What Kyle Whittingham said before Holy War with BYU

Utes coach address the outlook going into rivalry game off the bye

Utah Football

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham shared his thoughts ahead of the upcoming "Holy War" rivalry game against the 9th-ranked BYU Cougars, set to take place at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday. This game marks the first meeting between the two programs since Utah joined the Big 12 Conference and is anticipated to be a prime-time event, starting at 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Adding to the gravity of the occasion, it also serves as Utah's annual Military Appreciation Game.

Whittingham highlighted BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff as the driving force behind the Cougars’ offense. He praised Retzlaff’s ability to orchestrate plays effectively, calling him the player that "makes it all go." Although Whittingham noted that BYU's offense doesn't rely on a standout individual talent aside from Retzlaff, he emphasized the team’s cohesion, underscoring how well they function together as a unit.

Addressing his own quarterback situation, Whittingham discussed Utah freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson. He expressed strong confidence in Wilson, saying, “We've got a ton of belief in Isaac.” Whittingham admitted that Wilson has been thrust into a larger role than originally planned, as the expectation was for starting quarterback Cam Rising to lead the offense this season, with Wilson gaining experience in a more limited capacity. Despite the steep learning curve for the true freshman, Whittingham believes Wilson will emerge more prepared because of the increased snaps he's had to take. However, he acknowledged that it hasn’t entirely been fair for Wilson to shoulder this responsibility so early in his collegiate career.

When asked about the overall quarterback situation after the previous week’s evaluation, Whittingham remained guarded, stating, “We’ve got a good plan… we’ll keep that to ourselves.” This response suggests that Utah may have some strategic adjustments planned for the game against BYU.

In addition, Whittingham offered insight into Brandon Rose's development, noting that despite an injury last year that sidelined him for six to eight weeks, Rose has made significant progress and has been performing well in practice.

Beyond the specific game strategies, Whittingham reflected on the challenges posed by NIL in maintaining a cohesive team culture. He explained that NIL has complicated efforts to build team identity, with a large influx of new players each season altering the dynamic of teams. While he doesn’t see it as an excuse, Whittingham acknowledged that it’s become a growing challenge, noting, “It is much harder… I feel like our culture and the way we did things — back when we could do that — gave us an edge.”