SALT LAKE CITY — The rivalry game between Utah and BYU has nearly a decade of history. Although the schools are divided by less than 50 miles, the state is split, with fans either fiercely loyal to the Cougars or the Utes.
However, both coaching staffs have a history of working together. Most notably, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake worked alongside Morgan Scalley at Utah. A majority of their time overlapping was when Sitake was the defensive coordinator for the Utes from 2009-14, while Scalley worked under him as the safeties coach.
BYU-Utah rivalry takes center stage with Big 12 championship and playoff implications:
Now, Scalley is at the helm of his alma mater, and it'll be his first rivalry game as the Utes head coach on Saturday.
"Kalani (is) the ultimate competitor," Scalley said. "He and I are very alike in the sense that we love to have fun, we love to joke, but when it gets down to it and competing and you cross those lines, it's, 'Okay. It's time to win.'"
"I have a lot of love for Morgan Scalley," Sitake said. "He and I worked together for a decade. We cut our teeth together. We even thought maybe someday we could all be head coaches, but I don't know if we ever saw this happening. Where he's head coach of his alma mater, and I'm the same with my alma mater.
Both leaders expanded on what they want the rivalry to look like this year and going forward.
"It's mine and Kalani's hope that this thing can be more civil," Scalley said about the rivalry. "The hatred, the toxicity that is spewed from both sides, to me, it's not good for the rivalry. But what makes it great is it's competitive; it's the back and forth. Look at us, you know, in one state within 30 minutes of each other, and you're sitting here ranked in the Top 10. No other state can say that."
"There's tons of respect on both sides, and I have a lot of love for Utah," Sitake said. "And for the head coach and for the people there, those are still my friends, and I would not be in this position if it weren't for that school.
"All eyes will be in Salt Lake City, and that's what this game should all be about."