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When Utah and BYU play at the Marriott Center on Saturday, it will have been just two weeks since the two men’s basketball rivals last faced each other.

In that matchup at the Huntsman Center back on Jan. 10, the Runnin’ Utes battled tough before falling to then-No. 9 BYU 84-79.

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“I’ve told our guys all year long, it’s fine to lose, but hopefully it’s not because we beat ourselves,” first-year Utah coach Alex Jensen said about what he recalls from that first game.

“Give credit to BYU, not to take anything away from them, but that’s been my message to them, ‘You’re better than you think you are.’ We’re capable of winning some of these games. I think it was encouraging. Rivalry games are fun. It was great to see the Huntsman Center full.”

The two-week span between games is uncommon in a historic rivalry wherein BYU has a slim 136-131 series record over the Runnin’ Utes — never in the modern era of college basketball, since the mid-1980s, have the two teams played two regular-season games this close together.

Back in the 1920s and 1930s, and even stretching some into the 1940s and 1950s, it was common for BYU and Utah to play each other on back-to-back days. The majority of the time, those games would be played at one venue, then switch to the other school’s arena for the next set of back-to-back games.

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In the modern era, BYU and Utah have faced each other less than two weeks apart between meetings, but all four times (1991, 1992, 1994, 2004) the second contest was part of a conference tournament.

This year, the No. 13 Cougars (16-2, 4-1 Big 12) and Utes (9-10, Big 12) are getting the rivalry matchups out of the way before the calendar flips to February.

This time, a raucous Marriott Center crowd is expected when BYU hosts Utah on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on Fox.

Both Jensen and BYU coach Kevin Young, with their NBA backgrounds, are more familiar with facing opponents multiple times in a short period of time.

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“It doesn’t happen a lot (in college), and Kevin’s a good coach. It’ll be interesting, because I think we’ll both try to make adjustments, and (we’ve) gotta be prepared if those don’t work, to have another one,” Jensen said.

In their first matchup, Utah junior guard Terrence Brown scored a game-high 25 points and added five assists, three rebounds and two blocked shots.

His guard mate, Don McHenry, had 21 points, two assists, two rebounds and a steal.

“I’ve been around so many people that live out here. They just take this rivalry so serious,” Brown said.

“Whether you’re from out here or not, it’s either you’re with Utah or you’re with BYU, so I definitely hear how much everybody takes it seriously, but at the same time I approach every game in the Big 12 the same. Every night’s a gauntlet.”

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Even though Utah got out to a 7-0 lead in the first matchup then rallied from 13 down in the second half to make it a one-possession game on several occasions, BYU’s experience and talent won out with a group led by AJ Dybantsa, Rob Wright III and Richie Saunders.

Dybantsa had 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, Saunders put up 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds (six offensive), while Wright added 23 points and six assists.

“AJ is who he is, but I think Richie is still underrated. His offensive rebounds at the end of the game were a big difference,” Jensen said.

“You got to (defend them) collectively. They’re going to score. We’re not going to hold them scoreless, but we got to do our best to determine where and when they get those shots.”

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On Utah’s side, nearly everyone — outside of Jensen and junior forward Keanu Dawes — was new to the rivalry when they faced two weeks ago, and playing at the Marriott Center will again be a fresh experience.

The Utes are going into the contest as heavy underdogs — KenPom favors BYU by 19 points.

“I heard it’s pretty loud. The fans are pretty great down there,” Brown said, “so definitely I look forward to being down there. I heard how much their fans (support) their hometown team.”

Being a part of the Big 12 has given Utah experience already in high-pressure road situations. While they weren’t rivalry games, the Utes competed in hostile environments at Kansas State and Texas Tech over the past two weeks.

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Brown, the Fairleigh Dickinson transfer who’s grown into a leadership role for the Utes, understands his job in helping Utah stay composed when it faces a rowdy road atmosphere.

“Just keeping my composure coming into the game, trying to settle down, not get too riled up. Obviously playing to the crowd, but not getting too into the crowd where I’m feeling sped up,” Brown said of handling the adversity.

“And just listen to what coach has for us for the game plan, and make sure I execute it, being a point guard, and make sure all of my teammates are composed.”

Utah has settled into an eight-man rotation, though it’s still waiting for the returns of Jacob Patrick and Lucas Langarita. Patrick hasn’t played since Dec. 6 due to an unspecified injury, and Langarita, a midyear addition from Spain, was hurt in the first game against BYU and played just four minutes.

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They won’t be back for Saturday’s matchup — both are already listed as “out” on the Big 12 availability report — but Jensen said “they’re getting better” without defining any sort of timetable.

For the Utes, the focus is controlling the things they can control as they face BYU again, and avoid damaging lulls.

“We had a great start (last time). We’ve had bad starts and good starts. We’ve got to start the game off well, especially against a team like BYU,” Jensen said.

“But those lulls, we have those too many two, three minute lulls where we just lose our mind and we turn one mistake into two and three and then it’s an 8-2 run or a 10-4 run.

“It’s hard to get back against a team like BYU with that, so just limiting those (and) don’t turn one mistake into two or three.”

Longtime college football fans in the state of Utah will never forget what transpired in December 2004, a crazy month that altered the landscape of the sport in the Beehive State forever, as it were.

A series of decisions, most notably Urban Meyer’s choice to leave Utah for Florida after two seasons in Salt Lake City and BYU’s desire to part ways with Gary Crowton after four seasons in Provo, triggered a chain of events that left the Utes and Cougars fighting over Kyle Whittingham and eventually brought notable names such as Gary Andersen, Kalani Sitake, Bronco Mendenhall, Jay Hill and Aaron Roderick into one of the most intense and intertwined rivalries in the country.

