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.

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.

Spence was joking people. Get a sense of humor.

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.

apologist- One who speaks or writes in defense of a faith, a cause, or an institution

pretty sure that works there.

pretty sure byu fans are whiney babies.

pretty sure they sucked this year too.

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.

Of all the comments, "Craig" has it right.

Which cougars have you been watching for the last decade? The MWC is currently two-demensional, Utah and TCU. BYU is a far far distant third.

The success that Utah is having this decade will continue to pay rich dividends for years to come in the form of both cash resources and in recruiting.

I personally believe Utah only deserves to be ranked 4th or 5th this year. But they are light years ahead of the Y. Utah will continue to break the top ten and the Y will continue to be on the outside looking in.

Utah had a great season, but was far from THE dominant team in their own conference. There could not have been a more favorable schedule for them this season, as every challenging game during the regular season came at home. Many will challenge the factors that benefited the Utes against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, but you cannot deny the end result, they dominated.

Utah escaped with victories at home in multiple games, aided by numerous mistakes from the opposition and clutch play from a senior quarterback.

Will luck continue to be on the Utes side next season when all of the important games are on the road?
Will they be able to play above their heads when they aren't riding the wave of being undefeated?
How will they respond after a loss when everybody will be gunning for them?

There will be no leadership from a senior quarterback next season. Kruger was probably the best DE for the Utes since Luther Elliss. The Utes have never had a corner with the size and skill of Sean Smith.

I know Mr. Harmon is smart and knows lots of BYU fans, so it's a puzzle why his assignment to report on (editorialize about?) the psyche of BYU fans re Utah football could come out the way it did.

I also know lots of BYU fans. Most have been excited about Utah's success this year, especially against Alabama. The others are tolerant. Most read in the "Church News" stories of LDS Utah players doing good things in New Orleans. Most liked that.

Who are all these other people? Where are they? The only place they show up is on these comment boards--read by, what, .0001% of fans?

What's up with people like Mr. Garrick who can't even respond to other BYU folks without taking swipes at Utah athletics? Any objective person knows some of Garrick's comments are un-true, but Mr. Harmon presents them as "gospel."

Speaking of the gospel, while I know it won't happen, I'm not sure Mr. Spence doesn't have a good idea. BYU loves its image, almost more than anything. What a boost to that image if it started treating its arch-rival like Jesus might, if He cared at all about football.

Big BYU fan but we still have to live in reality:

1. BYU simply has fallen on their face in "big" games. Regardless of historical conference superiority, they simply cannot win the big games and Utah often has - particularly lately. BYU simply does not beat the really good teams. Sure you can point to a few "Miami" type wins but in general their top-25, on the road bcs, and bowl record is actually pathetic.

2. BYU DOES NOT have a good recruiting situation. Their recruiting base is probably 90-95% LDS and they have lost the TOP LDS recruits for several years now. They actually have an extremely limited and difficult recruiting situation. It is the sole reason they are lacking in speed and athleticism. I actually think BYU's success is due to overachieving considering the recruiting restrictions they have. Anyone who thinks an LDS all-star team should compete nationally is drowning in the kool-aid.

3. Both BYU and Utah have nationally respected graduate programs. But BYU's undergraduate program is considered mediocre largely because a high percentage of students either do not get their degree (marriage factory problem) or take an unusually long time (mission reality).

In college football perception is everything. There is no playoff and therefore no respect for any team outside the BCS conferences unless you go undefeated and play well in a BSC game.
The way the system is set up now a BCS win is worth about 5-10 MWC championships.
You get zero national cred if you win a MWC championship. Although the MWC is getting much better, but that doesn't matter, remember it's all about perception in college football. And MWC is perceived as weak regarless of the truth.

Question One. How much national media discussion went on about BYUs seasons the last two years?

Question Two. How much did the national media discuss Utah at the end of this year?

Answer to question one is little to none. Answer to question two is as much as any other team including Florida.

I am a fan of over 40 years and BYU has NEVER won a big game of the caliber Utah has in 2004 and 2008.

