Saturday’s Utah-BYU game serves as a personal milestone for many fans

Fans attending or watching the football game between the University of Utah and Brigham Young University at Rice-Eccles Stadium this Saturday should treat the event as a distinct marker in their personal lives. Gordon Monson, a longtime sports figure, suggests that the outcome and atmosphere of the game will serve as a reference point for where individuals are in their own journeys. He encourages viewers to pay close attention to the details so they can later recall not just the score, but their own circumstances at that specific moment.

The rivalry offers a chance to connect the sport to personal milestones. Monson notes that the game can be tied to family dynamics, professional satisfaction, or health status. By anchoring these personal details to specific plays on the field, the event becomes a snapshot in time. This approach allows the memory to persist beyond the final whistle, linking the athletic performance to the viewer's life stage.

Monson cites his own experiences over decades to illustrate this concept. He recalls the 1988 game where Utah defeated BYU 57-28, a result he viewed as a major upset. At the time, he lived in Southern California with his wife and two infant daughters. He also remembers the 1993 matchup, which Utah won 34-31 on a 55-yard field goal by Chris Yergensen. Monson had moved to Utah only four months prior, and his three children were ages eight, five, and two.

In 2000, Monson watched LaVell Edwards’ final rivalry game, where BYU won 34-27 after a fourth-quarter comeback. That year, one of his children invited thirty friends to their home, leading to a surprise scene of kids hitting golf balls down the street with Monson’s new clubs. The 2003 game, played in harsh winter conditions, saw Utah win 3-0. Monson described the spectators as braving the cold while he looked out from the press box, noting the family later traveled to Hawaii to escape the Utah winter.

More recent memories include the 2006 game, which BYU won 33-31 on a touchdown pass to Jonny Harline. Monson was navigating two daughters in college and three at home during that contest. In 2012, Utah won 24-21 after BYU missed a game-tying field goal, a game Monson remembers for the three separate times fans stormed the field. That year, he became a grandfather. The 2024 game ended with a 22-21 BYU victory following a defensive holding call that preserved a final drive, a moment that prompted Utah athletic director Mark Harlan to hold an impromptu press conference.

Harlan criticized the penalty and the Big 12 Conference during that postgame appearance. He later apologized, noting that his wife’s feedback was the harshest he received. Monson uses these examples to show how the game intersects with life events, from professional conflicts to family expansions. He advises fans to let the Saturday game mark a time worth remembering, regardless of the final score.