Alright, there’s been some time to process Utah’s 28-20 win over BYU… so let’s talk about it.

Bring your Sunday best!

x.com/i/spaces/1VNEW…

THIS is what we call “Cinema.”

The Runnin' Utes trailed by 7 at halftime, but blew things open in the second half to get a 21-point win over Weber State.

Utah: 85
Weber State: 64

Anigbata had 21pts.
Holcombe had 18pts.
Campbell had 13pts and 10 assists.

UP NEXT: Washington on Saturday (5pm).

The Utah Utes move up one spot to #2 in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings.

BIG 12 TEAMS RANKED:
#2 Utah ⬆️ 1
#10 BYU ⬇️ 1
#12 Texas Tech ⬆️ 3
#14 Houston ⬆️ 3
#23 Arizona ⬇️ 1
#25 Oklahoma State (NEW)

The Big 12 has six teams ranked, which feels like some nice respect for the conference.

BYU only drops one after the loss to Utah, which feels like a nod of respect for both programs.

The Utes will have the chance to get its third ranked victory this weekend when it plays #23 Arizona.

Made my own model.

Which moment from Devon Dampier was your favorite from Saturday?

This guy calls himself the future commissioner of college football, by the way…

As if the arrogance isn’t enough, just look at how ignorant this poll is…

I know this isn’t a ranking.
It’s a poll (in his own nomenclature).
And the poll is based on a bad model.

But please do continue to comment.

The accolades continue to roll in for Devin Dampier.

This time: Paul Hornung National Player of the Week award.

The @hornungaward is given to the nation’s most versatile player.

Dampier contributed by throwing, running, and catching the football in Utah’s latest win vs. BYU.

Devon*, of course.

Lost in the mix of sports news…

The University of Utah received a $35 million gift from the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation yesterday.

This contribution is aimed to help build a 185,000sqft facility that will advance mental healthcare and research.

We’ve all been affected or know someone affected by mental health… so this should be something everyone can appreciate.

As Paul Huntsman states below:

“Utah will lead the nation in this field.”

Thank you Gail! $35 million toward translational research. Utah will lead the nation in this field.
ksl.com/article/516447…

Gotta love this time of year, where you have Utah hoops to help pass the time between football games!

Utah vs. Weber State
Tonight at 7pm
📺: ESPN+
Jon M. Huntsman Center

Just keep finding ways to get better each game.

Utah QB Devon Dampier has been named as one of 18 semifinalists for the @TheMaxwellAward—given to the nation’s Most Outstanding College Football Player.

Cam Rising was a semifinalist for the award in 2022, and Zack Moss was a semifinalist in back-to-back seasons for 2018 and 2019. Alex Smith was also a semifinalist in 2004.

Some elite company for SPID4 to join.

Some intriguing Utah-Arizona matchups jump out in the advanced stats:

🔴 Utah Rushing EPA (#9) vs. Arizona Rush D (#37)

Utah has one of the nation’s most efficient rushing attacks. Can Arizona slow it down enough to force Utah into obvious passing situations?

🔴 Utah Late-Down rizona Late-Down D (#77)

Utah converts 58.8% of its late downs, while Arizona allows opponents to convert 47.4%. This could be an advantage for the Utes in sustaining drives.

🔵 Arizona Passing EPA (#17) vs. Utah Pass D (#15)

This is a strength vs. strength factor. Arizona’s passing attack is very efficient, but Utah’s defense has been equally impressive against the pass—one of the biggest matchups in the game.

🔵 Arizona Scoring Opportunity Rate (#11) vs. Utah Points Allowed Per Opportunity (#11)

Arizona is excellent at creating scoring chances (64.5%), but Utah has been stout at limiting the damage once opponents get into scoring position (3.65 points per opportunity).

The Takeaway:

Utah has some favorable matchups offensively, particularly on the ground and in drive sustainability, but Arizona’s ability to move the ball through the air and generate scoring opportunities presents a legitimate challenge for Utah’s defense.

@statsowar projections have Utah winning this one close (27.4 to 25.8), and gives the Utes a 54.2% win probability.

Friendly reminder that the SEC hasn’t beaten a B1G team in the playoffs since 2022, and haven’t had an appearance in the national championship in three consecutive seasons.

Okay, carry on…

If this game happened last year

“HE'S A MENACE.” 🕷️

drawn by me.

#GoUtes

Holy War, both sides: complete.

-Huge thanks to the Utah fans who were so good to us. Multiple people asked me mid field storm if their experience score was going to beat BYU’s.

-The answer to that is a bit complicated.
I’m in the lab right now and the biggest dilemma is that ’s no question night is better but also tailgating at 6am as the sun came up over the mountains was pretty damn cool.

-Full video and score dropping Wednesday on the @snapbacksports YT
youtube.com/@snapbacksport…

Decisions, decisions…

This week I officially finished the journey in seeing both sides of The Holy War.

I know BYU and Utah fans hate each other but each town, fanbase and gameday experience are some of my favorite in all of college football.

I’d chalk this up as the most underrated rivalry in the most fun to see as a an outsider. Going forward I wish it was just an event I could hit each year but likely that won’t be the case.

The Holy War once again delivered on every single level.

Full video and score dropping Wednesday on the @snapbacksports YT youtube.com/@snapbacksport… see you all there.

Bartle and I revisited the BYU-Utah game to breakdown the meaningful win from Saturday.

Give the @BlockcastPod a listen to get a feel for how the game played out, what the win means, and a look at the bigger picture.

youtube.com/watch?v=7vKjFQ…