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Flash forward to late December 2025 and early January 2026. Has history repeated itself?

Another couple of crazy weeks have shaken the foundation of college football throughout Utah, and once again, Whittingham was in the middle of it.

After announcing he was stepping down after 21 years at Utah, Whittingham, 66, shook the college football world by taking the vacant Michigan job the day after Christmas, and dramatic changes have followed — even more than in 2004, if that is possible.

To those seemingly unrepeatable weeks a little more than 21 years ago, new Michigan man Whittingham has told everyone to hold his dirty soda — to put a Utah-flavored spin on the situation.

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Then holy heck broke loose.

It immediately got messy at Utah and BYU, and then reached into the coaching staffs at Utah State and Weber State, as Whittingham turned to his coaching tree to build his staff at the Big Ten school with more financial resources than the Utes and Cougars.

Utah’s “head-coach-in-waiting” plan was originally established so there would be a smooth transition from Whittingham, who won two Pac-12 championships over his 21 years, to his understudy — 10-year defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley. The plan was for Whittingham to transition into an athletic department advisory role that would have paid him $3.45 million per year for two years for being “a special assistant to the athletic director,” according to the most recent contract amendment he signed in 2024.

It turned out to be anything but smooth, partly because Whittingham not only lured coaches away from Scalley’s staff, but valuable players, as well, in this day and age of the transfer portal and NIL, factors that didn’t exist back in 2004.

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Scalley, who was promised he would one day become head coach at his alma mater, turned down defensive coordinator jobs from some of the country’s most storied programs — including Texas, Oregon, Florida and USC, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel — to continue calling Utah’s defense.

When the time came for Whittingham to retire, the Utes believed there would be a seamless changeover, a passing of the torch from the greatest coach in the program’s history to a younger coach who had patiently waited for more than two decades for his chance.

For years, the plan seemed like it would work. Then Whittingham made the decision to continue coaching, a decision that will rock the state’s college football picture for years to come. It was a decision that nobody outside of Whittingham’s circle, and few inside it, saw coming.

Enter Michigan

Whittingham did not say the word “retire” when he announced he was stepping down, nor did he mention publicly that he had the desire to continue coaching. Whether he informed the university that he wanted to continue coaching at that time is unclear. A Deseret News request via GRAMA for communication between the parties had not been fulfilled by the university as of Friday. The school has indicated that they won’t be available until February.

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At his introductory news conference in Orlando on Dec. 28, after he had publicly acknowledged accepting the Michigan job the day before, Whittingham said that he “wasn’t sure” if he was finished coaching football when he announced on Dec. 12 that he was stepping down at Utah.

“I knew there was a lot left in the tank. You could count on one hand the number of schools that I would be receptive to. Michigan was one of those schools,” he said. “Definitely a top-five job in the country, without a doubt. When the ball started rolling and the more I learned about Michigan, the more excited I got. I am elated to be here.”

Suddenly, all that happened way back in 2004 pales in comparison to Whittingham’s move some 1,600 miles away from the place where he was seemingly on his way to putting his likeness on the state’s coaching Mount Rushmore alongside the likes of LaVell Edwards, Rick Majerus, Jennifer Rockwood and Jerry Sloan.

BYU’s staff is affected, but nothing like Utah’s

Obviously, the school most affected by Whittingham’s decision was Utah. Instead of seamlessly handing off the baton to Scalley and triumphantly riding off into the sunset, perhaps posing for a statue to adorn the outside of Rice-Eccles Stadium along the way, Whittingham has become a pariah in some circles, an astounding turn of events for the onetime BYU linebacker who had been involved in Utah’s program since 1994, working under Ron McBride.

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Not only did Whittingham take six Utah assistants, four Utah players and a Utah recruit (Salesi Moa) with him, he reached into his former hometown of Provo and took BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill (see above) and cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford with him to Ann Arbor. Regarding players, Whittingham said in Orlando that he wouldn’t “tamper with anybody,” because “that’s not my style.”

However, he noted, “If a player that we have interest in enters the portal, that is a whole different ball game. … So why not Michigan, if it is a good fit?” Unless they have added a “do not contact” tag to their transfer portal profile, players in the portal are fair game.

It was feared by BYU fans that several BYU defensive stars such as safety Faletau Satuala, cornerback Evan Johnson and linebacker Isaiah Glasker would follow the BYU assistants to Provo, but it simply didn’t happen, probably because of the culture that head coach Kalani Sitake has established in Provo. It should also be noted that BYU has shown the ability to financially compete favorably for top prospects as well.

One BYU player, reserve linebacker Max Alford, did hit the transfer portal and headed out to Michigan, but his uncle was already on the staff, retained UM running backs coach Tony Alford.

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The Utes have been weakened by the move, obviously. Intended, or not, Whittingham has drained Utah of talent and experience more than any other school from which his Michigan program has drawn players.

Hill and Gilford definitely made their marks on BYU’s defense the past few years, but whether BYU has been considerably weakened probably remains to be seen. Sitake replaced Hill with special teams coordinator and edge rushers coach Kelly Poppinga, and brought in former SUU head coach Demario Warren from Boise State to replace Gilford.

A quick perusal of message boards and social media sites shows that Utah fans are collectively angrier about what Whittingham did than BYU fans, not surprisingly.

