As BYU coaching legend LaVell Edwards once said in his understated way, "Well, it will be an emotional game."

There actually is a football game today between No. 16 BYU and No. 8 Utah (4 p.m., The Mtn.) -- you know, touchdowns, blocking, tackling, that sort of thing -- but all either side would talk about during hyped-up Rivalry Week was how much emotion plays a part.

Emotion messes with everyone involved. Fans get just as emotional in this rivalry, from decorating a neighbor's house in enemy colors to the not-so-friendly insults and challenges thrown around during the week and at the game. Whatever team wins, the losers know they're going to get a whole year's worth of bragging rights thrown in their faces.

A player who lets his emotion control him loses discipline and execution.

Even the coaches have to guard against letting emotions rule.

"It gets harder to communicate," admitted BYU assistant head coach Lance Reynolds, who's seen more BYU-Utah clashes than anyone on either staff. "It's easier to go off the handle. You can get emotional or get angry or euphoric. Your emotions, your passion comes to the surface more easily in a game like this than any other time."

Adding to the insane build-up this year is that both teams are very good: Utah (11-0) is playing for a BCS bowl berth. The Cougars (10-1) are playing for a share of the Mountain West Conference title, though the BCS is still a possibility.

"The emotion is gonna be there," BYU senior running back Fui Vakapuna said. "You're not human if you don't have that emotion with this kind of rivalry."

Whichever team proves to be most human will likely end up on the short end of the scoreboard. The past three BYU-Utah games have come down to the final moments and nine of the past 10 have been decided by a touchdown or less.

BYU is playing a new role in the 84th meeting between the two schools: Spoiler. The Cougars have been favored the past three games, losing in overtime in 2005, winning on the John Beck-to-Jonny Harline miracle in 2006 and converting the famous "fourth-and-18" in last year's seven-point victory.

Now Utah is the favorite, having met every challenge in 2008. The Utes began the year with a close win at Michigan and have survived three-point games with Oregon State, New Mexico and TCU.

The Cougars, meanwhile, started fast but got hammered at TCU late in October to bring them back down to earth. Last week's 14-point victory at Air Force could provide some momentum.

"I believe everybody is counting us as an underdog," BYU junior defensive end Jan Jorgensen said. "I like being in this position. If people want to overlook us, that's fine. It gives us a better opportunity to sneak up and bite people, if we are the underdog, we welcome that.

"We saw what Utah did the past three years as the underdog, so being favored hasn't meant a lot. We just need to come out and played our best game."

The contest would appear to be a strength-on-strength matchup between BYU's offense (36 points per game) and Utah's defense (16 points allowed per game). On the other side of the line, BYU's defense has struggled in conference play, while the Ute offense has been inconsistent -- but not last week, when Utah hung 63 points on San Diego State.

"Both teams have a very clear identity that's worked," BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "I don't think either team will go outside who they are to win the football game. The team that can stay poised and execution-sound through all of that probably will be the one at the end to make one or two more plays than the opponent. Each year the game takes on its own identity. If you handle the emotion, you'll play well. If you get caught up in it, you'll be more erratic."

For BYU's seniors, it's a final chance to leave a legacy.

"This is the last time I'm going to be able to play them," BYU guard Travis Bright said. "You want to make yourself known, make them remember you."

With so much on the line, remembering this game shouldn't be much of a problem.

"Now that it's come down to this, there's no question it's one of our bigger games," BYU senior linebacker David Nixon said. "We understand what's on the line. We understand what we have to do, and that's go out and win."

• Bowl talk: Even if BYU pulls off the upset today, it will need some help to go anywhere but Las Vegas for a bowl game.

To get the BCS invite, the Cougars would have to get into the top 12 of the BCS standings -- BYU is currently 14th -- and hope for a Boise State loss against either Nevada today or Fresno State on Nov. 28.

The Las Vegas Bowl gets the first choice from the MWC. The Poinsettia Bowl will take the next MWC team, followed by the Armed Forces Bowl and the New Mexico Bowl.

A Utah win would clinch a BCS berth and the MWC championship, with TCU finishing second if it beats Air Force today. That scenario would likely send Utah to the Fiesta or Sugar Bowl and BYU to the Las Vegas Bowl for the fourth straight season. Las Vegas Bowl chairman Tina Kunzer-Murphy stated this week the 32-member bowl committee hasn't made a decision yet.

The winner of the TCU-Air Force game will probably be invited to the Poinsettia Bowl, with the loser going to the Armed Forces Bowl. Colorado State (5-6) and UNLV (5-6) are playing for bowl eligibility today against Wyoming and San Diego State, respectively.

Representatives from a number of bowl games and officials from the MWC will be on hand at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

• Injury update: While guard Ray Feinga (back) and linebackers Shawn Doman (appendix) and Daniel Sorensen (ankle) should be at full strength for BYU today, the status of junior tight end Dennis Pitta is still a game-time decision. Pitta, who sprained the MCL in his right knee against Air Force, did practice on Thursday. Pitta, a Mackey Award candidate, is BYU's second leading receiver with 76 catches for 992 yards and six touchdowns.

• Knocked him for a loop: Mendenhall said he underestimated the emotion of the BYU-Utah rivalry when he coached his first game in 2005.

"Even though we were taking the normal approach all week, we dropped a wheel route on the first play," he said. "The players were saying things behind me that were uncharacteristic. Things were happening after plays I hadn't seen in a while, and I was looking at the team saying, 'What is this?'

"What I learned was to make sure I acknowledge that (the emotion) at a higher level, that this will be an energy-charged and emotion-filled game. The more I educate my team about that, the more they can just go out and play football."

• Pressure the quarterback: One of the keys to the game will be BYU's ability to block the Utes talented defensive ends, sophomore Paul Kruger (Timpanogos) and junior Koa Misi.

"Utah will mix it up, but they mostly like to play man," Hall said. "They like to put pressure on you, that's what they did last year and I don't see them changing a whole lot this year.

"Our protection schemes change every week, but my O-line guys are studs. I know those guys will do a very good job. Dallas (Reynolds) will get them in a very good protection schemes. I know Utah is gonna blitz us and put pressure on us. We'll be OK as long as I see it and get the ball out of my hands quickly."

Hall said he learned a lot in last year's close win over Utah in LaVell Edwards Stadium, his first game experience in the rivalry.

"I think maybe the model for us this year would be to finish," he said. " Last year it took until the very last drive to finish. I think we moved the ball well on them, we were just unable to get into the end zone. We can't turn the ball over and we need to finish drives.

"Hopefully it won't come down to fourth-and-18. Hopefully it will come down to me taking a knee instead."

• Daily Herald Sports Editor Darnell Dickson can be reached at 344-2555 or by e-mail at ddickson@heraldextra.com.

NO. 16 BYU (10-1, 6-1) AT NO. 8 UTAH (11-0, 7-0)

• When: Today, 4 p.m. MT

• Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,017)

• TV: The Mtn. (Rich Cellini, Jon Berger, Blaine Fowler, Sammy Linebaugh, Toby Christensen)

• Radio: KSL 1160 AM and 102.7 FM (Greg Wrubell, Marc Lyons, Nate Meikle)

• Internet Webcast: byucougars.com

• The Word: Utah leads the overall series 49-30-4. ... Utah is ranked 7th in the latest BCS standings, BYU is 14th. ... Nine of the past 10 meetings between BYU and Utah have been decided by a touchdown or less. ... BYU is 11-1 in November under Bronco Mendenhall.