‘We have to flush it’: Utes turn attention to Colorado after emotional loss to BYU

Utah Utes running back Micah Bernard (2) walk slowly off the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. BYU won 22-21. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Every week around the country, college football teams pour everything into preparing for that Saturday’s game. From team meetings to film room to practice, it’s a grind that asks players to give their all every day, and it can make victories feel incredible and defeats crushing.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is even-keeled the majority of the time, never getting too high after a win or too low after a loss, and the program follows suit. After losing the rivalry game to BYU, however, it’s going to be a little more challenging than usual to put the emotions of the contest behind them and turn the page.

The rivalry game always carries a level of importance to both sides, especially this year, with the two teams meeting in conference play for the first time in over a decade and BYU entering the game undefeated.

This wasn’t a run-of-the-mill game for the Utes or Cougars, and Utah made sure every player knew what this rivalry was about, bringing in former players from Utah-BYU games past to fire up the team in the week leading up to Saturday. Combine that with a down-to-the-wire game that Utah thought it won twice before getting its heart ripped out after a holding penalty and a game-winning drive for BYU, and it’s understandable that it might be a little harder than usual to put the game in the rearview mirror.

“Yeah, that’s tough and that’s a challenge for us without a doubt. … Poured everything we had into that game obviously, as we do every week, but that game takes a little more of an emotional toll,” Whittingham said.

A win over the Cougars wouldn’t have just been a monumental upset and a new chapter of rivalry lore, but…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/flush-utes-turn-attention-colorado-223000467.html

Author : Deseret News

Publish date : 2024-11-13 22:30:00

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