For the past few years, it was believed that Utah’s culture of toughness and family and the program’s propensity for finding under-the-radar players and developing them would continue under Scalley, who had planned to keep almost all of Utah’s staff intact, and keep almost all of its best players.

Whittingham’s decision muddied the waters

For years prior to Whittingham’s departure, recruits and incoming transfers were informed that it would be Scalley’s show whenever Whittingham decided to hang up his whistle.

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“Man, I am very confident in Scalley. When I came here on my visit, that was someone I talked to and he let me know the rundown when the time comes,” said Utah quarterback Devon Dampier. “He had his full belief in me and my talent, and so I am perfectly fine where I’m at.”

“As I’ve said many times after last season, it just didn’t sit right with anybody, particularly me, and so I came back and fortunately we were able to get the ship right and everything’s on track. Program, like I said, is in a good spot. Got good coaches, coach (Morgan) Scalley will come in and do a great job. Got good players, so now is the time (to step down).”

former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham

On Dec. 13, Scalley was officially named the school’s next head coach, with Whittingham still scheduled to lead the Utes into the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31. Then Whittingham was supposed to transition into a well-paid two-year athletic department advisory role.

“Well, the program is in a good place right now,” Whittingham said in what would be his final media availability as Utah’s coach.

“As I’ve said many times after last season, it just didn’t sit right with anybody, particularly me, and so I came back and fortunately we were able to get the ship right and everything’s on track. Program, like I said, is in a good spot. Got good coaches, coach (Morgan) Scalley will come in and do a great job. Got good players, so now is the time (to step down).”

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In that same interview, however, Whittingham kept the coaching door open. Shortly after that, Michigan fired coach Sherrone Moore, and after striking out on a couple other candidates, the Wolverines turned to Whittingham.

Seven days later, the coach who many believed would retire as a Utah Man was hired to be Michigan’s Man, triggering dramatic changes throughout the state and draining Scalley of plenty of talent.

Utah, BYU fans have mixed emotions

Naturally, the move and subsequent fallout sparked a firestorm online, as Utah, BYU, Utah State and other college football fans rushed to the internet to express their opinions.

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Here’s a sampling:

• “Who would have thought Kyle Whittingham would be the one to bring BYU and Utah fans together (in shared animosity), even just for a few weeks?” wrote BYU fan Nello Pesci of Alpine on X.

• Noted Utah fan Eric T. Lund on X: “Change is inevitable. Whitt lit the fuse that started this whole chain of events in motion. It is finally here now. It will be interesting to finally see Utah with more of a passing dimension to its offense. The Las Vegas Bowl gave us a sneak peek of what’s coming.”

• BYU fan Aaron Palmer, of Idaho, perhaps summed up the feelings of most BYU fans, saying he understands why Hill, in particular, made the move. “I think the principles/theory Hill installed defense-wise can be carried on by the coaches who learned under him,” Palmer wrote on X. “I am not too worried. … With Kalani signing a long-term deal, his path to being (head coach) is much better from Michigan.”

• Then there was this unique perspective from a fan with the handle @chuggachoo33 on X: “Our fam has been Michigan fans first and BYU fans second. Never in a million years did we think we’d see Whittingham/Hill taking over (in Ann Arbor). We are so sad about Hill leaving. Hill completely changed BYU the last two years! Kalani is great, but let’s be honest, the defense was the game-changer.”

• Noted Chadwick Bowen: “Everything that has happened, I blame squarely on Mark Harlan.”

Michigan lucks out in more ways than one

Landing the well-accomplished Whittingham was a stroke of luck for Michigan, which has experienced more than its share of scandals the past decade, most notably in the Jim Harbaugh and Moore eras.

Stunningly, the coach who hadn’t had a job outside of Utah since 1993 was suddenly a Michigan Man.

Harlan said that Whittingham’s decision to step down was “a mutual understanding that now was just a good time for him to step down.” Harlan also said that Whittingham, whose contract at Utah ran through 2027, didn’t ask for a contract extension.

For his part, Whittingham said multiple times after stepping down that he didn’t want to “overstay his welcome” at the school.

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But he wasn’t done coaching, and signed a five-year deal with Michigan.

“Well, I signed a five-year contract (at Michigan). What I made (as) a mistake at Utah is when they started asking me about retirement, and I started answering questions and giving my own thing,” Whittingham said. “I am not that old. I am 66. It is not that old. I feel like I got enough energy and juice to see this through.”

Back in Utah, instead of the planned smooth transition, Scalley was immediately in a tug-of-war with his former boss.

As most coaches moving on to new jobs do, Whittingham wanted to take the people that had been an integral part of his success at Utah, while Scalley fought to keep those that helped with an 11-2 season in Salt Lake City.

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In the end, the allure of coaching at Michigan — not to mention increased pay — won out for six of Utah’s former coaches.

Scalley scrambles to keep his staff, players

On New Year’s Day, after Utah defeated Nebraska 44-22 in Scalley’s debut as head coach, offensive coordinator Jason Beck, offensive line coach Jim Harding, tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham, receivers coach Micah Simon, quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. and defensive ends coach Lewis Powell left for Ann Arbor.

In particular, the loss of Beck — a rising star in the coaching world — was a blow.

Beck helped transform Utah’s offense into one of the best in the country, guiding the Utes to 41.2 points per game (No. 5 in the nation) and 266.3 rushing yards per game (No. 2 in the nation).

