The Right Call

The BYU-Utah rivalry, the so-called Holy War, is often described as a clash between church and state: the devoutly Mormon Cougars versus the secular Utes. (Certainly there are plenty of BYU fans who choose to see it that way.) The fact is, roughly half the players on Utah's roster are LDS.

For decades BYU has had its pick of the best Mormon players in the country. Accelerating a trend begun by former Utah coach Ron McBride, who led the program from 1990 through 2002, Whittingham—himself LDS—has tapped into that pipeline, siphoning off significant numbers of talented Mormon athletes. Paul Kruger, now a defensive end with the Ravens, hails from Orem, just four miles from the BYU campus, but he chose Utah, as did his younger brothers Joe (a freshman defensive end) and Dave (the Utes' starting nosetackle). Their sister Jessica is married to Tony Bergstrom, the team's starting right tackle.

Bergstrom, who was recruited by both schools, visited a BYU practice. "It was really laid-back," he recalls. "Then I came up here. This was 2004, before I went on my mission. I'd never seen a team practice with so much intensity. Coach Meyer was all over the place, pumping guys up, dropping f bombs. I was blown away. I remember thinking, I want to be a part of this." Meyer left for Florida after that season, "but Kyle's just as intense," says Bergstrom. "Just with less cursing."

Even as he lures players away from his main rival, Whittingham has had increased success in selling his program to skilled players from Texas and California. "Salt Lake City is one of the best-kept secrets in the country," says Whittingham. "Once we get people up here on visits, they fall in love with it."

To get them there, Utah recruiters often must battle preconceived notions about the state. Before senior Shaky Smithson became a star returner at Utah (he leads the nation in punt returns, with 23.3 yards per touch), he was a star receiver and returner at East Los Angeles Community College. He was guarded when Utah's coaches first tried to woo him. He had visited a friend in Provo and been turned off by its lack of diversity. Persuaded that Salt Lake was different, Smithson took a visit. "It was a big eye-opener," he says. "Lot of restaurants, lot of clubs. There's a lot to do here, and the people, they accept you with open arms."

While BYU remains one of the nation's most monochromatic teams, Whittingham takes pleasure in pointing out that his is "the most diverse program in the country." A third of the Utes are white, a third African-American, a third Polynesian. Half are Mormon. Some are married, and some are married with children. "The beautiful thing about this team," Bergstrom says, "is that we're diverse, yet we can make fun of our differences and nobody gets upset about it."

Surprisingly few Utes got upset as the team chalked up win after win during the first two months of the season but got no traction in the polls. Utah rated less respect than the country's other non-BCS powerhouses: Boise State, now ranked No. 2, and TCU. It was as if voters lacked the bandwidth to deal with more than two plucky BCS-busting, slingshot-wielding Davids.

On Oct. 9 the Utes routed Iowa State 68--27. Result: They dropped from 10th to 11th in the AP poll. A week later Oklahoma drilled Iowa State 52--nil and jumped four spots. "It's nothing new for us," says senior center Zane Taylor. "We're used to not getting the respect we deserve." He says it as if it's a good thing.

"You see it, you feel disrespected by it, and you get annoyed by it," says Bergstrom, "but you come to practice and it's out of your head."

This week it had better be. Saturday's showdown between the Utes and the Horned Frogs amounts to a Mountain West title game. The stakes are huge: The winning team will have a clear path to an undefeated season and a BCS bowl. Depending on whether or not Auburn and Oregon win out—and on how voters and computers treat one-loss powers such as Alabama—TCU could fight its way into the national title game. The Utes, for their part, would need a minor miracle.