It is officially bowl season as the college football postseason kicks off in Nevada with the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl between BYU and Utah who will put their long-standing rivalry on display once again. Both BYU and Utah had memorable seasons looking much improved. Utah managed to finish the regular season ranked No.22 and will look to end things on a high note as both teams enter the game with 9-3 records.
This bowl game will mark the 10th time head coach Kyle Whittingham and Bronco Mendenhall face off as both have long-standing history with one another. Mendenhall will be headed to Virginia next year to be the head coach of the Cavaliers, so this will be the last time the two coaches see one another in this fashion. Whittingham has traditionally gotten the better of Mendenhall, but the Cougars look to change that. With both BYU and Utah having solid bowl game records, this will be a solid game to kick off the postseason for college football.
BYU is 9-3 thanks to Tanner Mangum stepping in for Taysom Hill who fractured his foot in the season opener. That injury was predicted to be the end of BYU's season, but the team got past it and finished 9-3. Mangum has done a solid job in the role all year with 21 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. His 62.1 completion percentage has allowed the offense to thrive. Meanwhile Mitch Mathews has been a star at the wide receiver position as one of the team's graduating seniors. BYU will push the passing game after Mangum managed over 3,000 yards while Utah will get by with the ground game.
Utah will push their successful ground game to wear down the Cougars. Travis Wilson has taken on a large role with the offense in the later part of the season after Devontae Booker went down with a knee injury. Booker was ranked third in the Pac-12 with 1,261 yards and 11 touchdowns as his injury was a hit to the offense. That put pressure on Wilson and the passing game. He has been inconsistent, but has still managed a 62.4 completion percentage with 13 touchdowns, but he also has 10 interceptions on the year.
Utah got the win in Las Vegas last year and they hope to repeat history. BYU will not be an easy team to defeat as they can breakout the big plays against Utah.