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On the offensive side of the ball, every coach except running backs coach Mark Atuaia left to join Michigan. On defense, Utah was able to retain defensive tackles coach Luther Elliss and cornerbacks/special teams coach Sharrieff Shah, while promoting linebackers coach Colton Swan to defensive coordinator.

Instead of continuity, Scalley was handed more of a rebuild.

Scalley swiftly put together his coaching staff.

He hired Utah State’s Kevin McGiven as his new offensive coordinator, with the selling point being that it will be a similar offense to Beck’s.

Scalley also inked Baylor’s Inoke Breckterfield to coach defensive ends, Mississippi State’s Chad Bumphis to coach receivers, former Ute star Jordan Gross to coach the offensive line, San Jose State’s Derrick Odum to coach safeties, Kansas State’s Luke Wells to coach tight ends and Oregon State’s Ryan Gunderson to coach quarterbacks.

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Why Whittingham plundered Utah for players

When the dust settled, four Utah starters decided to leave for Michigan — cornerback Smith Snowden, tight end/wide receiver JJ Buchanan, defensive tackle Jonah Lea’ea and defensive end John Henry Daley, who began his college career at BYU.

Just when the Utes thought that was the extent of the damage, four-star receiver/safety Salesi Moa — the second-highest-rated commit in Utah history, according to 247Sports — bolted to Michigan.

Moa had enrolled at Utah earlier in January, leading Utah to believe he was locked in, but changed his mind and entered the transfer portal to join Whittingham’s new team.

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For Utah fans — and even athletics leadership — that appeared to be the boiling point.

In a since-deleted post on X responding to the Moa news, Harlan said, “Well, he was with us in class for a (last) week. Public announcement … seen it all now (probably not).”

Five players isn’t a particularly large number, especially compared to other coaches that have changed jobs, but each of those were impact players that Utah will have to replace.

Longtime college football scribes weigh in

Several longtime newspaper sportswriters and columnists — Dick Harmon of the Deseret News, the retired Kurt Kragthorpe of The Salt Lake Tribune and the retired Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News — agreed recently to give some context and perspective to the happenings of the past month. All three lifelong Utah residents agreed that we have never witnessed this kind of earthshaking movement of the state’s college football scene, although the 2004 happenings are a close second.

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“In my six decades of following college football in the state, along with nearly four decades as a sportswriter, I’ve never seen such far-reaching repercussions from one person’s decision,” noted Sorensen. “Kyle Whittingham’s decision affected all four major programs in the state, not only with the coaches and players leaving Utah, but Utah State and Weber State as well. Are there any others I missed?”

Indeed, after losing offensive coordinator McGiven to Utah, second-year Utah State coach Mendenhall replaced him with a familiar name — former BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae. The Aggies then plucked receivers coach Skyler Ridley from Weber State, and the dominoes kept falling. Another new Weber State assistant, former BYU and Wildcats cornerback Eddie Heckard, left rookie college coach Eric Kjar’s staff to reunite with Hill and Gilford in Michigan.

It goes on and on.

Sorensen: Surprised by Whittingham’s move

“I can still remember (Whittingham) saying something like, ‘Shoot me if I’m still coaching in my 60s’ early in his Utah career,” Sorensen said. “Of course, after getting older myself, I can understand how one’s feelings can change when one doesn’t feel as old as the number on the birth certificate. But I really thought he was ready to kick back and spend more time golfing, riding his Harley and shopping at Costco.”

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Sorensen believes Whittingham was seriously planning to retire from coaching altogether after the season, but had such a good year and had such a strong team coming back that he reconsidered “and felt like he had at least another year” in him.

“But the Utah administrators were apparently ready for a change and nudged him out the door,” Sorensen said. “Some Utah fans are bitter about Whittingham leaving Utah and taking several coaches and players with him and believe he is trying to hurt the Ute program. He might be upset with Mark Harlan, but I think he’s simply looking out for himself and his new job at Michigan. Do you really expect him to be nice to Morgan Scalley by not raiding his best players?”

Sorensen said due to all the drastic changes in college sports, he finds himself “less interested in college sports, which seems to be entirely run by money now.”

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Harmon: Past month’s carnage was significant

Harmon lived through the madness of late 2004, and will never forget that crazy night when BYU was within a whisker of landing Whittingham to replace Crowton. Still, this past month takes the cake.

“That 2004 deal is as close as it has come to this,” Harmon said. “In 2004, Kyle gave a verbal commitment to BYU vice president Fred Skousen to be the (BYU) head coach, and changed his mind after meeting with (Utah) players, and accepted a raise to stay.

“I remember being involved in a published story that (said) he would be at BYU. It changed in four or five hours,” Harmon continued. “As crazy as that was, the upheaval of this deal is unprecedented. So many coaches have moved, from Logan, Salt Lake City and Provo. It was remarkable.”

Immediately after Jason Beck followed Whittingham to Michigan, a Salt Lake City radio personality went on the air for a day projecting BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick would end up at Utah with Morgan Scalley, Harmon recalls.

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“Piggybacking off that, a TV sportscaster postulated Roderick would end up at Utah and take (BYU) QB Bear Bachmeier with him,” Harmon said. “Never happened.”

Now that would have really fired up BYU fans. Bachmeier announced on Jan. 7 that he was returning to BYU, which has done a remarkable job with roster retention in the face of so many local and national changes.

