Comments about ‘Some BYU fans at crossroads after 3-loss season’

Spence's suggestion was just stupidity. He doesn't have a point. President Gordon B. Hinckley had the point (based upon a lot longer perspective) when he encouraged Cougar fans during the dark Crowton era with the comment that football fortunes turn around over time. I was a student at the U last year when there was moaning over the sorry state of affairs of Utah football. Whittingham had the audacity to appear at a pep rally on the library plaza and "guarantee" (his word) a victory over BYU. The Utes lost. Now, based upon a single breakout season (albeit the second in four years) everyone is euphoric. But, I say, wait until next year because these things have a way of turning around. I am firmly in the ranks of Cougar fans and I have no doubt the shoes could easily be on the other foot next year. Cougars shouldn't cheer for Utes (except for tongue in cheek) and Utes shouldn't guarantee wins against BYU.

I don't care about the wins against weak teams. BYU can't deliver on the big stage. Until they can get a signature win they will always be good, but never great.

All that has gone on is a result of disrespectful behavior and atmosphere brought on by Urban Meyer. He started it. And why would this Spence guy even suggest BYU support the Utes and yet the same ask isn't returned. What a joke, thanks for that Harmon.

Very similar to Bronco making his opening slogan "Quest for Perfection" which in larger terms would seem to indicate "guaranteeing" a victory for the whole season. So don't pick on Kyle. Yes there will always be ebbs and flows but the bottom line is Cougar fans ALWAYS TALK the biggest game. Did you listen to a word Maxie and lil' Austin said all year?

Utah typically reserves their smack for true greatness which was achieved this season.

I incidentally am a fan of neither school as I live in St George and cheer for the Rebels, just an fyi.

It was hilarious and ironic all at the same time, Cougar fans got a season full of munching on humble pie, it was nice to not hear from them and I am not even in the rivalry.

Utes have proved their dominance and particularly in basketball and football have shown the ability to win "big" games which BYU is very adept at not doing, bottom line.

In response to Mr. Garrick's comments in the story, comparing BYU to Utah is like comparing Notre Dame to Florida.

BYU/Notre Dame are the 1980's style Cadillac. Utah/Florida are the fast, new Ferrari.

The Utah/Florida coaches turned down the BYU/Notre Dame/BYU jobs (directly refuting your statement that "there isn't a coach in the MWC who would take Utah's recruiting situation over BYU's.")

BYU/Notre Dame have large fan bases, but they are based largely on religious affiliation.

This is not to say BYU/Notre Dame do not have proud traditions. They do. And they may both rise again to perform well against ranked teams. But it is hard to deny that Utah/Florida have out-raced BYU/Notre Dame on the national stage during this century.

The fact is byu was a football power from 1979 to 1984. In 96 they were very good again.
Besides that run, byu is average at best.
As Harmon wrote on Nov 23, byu is 1-21 against ranked teams over the past few years.
The is just horrible.
Combine that with the bowl record and byu's fans perception of national dominance begins and ends at the Utah County line.
The fact is Utah and Boise State have all the buzz amongst non-bcs programs. College football experts have claimed that Utah is the most talented non-bcs program in the country.
Anyone who thinks Utah is taking a back seat to byu should have their heads examined. Preferably by an expert outside of Utah County.

Football is about the young men who play the game and how they respond to disappointments and accomplishments. The ugliest part of the game are the fans who get so emotionally wrapped up in the winning and the losing that they lose all perspective on life--what is important and what is not. Ironically, those fans have very little if anything to do with a team's failures and successes. I say congratulations to the Utes on a great season. Why not go to their parade and give them their due? That attitude seems more consistent with the quest for perfection than sitting at home crying in your soup.

Spence was joking people. Get a sense of humor.

Ahhhhhhhh BYU fans. You just don't get it. You are supposed to represent and embody the values of your church. You make me laugh.

I was at Rice for the BYU-Utah game again this year (I was there two years ago). This year, BYU under-achieved and Utah over-achieved. Both programs are on solid ground. BYU was out-coached, out-schemed, out-hustled and out-emotioned, but so were 12 other teams. In addition, Utah this year demonstrated mental toughness I've never seen in a Ute squad. Any undefeated season requires luck, but you often make your own luck and the Utes did it. Hats off to them.

BYU will lick their wounds. 10-3 is good, but everyone involved in the program or with knowledge of the program knows BYU underperformed in the 3 losses. That doesn't mean they would have beaten TCU (probably not) or Utah (should have been close at the end) but they certainly could and should have beat Arizona. BYU appeared sour following the Wyoming game and its probably an achievement they won some of those other games.

BYU is still top dog, but Utah every now and again will have a good run (as they've demonstrated). Bronco should learn from what Kyle's done this year (as Kyle has watched Bronco).

One thing is for sure, we're in a golden age for BYU-UTAH football.

Utah is not clearly at the top of the heap. Goodness, what a foolish comment. They did great this year, but lost the last two years. They did great in 2004, but great teams and programs continue at the top for multiple years, as BYU did during the WAC years.

