Today's Game: Collision Course The collision course for today's headon was charted much earlier in the season. It will terminate this afternoon at Stadium Drive in Provo. The winner —if able to stagger up again— may even claim some kind of post-season honors. That the '69 campaign in the centennial year of college <strong>football</strong> should reach these proportions is most appropriate. Neither team, neither school, it seems, would want it any other way. It's been that kind of year for both teams. The Utes, after losing to Oregon in the season opener, have been whipping opponents with regularity. They have been a surprise team, one that has displayed balance and consistency throughout the campaign. BYU, too, has been sprinkled with a little Cinderella dust. Before the season started, they were so far back in the pack that no one was giving them serious thought. The idea of winning four straight at home was strictly "far out," a little too much for one's imagination. So now the whole package is up for grabs. It's not likely that anyone in the stands is going to be indif ferent to the outcome. If a person should find himself or herself in that position, they should give up the seat to one of the partisans. If a person is inclined to go with the underdog, then the Cougars should get that kind of support. After all, it will take them a number of years to even the score in this Beehive series. The Utes have a commanding (for want of a stronger word) lead. Of the 44 games played between the two teams, the Utes have won 35, BYU five, and four have ended in a deadlock. And strangely enough, three of those five BYU wins have come while Tommy Hudspeth has been at the helm of the club; and they came in three consecutive years, 1965, 1966 and 1967. Thus, on the strength of comparative records, past and present, the Utes must be favored. BYU's forte at the start of the season was defense. In fact, it is still the team's big strength. The Cougars rank second only to Wyoming in this department in the Western Athletic Conference. And while the Cougar offense has come to life in recent games, the Mountain Cats rank On Stadium Drive close to the bottom when it comes to moving the ball on the ground and through the air. However, the signal-calling of Marc Lyons has been a big factor in the team's recent surge. The running, pass catching and general performance of tailback Kip Jackson has been nothing short of sensational. Utah, meanwhile, has powered its way forward with the best rushing offense in the WAC. Fullback Dave Smith has rushed for over 500 yards, and there isn't a player in Utah's rushing statistics who has an average below 4.0 per carry. Quarterback Ray Groth, a senior, is a passing threat, but ranks second among the team's rushers. He leads the team in total offense with well over 1,000 yards this season. A hot duel should be forthcoming in the kicking department. Utah's Craig Smith is third in the WAC in punting with a 41.8 average, while BYU's Rich Adams has kicked 68 times for 39.2 yards per boot. Marv Bateman of Utah and BYU's Joe Liljenquist are both accomplished field goal kickers. Bateman has accounted for 41 of Utah's points.
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