Utah vs. BYU rivalry football game takes prime kickoff time slot

The next installment of the Holy War rivalry is shaping up to have major ramifications for BYU and Utah's postseason aspirations.

Depending on how their respective Week 7 contests play out, the Utes and Cougars could very well be jockeying for position in a crowded Big 12 conference race when they meet on Oct. 18 at LaVell Edwards Stadium, as both squads enter the current week looking to keep pace with Texas Tech atop the league leaderboard.

Kickoff from Provo, Utah, between the in-state rivals is set for 6 p.m. MT on Fox, according to a news release from the Utah athletic department that was posted Monday.

It'll be the No. 103 all-time matchup and the second as Big 12 constituents. Last season's rivalry game at Rice-Eccles Stadium ended in heartbreak for the Utes, who squandered a 21-10 halftime lead by failing to put points on the board in the second half while allowing the Cougars to control the tempo before Will Ferrin knocked through a 44-yard field goal in the final seconds, giving BYU a 22-21 victory.

Utah appeared to hang on for the win after sacking Jake Retzlaff on fourth-and-10 with under 2 minutes to play, but a holding call against Zemaiah Vaughn gave BYU the spark it needed to march down the field, drain the clock and set up the game-winning score.

The last time the Utes visited Provo was in 2021, when they fell 26-17 to a Cougars squad that was led by soon-to-be NFL talents Tyler Allgeier and Puka Nacua, snapping Utah's four-game winning streak over its rival.

The Utes and Cougars have been going at each other for at least the past 100 years, though each team's recorded history of the head-to-head series lacks consistency. While Utah's official website goes all the way back to 1895 — BYU was known as Brigham Young Academy at the time — the Cougars don't recognize any meeting with the Utes prior to 1922, shortly after the program was brought back following a two-decade hiatus.

According to Utah's count, the Utes lead the all-time series against the Cougars, 52-30-4. The next edition of the heated rivalry will likely have College Football Playoff implications involved, as BYU strives to remain undefeated heading into Week 7 while Utah has just the one loss to the Red Raiders on its résumé going into its upcoming battle against Arizona State.

Per ESPN FPI, the Cougars (29.3%) and Utes (11.5%) have the second and third best chances, respectively, to make the 12-team playoff, trailing only the Red Raiders (52.7%).

How to watch Utah vs. BYU

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 18
• Game Time: 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MT
• Where: LaVell Edwards Stadium
• How to watch (TV): Fox