The rivalry between BYU and Utah doesn't always come with the highest of stakes, but it always comes with high intensity.
The bitterness between the programs was on full display Wednesday night as the two teams gathered for the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl welcome dinner. Utah defensive lineman Viliseni Fauonuku, however, wasn't so welcoming.
"BYU, y'all a good team, but you're a dirty team," Fauonuku said. "Don't start nothing, won't be nothing."
Fauonuku could have dropped the mic right there, but it never would have hit the stage. That's because the emcee of the event, presumably a bowl rep, quickly reclaimed the power of the amplifier before Fauonuku stoked the Utah-BYU fires any hotter. How about a boxing-style press conference the day before the game, complete with a nose-to-nose photo opp? They are in Las Vegas, after all.
As for Fauonuku's allegation, he might have been referring to BYU's last bowl appearance. The Cougars didn't exactly enhance their reputation in ugly brawl with Memphis at the conclusion of last year's Miami Beach Bowl.
BYU and Utah square off in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
And game officials will need to keep complete control.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