I do have one thing to say to my fellow Cougs who cheered for Utah in the Sugar Bowl: you will rue the day Utah won since they recruit from our same base and got huge exposure in that win. Sure, the LDS church is 4 times bigger than it was in 1984, but is our team getting 4 times the quality in recruiting?? I think NOT!!

The centrist BYU fan? He basically hurts. It's been a while since a season ended in two losses and it isn't fun. The fact that Utah went undefeated just makes losing tougher. "One thing about BYU," said one, "is they will break your heart in the end. Always."

Please, it's just a game. Congratulations Utah! Good job beating Alabama. BYU "only" went 10-3 this year. Life goes on.

BYU isn't superior to The U academically. Look at any rankings and see which school ranks higher, hint it's always BYU. The only exception is Medical. BYU's business and law school are always top 25. Plus it costs less to go there. That's why they are ranked in the top 10 value schools. I'll probably end up at the U just because I live in SLC but I know that the Y is far superior. Your kidding yourself if you think otherwise. I'll admit the U was better in football this year. But as a whole in all athletics the Y is better. For a simple example which schools logo was on TCU's tackle dummy? hint it wasn't a red school.

Wow..Cougar Dad. Keep drinking the Kool-Aid buddy because you are the butt of all my jokes. You are the top dog of nothing...Utah's athletic department has caught and passed you. Just deal with it. Quit living off something that happened 25 years ago. Nobody cares..Ask the country who the top dog of the mountain west is..They will tell you..and it ain't the kitty cats...

My response to Dick's column today is this...we should stop comparing BYU to Utah. I'm serious about that. I think it's a trap for BYU fans to be comparing themselves against Utah. I agree with Robert Garrick...BYU has a national fan base and is a much bigger draw from a recruiting perspective than any other team in the MWC. I'd much rather be part of BYU's program than any other outside of a BCS conference.

BYU should be setting its sights on being better consistently against non-MWC (i.e., BCS) teams. Same with Utah (obviously Utah succeeded this year in doing this). That's the yardstick all non-BCS schools should measure against.

The constant comparison to UofU is a trap set by the little brother mentality of the Utah fans. They've been comparing UofU to BYU for decades so now they expect us to measure our team against theirs. Don't do it. It's like comparing apples to oranges.

The whole BYU-UofU rivalry took a big turn for the worse with Urban Meyer's antics, and I hope it can regain some of its fun and lose the bitter elements.

The one glaring fact and 1,000lbs gorilla in the room that was not mentioned in this article is that BYU is 1-21 against ranked teams.

That is horrible. It is almost as bad as BYU's basketball record of not winning a Tournament Game in almost 20 years.

Although hard to tell from these forums, the fact remains that the majority of BYU fans celebrate the Utes amazing success this season. We are proud of the success of one of our own (Coach Whittingham) and what he has done at the U.

In fact the whole MWC along with Boise et al are grateful to Utah for busting the BCS once again and paving the way to an ultimate NCAA D-1 playoff in a few years. Using the old formula-what is good for you is also good for us.

Thank you BJ and Smith and Krueger! An amazing year and a great run. Which will set the stage for many Ute-Cougar showdowns for years to come.

Always looked forward to the day when both BYU and Utah were perennially in the Top Ten and brought fame and glory to the entire state along with the MWC. And this is by far the closest we have ever come to that dream.

And don't let anyone fool you-there are scores of teams across America that would kill for a 10-3 season.

Great season Utes and Cougs!

Hey there bro, take a chill pill and a dose of reality.

First, over the past 40 years BYU has won plenty of big time games...as big as Utah this decade. Since I'm short space I'll just use the Miami win in 1990 as an example...Miami was ranked #1 and the defending national champs when they lost in Provo. Yes, that was a long time ago, but easily within the last 40 years.

Next, BYU and Utah do not have the same recruiting base. Yes, they both recruit in Utah, California and other places in the west. But, BYU has a national fan base that Utah does not. BYU also has the draw, and drawback, of being affiliated with the LDS Church. Utah doesn't.

