They Know the Shadow : Being 40 Miles From BYU Is Not Just a State of Mind for the Utes

They looked like scores of Brigham Young football games--41-6, 41-9, 38-0, 30-0 and 35-6.

And they were. In this case, the opposition was Utah.

However, what is startling, is that Utah was the winner in each case.

The games occurred from 1946-57 when Utah was 11-0-1 against BYU. How things have changed.

Utah, which plays San Diego State at Jack Murphy Stadium on Saturday night, is 1-12 its last 13 games against BYU. It no longer has the dominant football team in the state of Utah.

BYU, located 40 miles south of Utah’s Salt Lake City campus, has long been the No. 1 football team in the state and was ranked No. 1 in the nation last year. All Utah can do is sit in the shadows and hope for scraps of attention.

“Sometimes, it can become frustrating because of BYU’s national prominence and awards,” said Jim Fassel, the Utah coach. “On the other hand, the success is good for the WAC, recruiting and football in the state of Utah. People in our community and at the university remember the days when BYU was a pushover. The alums here remember when the BYU game was a joke for us. All of a sudden, the old guard is standing up and saying enough is enough. They are asking, ‘What does it take to get us back up?’ ”

For one thing, it has taken a coaching change after 5-6, 5-6 and 6-5-1 seasons. Fassel, a first-year head coach, has led the Utes to a 5-1 record this season.

Fassel was a Utah assistant coach in 1976 before moving on to assistant positions with Weber State, Stanford and the USFL’s team in Portland.

On his return to Utah, Fassel has noticed a big change. The alumni, it seems, are longing for those days when the University of Utah dominated football in the state of Utah.

Of course, Utah need not feel alone in being overshadowed by BYU. No WAC team has beaten BYU since 1982.

However, other WAC teams do not reside within the 40-mile shadow of BYU.

“People here are not taking a passive attitude,” Fassel said. “I’m in contact with a lot of people who want to write letters for recruits or donate more to the Crimson Club. Plus, getting a 5-0 start off the blocks before last week has helped rekindle interest. If we had started 0-5, a lot of people would’ve said, ‘We’re back with the same old garbage.’ ”

Utah’s 5-1 record seems like the same old thing to the pollsters. The Utes have not been ranked this season. BYU, also 5-1, is ranked ninth nationally.

BYU is ranked mainly on reputation, but its schedule is also noteworthy. The Cougars have played Boston College, UCLA, Washington, Temple, Colorado State and San Diego State. Utah is having a tough time building a reputation playing Boise State, Hawaii, Washington State, Texas El Paso, Wyoming and Arizona State.

“BYU gets all the publicity, and rightfully so,” Utah wide receiver Loren Richey said. “We went to Arizona State with a 5-0 record and didn’t feel respected. They said that we hadn’t played anybody.”

The Utes played a somebody at Arizona State and lost, 34-27. So much for their chance at a national ranking.

Utah is still tied with Air Force for the WAC lead at 3-0. Air Force, 6-0 overall, is ranked 10th in the country.

Within its own state, at least, Utah is getting some recognition. Fassel said his team’s newspaper and television coverage has been comparable to BYU’s. Now, if only the Utes could be like BYU . . . “I don’t know if we want to be like BYU in a lot of ways,” Fassel said. “On the other hand, they have been successful. That’s not unrealistic for us, too. BYU has special circumstances by sending players on two-year missions. We can’t do that. It gives them an advantage because their players are older.”

With a new program at Utah, Fassel expects it will be a while before the Utes reach BYU’s level. The Utes’ record may only be a mirage at this point.

“I don’t think any of us could realistically have expected this,” Fassel said. “You want to say that we can win all of these games. With a new staff, there are so many things to get done. Most coaches say it takes three or four years to get a program where you want it. I still believe it will take that long here.”

Then, maybe one day, Utah will be on the football map with BYU, just as it is now on the same regional map.

“When I first came here, everything was BYU,” said Richey, who played last year at El Camino College. “It was kind of like the hatred with UCLA and USC back home. We respect BYU, but nobody on our team likes them. I think we have to earn their respect. I get the impression that our BYU game is bigger to us than their Utah game is to them.”

Clarence Fields, a strong safety from San Diego’s Clairemont High, remembers when BYU was the only game that seemed to matter.

“In the past, it was like BYU was the game,” Fields said. “I think that was a major problem with this team. It was like we were more concerned with that game than any other game. This year, we are waiting until that game gets here before we think about it.”

When the BYU game comes, Utah will have plenty of scores to settle. But first, the Utes must concern themselves with SDSU and four other opponents.

Aztec Notes

Jim Fassel was the Cal State Long Beach quarterback when the 49ers beat SDSU, 12-7, on Nov. 13, 1971. Fassel completed 2 of 6 passes for 17 yards against the Don Coryell-coached Aztecs. Terry Metcalf, who would later play for Coryell with the St. Louis Cardinals, rushed for 130 yards in Long Beach’s 1971 win against the Aztecs.