How Morgan Scalley has rebuilt the program

For their part, the Utes held onto arguably their three most important offensive players — quarterback Devon Dampier, quarterback Byrd Ficklin and running back Wayshawn Parker. Linebacker Johnathan Hall, cornerback Scooby Davis and safety Jackson Bennee were key pieces retained on the defensive side of the ball.

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That gives the Utes a solid foundation going into next season, but between graduation, the NFL draft and the transfer portal, Utah will be replacing 17 starters or heavy rotation players next season.

Between the starting lineup turnover and the amount of coaches leaving, Scalley’s first will be less of a continuation of the Whittingham era and more of a fresh start.

Most Utah fans expected Whittingham to take assistant coaches with him to Michigan. All of those coaches had a choice to stay at Utah, too, but made their own decisions to make the move to Michigan, whether it was for increased pay or the chance to move up the career ladder at one of the preeminent Big Ten programs.

After some of the Utes’ best players began to transfer to Michigan, however, some Utah fans began to sour on Whittingham.

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As Michigan’s new head coach, Whittingham has one job, and that’s to put the Wolverines in the best position to win football games. He believes bringing some of his best coaches and players with him will help accomplish his goal.

From Whittingham’s point of view, if his moves hurt Utah — and, in turn, his protégé and former player in Scalley — that’s an unfortunate byproduct of him trying to build a championship team in Ann Arbor. Whittingham was loyal to Utah for 21 years, but now, his allegiance is to Michigan, and Michigan only.

Some Utah fans, however, feel betrayed by Whittingham’s actions — especially in the transfer portal. The coach that promised to leave the program in “a good spot” for Scalley has done anything but that — his new program has actively had a hand in taking talent away from his old program.

That’s college football in the transfer portal era.

Whittingham isn’t doing anything completely out of the norm for coaches moving to a new job, but it’s understandable why Utah fans aren’t exactly clamoring for a statue to be built in his honor in 2026.

If Scalley can find success in his first few seasons at Utah, this latest saga will become water under the bridge at some point, and Whittingham will return to Rice-Eccles Stadium and be honored by the program he helped grow.

“There will be a time and a place to celebrate everything he brought to this university,” Harlan said.

Right now, that day feels far away.

Harmon: Massive roster changes new normal

“I can totally understand how fans would be upset, feel betrayed and express anger on social media,” said Harmon, who outlined many of the changes in this article. “But this is how it goes in college football. It is part of the business. Utah State has gone through so much of this in basketball and football over the years. Utah and BYU have had a luxury of coaching continuity. This is not normal.

“Obviously, this whole ordeal began when Michigan coach Sherrone Moore was fired for having an illicit affair with a staffer, creating a late opening at one of the top jobs in the country. Whittingham told the Deseret News on Dec. 28 that there were only a handful of coaching jobs he would consider once he decided that there was a lot left in the tank.

“I guess if you are looking for who to blame … I would say aside from Michigan’s coach, the Utah administration is to blame because of how Whittingham was dealt with when he decided to keep coaching,” Harmon said. “If he had felt welcomed and supported to continue, none of these shifts with in-state coaching duties would have occurred.”

Harmon, who covered Whittingham when he was an all-conference linebacker at BYU, said he wasn’t surprised that Whittingham raided the staffs at Utah and BYU because “we have a very unusual incestuous coaching situation in the state of Utah (with Whittingham, Sitake and Mendenhall) all employing assistants who are in a very small coaching circle, overlapping experiences at each school. It seems when these guys need help, they look to a very close circle. … But the carnage of this past month was unheard of.”

Harmon says he “feels sorry” for Scalley, but “totally gets why Kyle did what he did.”

Kragthorpe: Coaching succession plans rarely go seamlessly

If anybody knows anything about college football coaching history in Utah, it is Kragthorpe, the son and brother of former head coaches Dave Kragthorpe (South Dakota State, Idaho State, Oregon State) and the late Steve Kragthorpe (Tulsa, Louisville), who died in 2024 from complications of Parkinson’s disease.

“I thrive on this stuff,” says Kurt Kragthorpe. “I love to do ‘Kevin Bacon’ degrees of separation with my brother’s career, especially.”

For instance, there’s this little interesting tidbit: Steve Kragthorpe gave the deposed Moore his first college coaching job of any kind back in 2009 when he was at Louisville, making Moore a graduate assistant with the Cardinals. That same year, Steve Kragthorpe started walk-on redshirt freshman quarterback Will Stein in two games. Stein was recently named Kentucky’s head coach.

As a Tribune columnist in 2004, Kurt Kragthorpe provided plenty of commentary when Whittingham chose Utah over BYU. Coincidentally, one of the players who was instrumental in convincing Whittingham to stay at Utah was Scalley, ironically enough.

For BYU and Utah to have job openings at the same time was “crazy enough,” Kragthorpe notes, but it was also unusual that Utah State’s position was vacant as well. The Aggies hired Brent Guy to replace Mick Dennehy. Four years later, USU replaced Guy with Gary Andersen — who is now a defensive analyst under Sitake at BYU.

“Think about the career trajectories of some guys who were affected by that series of hirings (in 2004): Gary Andersen was promoted to defensive coordinator at Utah, while Jay Hill moved into a full-time job (cornerbacks, co-special teams coordinator) with the Utes and Kalani Sitake (inside linebackers) and Aaron Roderick (receivers) moved from Southern Utah to Utah,” Kragthorpe says. “I remember how a lot of people thought Utah shouldn’t be settling for ‘SUU guys.’ But look at them now.”