That difference alone makes a big difference in recruiting. Although the schools go head-to-head on some players, the recruiting overlap isn't big.

The real recruiting question for BYU is whether the schools is getting enough LDS players who are good enough to play at BCS schools. There are some of this year's team who fit into that category (mostly on offense), but BYU does not have enough BCS caliber players on defense right now.

I am a BYU fan but the 80's are long gone and over. It's impossible to argue with TWO Undefeated seasons and TWO BCS Victories in the past 5 years. We have to admit BYU is the little brother now. It's all about winning. BYU has done nothing to complain about though. These 10 win seasons are incredible so I don't want to bash BYU. I'd take a 10 win season any day of the week, but we have to acknowledge Utah is the top dog the big brother whatever you want to call it. If we can go undefeated TWICE and WIN a big game vs a ranked opponent in a BCS bowl then we'll be the top dogs again, but it looks like our only argument to U fans is look at 1984 and the 80's. Problem is that was more than 20 yrs ago so who the heck cares. I hate to admit it but Utah Football has a way better program than we do now. We have to match what they've accomplished and then we can start yapping again.

Personally, especially after reading more annoying and completely untrue statements from Utah fans on here, I'm sick of Utah fans. They are living in a complete media and world-view bubble of the Wasatch Front.

No one outside of the MWC footprint cares about the schools in the MWC. Period.

I've lived on the east coast for 15 years and BYU has a MUCH MUCH MUCH better reputation out here both in athletics and academics. It's not even close. You can scream and yell all you want or make up facts and say negative things about BYU, but the reality is what it is. When I tell people I went to BYU those who have heard of it (which many people haven't) say, "that's a good school." UofU grads don't get that response. I've seen it over and over again.

No one out here really cares about the Sugar Bowl this year. They may know about it, but they don't care. Just ask yourself this...who finished #2 in 2001 or 2006? Do you care?

Overall BYU has a better tradition than Utah in football and everything else. It is what it is.

Losing to the Utes and to a mediocre Arizona team to end the season was a tough pill to swallow. Watching Utah shock Bama on the national stage added insult to injury. I have to give credit to the Utes because they find a way to win the big games while the Cougs almost always seem to come up short, and consequently break my heart. But to say that Utah is the "top dog" in the MWC is erroneous.

BYU continues to improve the quality of recruits, the coaching staff is top notch( Anae definitely could improve on his play calling though), and we have a ton of talent coming back. If Max Hall can improve on looking off defenders and if we get some legitimate speed in the defensive backfield, we will be a national contender.

I am a die hard BYU fan and am optimistic about the future. The Utes were the better team this year, but I am sure they will continue to blow a game or two each season to conference foes like UNLV and New Mexico as they have in the past. Greatness is just around the corner for the Cougs.

Utah fans are the reason I would never move back to Utah. Anywhere else in America there aren't any so it's easy to avoid them.

BYU has largely dominated over the years in-conference. When they step out of conference (particularly against the better teams) they have not done well. With all their success - that remains the biggest opportunity for the Cougs.

1-21 against ranked teams
9-16-1 in bowl games since Edwards took over.

The numbers simply are not good when BYU steps up to play top competition.

The basetball 20-year drought in the tourney reflects much of the same problem.

Utah's recent success against top teams in both football and basketball probably make BYU's failures against top teams even more glaring.

You can selectively print whatever you want about BYU not having a respected undergraduate program, but the facts remain:

1. BYU has a better undergraduate school than the U (though both are good) ranked 113 vs 127 out of 1400 by US News and World Report.

2. BYU has (on average) better students than the University of Utah. average H.S. GPA (3.8 vs 3.5)

Finally having attended BYU as well as a state school I can say that the student body, and campus, and learning environment, were head and shoulders above the competition. The facilities and faculty were on par with other schools. One of the biggest differences though was BYU's Bureaucratic efficiency was unparalleled. Financial aid, registration, everything was 100 times more organized and efficient.

The delusions that exist in the minds of college football fans here in the Rocky Mountains are amazing. One or two big time seasons and the delusions of glory will persist for decades.

