed in your own schools' win/loss histories, etc. look into some of the other teams in your conference. After all, that's the point of the all decade team, right? One more thing: living away from the mountains for several years has taught me one thing about college sports--it's very subjective. There is a lot of talent all around the country, and you need to look around and recognize it. Quit being so narrow-minded and short-sighted

@ Broncster | 2:24 p.m. July 21, 2008

Good one man. I needed my afternoon laugh.

Anonymous | 3:04 p.m. July 21, 2008

To those asking about detmer, he was in the WAC. he was also one of those heisman winners who flopped in the NFL. If Smith is a system QB, Detmer is a worse one.
Alex Smith was amazing in college. True, his NFL career hasn't been as good - of course, he's been throwing behind the offensive line of the San Francisco 49ers and had to learn a new offense nearly every season he's been a pro. Give him some consistency with the offense and some decent blocking and he'll do fine.
If I remember, a certain BYU great was deemed a flop at his first NFL job, only to become a legend in San Francisco...
I will always remember Urban Meyer putting in an offensive lineman as an RB to let him score a touchdown. College GameDay in SLC...doubt it ever happens in Provo.

this is so biased | 3:08 p.m. July 21, 2008

there are way too many players from utah and byu on this list. lets not forget CSU dominated the early years in the MWC so where are all of the players that made those teams so good. And way too many of the players are from the last 5-6 years. And I still can figure out why dallas reynolds get any accolades, he's always getting beat, an average OT at best...I think it is just his last name.

Anonymous | 3:30 p.m. July 21, 2008

The whole "Yewt"/"Kewger" thing is simply ridiculous. You wonder why the Pac-10 won't take the Y and the U, allowing such fans in to the conference would definitely diminish their academic prowess.

michael | 6:12 p.m. July 21, 2008

I have know idea where all this bravado comes from when BYU has only 3 starters on D coming back. They will be good but some of this is ridiculous.

Detmer | 7:31 p.m. July 21, 2008

"was also one of those heisman winners who flopped in the NFL."

For 14 years...

I'd like to "flop" in the NFL for 14 years.

Anonymous | 9:35 p.m. July 21, 2008

when people misspell Utes and Cougars as Yewts and Kewgers it really cracks me up. It is so Phunny. Get it. Haha

Re Fiesta Bowl | 9:47 a.m. July 23, 2008

Dear Boise State

We enjoyed having a mid major team beat a legitimate team in our bowl game. Unlike Utah did in 2004 that played the Pitt lady Panther Volley ball team.

Love to see you back again this year.

BCS!!!!

P.S. What is Boise State's record against this so called power mountain west conferance? 13-0

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