If Utah is at the top of the heap, the other teams in the league will consider them the standard, and as far as I currently know, most teams in the MWC desire to knock of BYU, and get up for that game more than any other.

TCU focused for one year on that game, and they proved themselves. Utah played great, but luckily for four missed field goals (TCU and Alabama) and some terrible late game coaching (Oregon State and New Mexico), their season was pretty close to mediocre. I commend them on their season, but they clearly are not at the top, at least in terms of longevity.

Sorry Dick,
They are still our little brother.
P.S. I am intelligent.

"On the opposite end of the spectrum are the BYU apologists. They are Utah BCS deniers. This group believes the Ute success is a fraud, smoke and mirrors, a bushel full of luck. ... "

Dick Harmon, do you even know what "apologist" means? Here's a clue--it does NOT mean "jerk."

REAL True-Blue Cougars cheered FOR Utah vs. Alabama and are happy to see the Utes win, whenever they're NOT playing BYU. Hey, who needs yet another 3-8 cupcake to walk over every November? What good was it ever to beat the Utes during their pathetic years? It was just more of the same "weak-conference" nonsense.

If you're BYU, you WANT the Utes to be good. When you lose to them, it's no tragedy--at least after a week or so of mourning. :) And when you beat them, IT MEANS SOMETHING. If you're Utah, you want BYU to be quality, for the exact same reason.

Memo to Dick Harmon: THAT'S WHAT A "BYU APOLOGIST" REALLY SAYS. May I recommend the Webster's Dictionary at Barnes and Noble, currently listed at $6.50?

Personally, I agree with you 100%. BYU congratulating Utah in person would be the classy thing to do. I wish they would. What Utah did is good for the whole state and MWC.

Will you see the team or very many "BYU fans" actually doing that? Don't bet your life on it.

I love how you BYU fans think you are so great and cite your BOWL RECORD of all things!

Everyone was so excited because this was going to be the year when you guys finally win three bowls in a row for the first time in school history!

Can you say 8 in a row?

How about that great record over the past few years?
Don't forget the more important record of 1-21 versus ranked teams. Compare that to Utah's record against ranked teams for this year alone: 4-0.

Face the music BYU fans: Your glory ended before your current team was even born!

One more point: The defensive line is still open. Send Max to the parade so he can throw a few to Kreuger before he leaves.

Bravo to Utah! As a BYU fan it hurts and I hate saying that, but I am jealous. I long for the old days (at least for me 70-80s) when the question was if we would beat Utah by 30 or 40.... they were a non factor. However, that is not the case anymore.

KWitt finished this year with Urban's final recruiting class... he took over a 12-0 team and after losing 27-0 to UNLV last year he came back and had a year as good as BYU's 1984 team.

A lot of talk lately has been about Kwitt vs. Bronco. To me 2009 is the year Bronco can catch up. Bronco took over a team that was 4-8 and had 3 straight losing seasons and had about 10 players get expelled. Kwitt took over a team that was 12-0. This is the year we will see Bronco have his full recruiting time and Kwitt will have all the Urban players gone and be on his own.

Right now Kwitt is in the lead, we will see what happens the next few years. Kwitt is loading up on JC players so lets see how it plays out in 2009.

"BYU underachieved and Utah overachieved"

That is laughable. Collie is the only skill player who would see the field at Utah.
Byu's defensive backfield were laughable.

A comment was made in the article to the effect that BYU is stronger academically than Utah. I believe the comment came from someone in Missouri, the "show me" state. So, show me. BYU has fewer graduate programs, no medical school, and probably half the research facilities when compared to Utah. Plus, a member of the Utah faculty recently won the Nobel Prize for medicine. I believe BYU is a fine academic institution but superior to Utah? Show me.

Does Robert Garrick have a mullet and drive a T-Top TransAm? Just wondering, because it appears he is still living in the '80's. How is Utah's athletic program not even in the same league as BYU's? Name a men's or women's sport, other than track and field, golf or ballroom dancing, where Utah's progam is not close to on par, on par, or better than BYU. In the two biggest sports, football and men's basketball, Utah has risen to heights that BYU can only dream of (two BCS wins and three Final Fours easily trump the ridiculous "national championship" over 6-5 Michigan). Utah has facilities that are some of the best in the nation (sorry, bigger does not mean better Mr. LES/Marriott Center lover -- have you ever hosted an NCAA tournament game or an Olympic Opening Ceremony?). If you look at on-field success and players at the NFL level, the notion that BYU has a recruiting advantage is laughable (did you see your secondary this year?) Oh, and please get over the "we're better academically" refrain. BYU is stronger in some programs, but Utah is stronger in others. Sorry Mr. Garrick, but the '80's passed long ago.

Great article. Congrats to the Utes. Super season. Now let's see them do it again if they are the "big brother" now. To the gentleman who said the Y has not won on the national stage, where was he for the UCLA game? The Y will be back.