More fallout from 2004: Whittingham’s choice to stay at Utah enabled Mendenhall to be promoted at BYU. Mendenhall hired Robert Anae from Mike Leach’s staff at Texas Tech as BYU’s offensive coordinator.

“Ironic that Mendenhall and Anae would now have those jobs at USU,” Kragthorpe says.

Kragthorpe notes that also in December 2004, Weber State hired Ron McBride, two years after Utah fired him.

Did anybody see this upheaval coming?

Kragthorpe says the variable that nobody saw coming when Whittingham stepped down was that he would take another job.

“Did anyone, anywhere mention that as a possibility as Utah’s 2025 season wound down? It was always either retiring, or one more year, right? Or I thought he might coach an NFL defensive line or something, if he was that bent on coaching,” Kragthorpe said. “When it came down to that week, all the big-time college jobs were filled, except … Michigan suddenly became open, thanks to Sherrone Moore’s off-field issues just now being discovered. So the timing of it all was uncanny, to use one of LaVell Edwards’ favorite words.”

One of Kragthorpe’s other takeaways is that all this recent stuff is a reminder that “a succession plan rarely goes seamlessly” and, in this case, it certainly has not.

“Even apart from Morgan Scalley having the ‘coach-in-waiting’ clause taken away and restored again in the past six years, it’s somehow not surprising that this whole thing didn’t play out completely smoothly,” Kragthorpe says. “Also worth noting that in another era, even earlier this decade, Utah would have lost some coaches to Michigan, but not significant players. So the existence of the transfer portal definitely magnifies the impact of Whittingham’s move.”

And amplifies Utah fans’ anger.

In the press conference following the Jan. 20 win over Air Force, Colorado State men’s basketball coach Ali Farokhmanesh was asked about the next game for the Rams.

Utah State is up next and it wasn’t long ago those teams played for the first time this season. That was Dec. 20 when everything went sideways for CSU.

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Star Kyle Jorgensen went down injured minutes into the game and the Rams were overwhelmed in a stunning 100-58 blowout loss. Jorgensen’s injury absence clearly impacted CSU’s slow start to Mountain West play.

Now he’s back and the Rams get a shot at Utah State. Is the locker room feeling some extra focus and motivation after the first matchup? Farokhmanesh was posed that question. He paused, deliberated and his succinct answer likely belies the full feeling the team has.

“Yeah, we remember it,” the coach said.

It will be a big night in Moby Arena for CSU.

Here’s a look at everything to know about the CSU men’s basketball game against Utah State:

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What time does Utah State vs Colorado State basketball start?

• Date: Jan. 23

• Start time: 8 p.m. MT

The game between Colorado State and Utah State will begin at 8 p.m. Mountain from Moby Arena in Fort Collins.

How can you watch Colorado State vs Utah State basketball on TV, online?

• On TV: FS1

• Online: Fox Sports Go app, Fubo

The CSU at Boise State men’s basketball game will be broadcast nationally on FS1.

How to find Fox Sports 1 (FS1)

• Comcast/Xfinity: Channel 408 (777 for HD)

• DirecTV: Channel 219

• Dish Network: Channel 150

• Fort Collins Connexion: Channel 55

• The broadcast can also be livestreamed through FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports Go app or via Fubo.

How to listen on the radio

The CSU vs. Utah State game can be heard on FM 99.1 with play-by-play from Brian Roth and analysis by Adam Nigon.

Who are the coaches?

Utah State is led by Jerrod Calhoun, who is in his second season with the Aggies. He’s 41-11 at Utah State and 159-117 overall as a Division I head coach.

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CSU is led by Ali Farokhmanesh, who is in his first season as a head coach. He had been a CSU assistant since 2018 under former head coach Niko Medved. Farokhmanesh is 12-7.

What are the records?

Utah State is 15-3 overall and 6-2 in Mountain West play. The Aggies are coming off back-to-back losses, the last an 86-76 home defeat to UNLV.

CSU is 12-7 overall and 3-5 in Mountain West play. The Rams are coming off an 81-52 win over Air Force.

Utah State vs Colorado State betting odds

Utah State is a 4.5-point favorite, according to BetMGM.

Stadium information

The game will be at Moby Arena in Fort Collins. Moby has a capacity of 8,093.

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Tickets are available at CSURams.com/tickets. CSU is calling it the “stripe out” game with fans encouraged to either wear green or white based on their section.

Green is for sections: D, F, H, J, L, N, P and students. White is for sections C, E, G, M, O, Q and R.

What do the metrics say?

Colorado State is No. 90 in KenPom’s rankings and Utah State is No. 34. KenPom’s metrics project a 78-75 win for Utah State. CSU is No. 97 in Bart Torvik’s T-Rank and Utah State is No. 32. Torvik’s metrics project a 78-74 Utah State win.

In the NCAA’s NET rankings, Utah State is No. 26 and CSU is No. 92.

Who are key players to watch?

UTAH STATE

• Mason Falslev: The 6-foot-4 guard is second on the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game and leads the Mountain West with 43 steals. He had 18 points against CSU in the first matchup of the season.

• MJ Collins Jr.: The 6-foot-4 guard leads the Mountain West in scoring at 19.3 points per game and is hitting 43% of his 3-pointers. Collins had 15 points against CSU in the first game in just 21 minutes played.

• Garry Clark: The 6-foot-9 forward averages 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

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COLORADO STATE

• Kyle Jorgensen: The 6-foot-9 forward returned to the starting lineup last game after being out since he was injured early in the first matchup against Utah State. He was CSU’s leading scorer at the time of his injury. Jorgensen is averaging 12.6 points per game and shooting 62% from the field and 49% from 3-point range.

