The Holy War comes to Provo this weekend, enriched with a century-old grudge. It’s the rivalry week for No. 15 BYU, which is undefeated coming into the week 8 mania, against No. 23 Utah. But before the Cougars’ faithful raise their hopes for tomorrow’s matchup, Josh Pate has a sharp take against Kalani Sitake’s program.

Coming off a victorious 33-27 against Arizona, Kalani Sitake’s program stretched its winning streak to 6-0. It was a close win, for the fourth quarter ended in a tie. Then, the first overtime saw both teams score a field goal. It was the second overtime, when Bear Bachmeier rushed a 7-yard touchdown and stole the victory. The narrowest of escapes.

Now, the question is, “Can Bear Bachmeier throw to win if he needs to? ” Josh Pate prompted on his show on October 17. “Coz I trust Devon Dampier a lot more than I trust Bear Bachmeier at the moment.” There it is. Against the Wildcats, the QB had two turnovers. Noah Fifita had the lead as the third quarter bled into the final fifteen minutes.

But the freshman quickly gained his footing back like a veteran QB, rushing for two touchdowns on 22 carries for 89 yards. His run game saved the day. Presently, the projections for the upcoming game are Utah -3.5. But during rivalry games, sentiments run high. You never know how it might turn out.

Pate adds to his point that the BYU QB might be able to flip the narrative, owing to the intense rivalry between the two programs. “But this is the kind of game where you just flip that,” he says. “Where you take someone and you hear him say…I don’t know if I trust you. And then you just show out.” Remember the 2010 Iron Bowl; the Auburn vs Alabama “Cam-back” game?

Already, Bear Bachman’s locker room is in awe of him. “He plays like he’s a veteran,” WR Parker Kingston said, per Desert News. So, can he go undefeated in week 8? Pate continues, “And this is a rivalry game. You only play a few of these in your entire career. Some guys never get to start at quarterback in a rivalry game.”

Neither quarterback has played in a rivalry game yet. For the freshman BYU QB, it would be his seventh starting game in his collegiate season, and he has already shown his explosiveness. Covering 1,220 yards, with eight touchdowns, plus seven rushed TDs, he had earned a 74.1 QB rating. On the other hand, even Junior Davon Dampier has shown similar explosiveness on the turf. With 1,131 yards, clocking in at 83. 1 QB rating, with combined 16 TDs.

Now, Utah has had three wins on the road this season, but Provo might place them in a more challenging environment. “But you know what? I still trust them. So, even though the line’s only three and a half, I really think they’re the better team,” Pate added.

Adding insult to the injury, even Joel Klatt is not sold on the Cougars.

Joel Klatt sides with Utah against Kalani Sitake-led BYU

As of now, the Devon Dampier-led Utes have had just one defeat this season, against undefeated Texas Tech, a poor 34-10 loss. But Klatt believes that the Utes might have an edge over the Cougars. “I know BYU’s played well on the defensive side, but this is an offense that I just don’t think is going to be able to score a ton of points,” he said on his show.

Praising the Bach Bachmeier on racking up impressive stats in his freshman campaign, but BYU’s “scheme” might be the deciding factor. “Utah runs so much man coverage that the box is always heavy with run defenders,” he added. “If you can’t get away from that man coverage or find explosive plays to get them out of that man coverage, then where do you go?”

His final verdict? Utah 21, BYU 13. According to the FEI rating system, the Utes have a 56% chance of winning on Saturday. So, can Kalani Sitake and Bear Bachmeier flip the narrative? It would be interesting to watch what the 96th Holy War brings to the LaVell Edwards Stadium.