Both — football at Rice-Eccles Stadium in November and men’s basketball at the Huntsman Center on Saturday — turned out to be physical, defensive contests that weren’t always pretty to watch but turned into nail-biters that came down to the final moments.

The Cougars got the one-point win on the gridiron, 22-21, while the Utes got the one-point win on the hardwood, 73-72.

No doubt we could spend quite a while breaking down every aspect of what happened on the floor on Saturday, but I found my thoughts going another direction as I watched BYU and Utah face off.

Do we realize what we have?

I kept thinking that this is how things in the Utah sports world should be.

I remember looking around Rice-Eccles Stadium and again at the Huntsman Center and seeing arenas packed with fans clad in blue and red. I expect it will be the same when Utah travels to the Marriott Center in February and LaVell Edwards Stadium next fall.

I’ve been to a lot of those matchups over the years and there has always been an intensity and an excitement surrounding them, but these last two felt a little different. There’s something about having more on the line, being in the same conference.

Rivalries so often bring out the best and worst in sports fans.

I watched a lot of football and basketball fans from the two schools having a good time, even though they were cheering for different teams. I saw plenty of smiles and laughter and joking around.

On the flip side, you have those who lose their perspective and start making negative or vulgar chants, start fights or throw things on the field despite the dangers (and yes, both Cougar and Ute fan bases have been guilty).

I thought it was a little silly to hear Utah fans boo BYU’s Keba Keita (a former Ute) whenever he touched the ball or hearing some Cougar supporters do the same for Utah’s Caleb Lohner (a former Cougar), but I guess that gives them something to do.

But I refuse to let the disgraceful or silly behavior detract from the delicious experience of being at these rivalry contests.

BYU head coach Kevin Young appeared to share those sentiments when he talked about his first Cougar-Ute rivalry experience after Saturday’s game.

“Mainly, I thought it made it the guys play harder,” Young said. “It was a good game, a hard-fought game. It was two well-coached teams and a great environment. I didn’t hear anything that was that bad.”

He said he and his family had heard the stories of negative experiences and his kids were a little “scared” to come for the game, but in the end he called the overall experience “classy.”

I hope Young’s experience mirrors what most fans on both sides get at these rivalry games. I know no one can guarantee that someone near them will get out of control but I believe it’s the anomaly, not the norm.

I found it fascinating that Saturday’s game was an international showcase as much as it was a highlight of Utah talent.

The two teams had 11 players on their rosters from outside the USA, including Ute players from Taiwan, Israel, Finland, Nigeria, Mali and Mongolia, and BYU players from Australia, Russia, Serbia and Mali (2).

On the flip side, the two teams only had nine players from Utah. Ironically the two from Provo played for the Utes (Hunter Erickson and Jake Wahlin) while the one from North Salt Lake played for BYU (Trevin Knell).

I hope those players (and the football players in November) savored the passion and energy that comes with the rivalry matchup while not getting caught up in the negative elements. I hope the many athletes who participated who didn’t grow up with the rivalry look at is a highlight of their experience, win or lose.

A big part of that is the actions of those in attendance with Utah carrying having the main responsibility as the host for those first two Big 12 meetings.

Now the onus is on Cougar fans to do their part when Utah comes to Provo on March 8.

I hope BYU take seriously the charge of being boisterous and supportive of the Cougars while also being respectful and kind to the Ute visitors. I expect most will, although there always seem to be a few knuckleheads.

I’ve been able to be at quite a few of these games over the years and they’ve provided a lot of memorable experiences.

As I thought about all those Saturday, I just took a moment to appreciate the moment.

As always, it was something to savor.