• Rashaan Mbemba: Also recently back from injury, the 6-foot-7 big started alongside Jorgensen for the first time all season last game. He is 11-15 (73%) shooting in his three starts.

• Jevin Muniz: The 6-foot-6 wing recently moved to the bench as part of a lineup shift with Farokhmanesh hoping his playmaking ability will add depth and scoring ability deeper into the lineup. Muniz is third in the Mountain West at 4.5 assists per game. His ball-handling will be key against Utah State’s high-pressure defense.

Sports reporter Kevin Lytle can be found on social media on X, Instagram and Threads @Kevin_Lytle and on Bluesky.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: What channel is Utah State vs Colorado State basketball on today? Time, TV

On the third day of the 2026 legislative session, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox encouraged lawmakers to address some of Utah’s most pressing issues, like housing, education and social media policies, but he also asked them to pursue happiness — as the Founding Fathers had.

The Thursday evening address was attended by lawmakers from both chambers, statewide elected officials and members of the state Supreme Court. As the country approaches its 250th birthday, the governor leaned heavily into the teachings of the nation’s founders.

“Conventional thinking today defines ‘the pursuit of happiness’ as something like the pursuit of pleasure or materialism, but that’s not what the founders meant,” Cox said. “To the founders, the pursuit of happiness had everything to do with character, self-mastery, moral formation and a life oriented toward purpose and public service. Happiness wasn’t feeling good — it was being good.”

In his remarks, Cox asked that lawmakers consider limiting the number of bills they run, noting there’s been a significant increase in the number of bills run in recent years.

“We are still working to implement the 582 bills passed last session,” the governor said.

He commended Rep. Stephen Whyte, R-Mapleton, who, Cox said, “had several bills he was planning to run this year. However, after calls to different cabinet members, he was able to find solutions and drop those bills.”

In the lead-up to the session, much of Cox’s policy focus has been on literacy and banning cell phones during school hours.

“Nearly half of our third graders are not reading at grade level — and too many of those children never catch up,” he said. “That should concern us because reading is how people learn to think and govern themselves. A society that cannot read cannot reason together, and when reasoning breaks down, power rushes in to fill the void.”

Cox described literacy as “moral infrastructure” and thanked Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden, and Rep. Karen Peterson, R-Clinton, for taking the lead on literacy bills.

“We desperately need a bell-to-bell phone ban in schools across Utah,” he said. “Let’s give the school day, the full school day, back to kids to learn, connect and just be kids again.”

As he concluded his speech, Cox spoke to the national political environment.

“Patiently built in an unforgiving desert, our state has become perhaps the greatest success story of the American experiment,” Cox said. But he warned that “dark clouds are building all around us,” referring to political polarization and contempt.

“Honestly, we see it in both major political parties and those who represent us at the national level, making a mockery of Franklin’s virtues — rewarding grift, rejecting decency, and wantonly tearing down the very institutions that made us the envy of every nation,” Cox told lawmakers.

“Have faith in America,” the governor concluded. “Have faith in Utah. And always — have faith.”

In their response to the governor’s address, Democratic leaders from both chambers focused on addressing economic uncertainty and social programs to support Utah families.

“We cannot call our economy strong when children are going hungry, when housing is out of reach, or when parents are forced to choose between childcare and a paycheck,” Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, said. “Utah prides itself on being a family state. That has to mean more than words. It means showing up for families in real ways and building a future where they don’t just get by, but truly succeed.”

House Minority Leader Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, addressed several recent shootings in the state in her own remarks.

“Moments like those remind us that people deserve to feel safe when they’re gathering with their neighbors, attending school or church, or exercising their First Amendment rights through peaceful assembly and free speech,” Romero said. “Community safety means taking threats seriously and being willing to have honest conversations about sensible gun safety laws.”

Following the speech, Senate President J. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said Cox’s address “showcased how Utah’s strength is built on its character.”

“As we celebrate 250 years of the great American experiment,” Adams said in his statement, “Utah continues to lead by example, proving that responsible leadership, limited government and shared values deliver freedom and lasting prosperity.”

Read a copy of the governor’s full speech below:

Note to readers • The Salt Lake Tribune is making this story about the Utah Legislature free to all. Donate to support our nonprofit newsroom.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SANDY, Utah (ABC4) — The woman accused of striking and killing a 44-year-old man at a crosswalk in Sandy has been charged. Documents say she was six times over Utah’s blood alcohol limit.

Zoe Blankenstein, 55, of Draper, has been charged with automobile homicide, interfering with a police officer, having an open container or drinking alcohol in a vehicle, and failing to obey a stop sign.

On Jan. 15, just before 7 p.m., 44-year-old Joshua Perry was walking in the crosswalk at 1000 E and 11000 S, near Alta High School, in Sandy. A vehicle ran the stop sign and struck Perry, causing him to be thrown into another vehicle and critically injured.

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in Sandy dies, driver booked for impaired driving

Medical crews responded and transported Perry to the hospital, but he was ultimately pronounced deceased.

At the scene of the crash, law enforcement located the vehicle that struck Perry, and reportedly found that the driver was Blankenstein. She told officers that she was driving home from celebrating her birthday at the Tin Roof Grill.

Despite there only being stop signs at the crosswalk, Blankenstein allegedly stated that she saw the light turn green and started driving when she suddenly struck a person who “came out of nowhere.”

