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| Darian Mensah, Miami |
📊 THE RECORD
🏆 PICKS 44-28 | ⚡ UPSETS 3–5 | 🐕 SUPERDOGS 3–3 | 🔒 LOCKS 7–3
(9) BYU Cougars @ (3) Utah Utes
📍 Salt Lake City
🏈 Utah -5.5 | O/U 48.5
The Holy War has long been one of the most heated rivalries in all of college football, a game between two programs that despite each other. For so long it was a non-conference game, then the pair moved into the Big 12. Now, it has significant implications, undoubtedly the most important rendition of the matchup in its long history. What a way to kick off the best weekend of football we will see this fall.
Utah stands as the slight favorite in this game, thanks in large part to the fact the game is in Salt Lake City, and the Utes remain undefeated. It's been an impressive debut campaign for head man Morgan Scalley, and he's done it in a different way than his longtime predecessor, Kyle Whittingham. Utah is still stout on the defensive side, the type of hard-nosed team that battles you every yard - they are still only allowing 16 points per contest. But this Ute team can also move the ball and score in a way that has not been typical of the program in the recent years. Veteran quarterback Devon Dampier has been terrific, totaling over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns, and he's made the plays when it's mattered the most. Yet, it's also the weapons that surround Dampier in this offense. Wayshawn Parker is a steady, consistent threat out of the backfield, Braden Pegan does his damage out wide, and then there's the ultimate wild card, backup QB Byrd Ficklin. Ficklin doesn't just come on in relief, he'll line up alongside Dampier in the backfield, out wide, or just about anywhere on the field. It's a fun offense because it still has a bit of an old-school feel in many ways, but has just enough trickery and creativity to open things up a bit more. BYU has the advantage now of game tape that other opponents have not had, which is crucial this time of year. Yet, containing Dampier is still no easy feat, even if turnovers remain a bit of a problem. Just as important has to be the ever-present battle in the trenches. The Cougars have long been tough up front, and they very much proved it against Notre Dame. Against an offensive front that featured several likely NFL offensive linemen, BYU looked like the better team. Does that still hold true this late in the season? BYU has been beat up on defense and the Utes have fared better along the offensive line than expected given they sent away Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu to the pros just this past spring. I feel confident the Cougars can harass Dampier - they sacked Arizona State six times last Saturday - but can they stop the ground game? They weren't able to make the plays when it mattered most in their lone loss of the year, to UCF.
That UCF loss was perhaps what BYU needed near the midway point of their season, a wake up call for Kalani Sitake and the program. But it also exposed that the offense remains incredibly one-dimensional, as they are still without star tailback L.J. Martin. Martin did return to practice this week and there's still a chance we see him suit up for this game, but it's hard to imagine the Cougars using him heavily after missing the past month. It's still probably a committee approach in the backfield, with quarterback Bear Bachmeier also being asked to create with his legs. Bachmeier has long been a fun watch, a slippery runner who seems to elevate his play at the right moments. And he's displayed real growth as a passer down the field, which has in turn led to receivers Legend Glasker and Kyler Kasper emerging. The Notre Dame in particular really sold me on Bachmeier - it felt like the type of game, against one of the nation's top secondaries, that was going to humble the true sophomore. Instead, he threw for 224 yards and finished with three total touchdowns, including a pair of hard-earned scores on the ground. I don't think he will be intimidated at all by this Utah defense, or this moment in Rice-Eccles Stadium. What I do worry about with this offense is their consistency drive-to-drive, which is crucial in what looks like it could be a close one like this. If you recall the Notre Dame, BYU jumped out early but the offense slowed down in the second half, and it was the defense stepping up that confirmed the upset. In the UCF loss, they had some big moments, but were out of rhythm, and came up short. We have even seen it in games they've won, the Cougars remain inconsistent on that side of the ball. Martin not being healthy is certainly a major factor, and I'm not convinced that, even if he does return, it's a quick fix against a tough Ute defense.
I have a hard time believing, in the 2026 college football season, that a team like Utah gets to the finish line of the regular season undefeated. They are going to suffer at least one loss, and BYU is their toughest opponent still on the board. With that being said, I do like the way the Utes match up in this game. They also get BYU on the road and still not healthy throughout the roster, even with Martin's impending return. This is always a tough one to pick, but I like the Utes to squeeze out a hard-fought victory.
The Pick: Utah, 27 BYU, 24