BYU fans have lived on them for several decades and now after two great seasons out of the last twenty years we will have to endure the pomposity of Utah fans.

Facts (Sears Cup) show that BYU does have by far the superior overall mens and womens athletic programs. Light years ahead of those on the Hill (eg Volleyball/Track/Golf/Cross Country/etc.)

But neither school will really be a force on the national scene until they are invited to join the PAC-10....in about a hundred years or more than likely never.

Wow that Garrick guy is a nut case! I think both Utah and BYU have the potential to compete in a BCS conference/power conference! They would make a very nice fit in the Pac 10 (would become the Pac 12) As far as him saying Utah has no calibur teams, Utah has busted the BCS 2 times in 5 years, no other non BCS team can say that. Utah went to the final four and played in the National Championship game in basketball, no other Utah team has done that. Utah was a force in womens volleyball this year, and is consistantly a good womens soccer team. Utah also is one of only 6 teams to ever win a gymnastics National Championship, and is either tied, or holds the record, for most ever by one school. Utah also would be a great place to attract Mormons. Just because they aren't owned by the church, doesn't mean that Mormons wouldn't flock here. Hello, Salt Lake City is the Mormon capital of the world, right were the U of U is located. As for the national love, I'm sure with the recent sugar bowl win, lots of people love the UTES!

Living is SEC/ACC country I can tell you the average football fan around here can tell you 10 things about BYU football and its tradtion, but when asked about Utah football, they know just one thing... Urban Meyer came from there. Well, now maybe two things, that they beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Congrats on the big win, as little brothers sometimes do outshine the bigger brothers, but there's no doubt around here who owns the MWC.

A BCS win is worth 10 MWC championships? HAHAHAHA you're hilarious dude! Then using your genius for math that must mean one National Championship is worth about a hundred MWC championships. Feel free to stop by BYU any time you'd like and check out our NC trophy. It's shiny.

You claim that BYU's law school is always ranked in the top 25, and you are a liar. In the latest rankings, BYU is in a conglomerate of schools tied at 46-50, and Utah is ranked 51. There is only a one point difference separating the two which is considered to be negligible in a subjective ranking system.

I only point this out because it illustrates the fact that most BYU "claims" to superiority in almost any area are really assumptions unsupported by facts. BYU has more national cred? Not by any relevant measure. BYU has a better recruiting base? Not when you consider the players' subsequent performance. BYU is the top dawg? Certainly the "most hated," but anything more is a stretch.

If it helps ease the pain to keep drinking the 1984 Kool-Aid, then go for it. But don't expect anyone to take you seriously past the Utah County line. Focus on reality and get better; beat good teams! Stop living on 30 year old fumes and dreaming about mythical Quests. It's been 25 years since you were nationally relevant. You are like that guy that can't stop talking about how cool he was in high school.

All the bandwagon yoot "fans" bashing BYU are absolutely hilarious! They have three bad seasons and finally a real good one and they suddenly think they're the most dominant program that ever existed. Everybody knows the vast majority of yoot "fans" are merely BYU/LDS Church haters. Next season we'll see thousands of bandwagon yoot "fans"/BYU haters jump off the wagon again. And no one will be surprised.

I think any player that goes to BYU instead of a Pac 10 school is throwing their NFL asparations away. It would be better to go to Washington than BYU just b/c of exposure while playing USC.

Give it up Deseret News. Utah/BYU banter is getting old. Let's not rekindle it but seeing what BYU fans think of Utah's success.

The statistics speak for themselves. Let's leave this alone until fall of 2009.

If I was BYU, I would be more worried about Utah St. passing them by.

Recruiting is an advantage to Utah in my opinion. (not just this year) LDS athletes are attracted to Utah because of the heavy LDS influence in Salt Lake. Institute programs are good and everything they want is available to them. African Americans and non-LDS are also impressed with the "U". They don't have an honor code to worry about. BYU can recruit on a national basis, but they can only recruit a selected few of athletes. They must practice strict LDS values to survive the BYU honor code. Big advantage to the Utes.