Blankenstein was having difficulty maintaining her balance and had slurred speech. She declined to perform any sobriety tests, and officers say that she resisted being arrested, even urinating on herself and the officers’ shoes.

Fatal crash at ‘troubled’ Sandy City intersection sparks demands for change, community speaks out

Ultimately, Blankenstein was transported to the Sandy City Police Department for questioning. Police performed a blood draw test, and her toxicology report showed that she had a blood alcohol level of 0.309, which is six times Utah’s limit of 0.05.

During an interview with police, the 55-year-old allegedly admitted that she had started drinking around 4 p.m., but only had one beer and left the restaurant around 7 p.m. She told police she was under the influence of alcohol.

Blankenstein continued to tell officers that she struck Perry while driving, but claimed he “came out of nowhere” and repeatedly mentioned that he was wearing dark clothing.

The Sandy City Police Department searched Blankenstein’s vehicle and allegedly located a tumbler-style cup that was “full of amber-colored liquid that smelled like beer.”

Blankenstein was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.

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One look at the injury report, and it was clear that the Utah Jazz were welcoming Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio into the Delta Center for a 48-minute formality. We can do the whole song and dance, or you can kindly take your victory and go.

No Lauri Markkanen, as he is still absent with the bubonic plague, or polio, or smallpox, or whatever illness has kept him sidelined for the past chunk of games. Cody Williams and Svi Mykhailiuk were officially in the starting lineup for this one, but with Keyonte George fresh off a 43-point season-high, and Jusuf Nurkic having just posted a triple-double in the same century win for head coach Will Hardy.

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But that was the only win Utah had picked up without the Finnisher to that point in the season, and it took all-world performances from George, Nurkic, and a 15-point fourth quarter comeback. Still, with all the confidence of a wild west gunslinger standing 20 paces from Fingerless Floyd at high noon, Keyonte George is enjoying the type of season where he can seemingly beat anybody when he’s on his game.

Keyonte George is often on his game these days.

So, it’s sort of challenging to define expectations for the Utah Jazz as the 2nd-best team in the West, San Antonio, entered the Salt Lake Valley with their full lineup of Fox, Castle, Harper, and some French fellow named Victor all available. The Spurs are both young and legitimate threats for the title this year — well ahead of schedule and joining Oklahoma City as the youthful leaders of the Western Conference, with a disturbingly wide window for contention.

Utah’s situation is… different. It’s been a slow burn, but the youth of Utah are beginning to find solid ground. George and Sensabaugh, especially, are giving observers reason to believe in their upside. Those players are in their third seasons — the fifth pick in the 2025 draft, however, is really beginning to put it together.

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Squaring off against his old Rutgers teammate, Ace Bailey started hot, knocking down his first four shots in the first quarter and tallying 10 points in the opening frame.

Then, in the second half, in the midst of a San Antonio separation act, Cody Williams uncorked the Delta Center with a coast-to-coast yam in rush-hour traffic.

It feels like Cody is good for a pair of dunks per game these days, but that? No, your honor, I cannot identify Cody Williams in that video, but I believe I spotted Giannis Antetokounmpo wearing number 5 in white.

But Cody’s flight was but a gentle distraction as the Spurs pushed their lead to double-digits and entered halftime with a 12-point advantage.

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I say this with only the slightest hint of irony: Jusuf Nurkic may actually be the love child of Nikola Jokic and 2016-17 Russell Westbrook. For the second straight game, the Bosnian Beast posted a triple-double. His dominance was so potent that even as the Spurs carried a double-digit advantage in the fourth quarter, they sent double-teams on his late-game touches.

If this were the first basketball game someone had ever watched, they might think that Nurkic was the best player on planet Earth. Victor Wembanyama was not enough to neutralize his offensive powers. 17 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds. Yeesh.

Meanwhile, Ace Bailey messed around and posted yet another career high, notching 25 points just after his previous high. He’s high-flying as always, feasting off a healthy helping of off-ball movement and cuts to the rim, while being more selective with his jump shots.

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Alas, the Spurs controlled late, pushing their lead and leading 126-109 as time expired.

Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — After a 4.7 magnitude earthquake shook northern Utah, officials are warning of aftershocks. Here’s how to stay safe during a potential tremor.

The quake hit just before 7:50 a.m. Thursday morning in the Uinta Mountains just a few miles west of the East Fork of the Bear River, just five miles south of the Utah-Wyoming border. The earthquake was measured at a magnitude of 4.7.

“Aftershocks are possible,” Box Elder County said in a social media post. “If you feel shaking again, remember to drop, cover, and hold on.”

“It is possible that you could feel more shaking later today,” Keith Koper with the University of Utah Seismograph Station said. “The good news is we don’t have any reports of injuries or damage.”

Local businesses near epicenter of 4.7 magnitude earthquake in Uinta Mountains describe scene

According to officials, staying safe after an earthquake includes four key steps:

• Expect aftershocks: Be ready to drop, cover, and hold on if you feel an aftershock.

• Damaged Buildings: Do not enter damaged buildings.

• Check for Injuries: Check for injuries to yourself and others.

• Stay Informed: Pay attention to news reports at ABC4.com for emergency information.

Koper says there have already been roughly six aftershocks detected. “The probability of a bigger earthquake is somewhere [between] 1 and 2%.”

Officials with Sandy City also shared how to prepare for the event of an earthquake.

The Great Utah ShakeOut is scheduled to take place on Apr. 16. Utahns will take part in drills at work, home, and school. Anyone can register to take part in the shake out here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.