Is Holy War toxicity finally dying out with the departure of Kyle Whittingham?

The Holy War. The bitter in-state rivalry between the BYU Cougars, a religious private school in central Utah, and the Utah Utes, a state-funded public university in the capital city, has been one of the most heavily anticipated matchups in all of college football. It's appointment viewing every year, and a constant reminder that Utahns take their sports scene very seriously.

But over the past two and a half decades or so, the rivalry turned... toxic.

Not that toxicity hasn't existed before that period. Certainly Ute fans were increasingly frustrated as the LaVell Edwards Era Cougars dominated the series, and the same could likely be said for the prehistoric period of blue vs red, when BYU only took home the victory once in a blue moon.

But things began to get really nasty once Urban Meyer took over the program up north. Under Meyer, the Utes were good. Very good. Led by quarterback Alex Smith, the U enjoyed a flawless 2004 season and solidified themselves as the best non-power conference program in the nation, a mainstay in the top 25, and ushered pushed the series to a four-game red streak until the magic of the 2006 Beck-to-Harline finish in RES.

Kyle Whittingham took over for Meyer when the controversial figure left for Florida, and the toxicity only grew between Whittingham's Utes and Mendenhall's Cougars. The connection between the two in-state rivals grew cold. Field-rushing fans screamed in the faces of BYU players and coaches. BYU fans rained plastic and garbage on the officials after a home loss to the U. After Utah left the Mountain West for the Pac-12 Conference, BYU fell into a dark age, losing nine straight to their rivals in a rolling snowball of annual agony.

But when Kalani Sitake, a former defensive staffer under Whittingham, took over at BYU, the Cougars' shot-caller seemed determined to nurture the relationship with Utah in the same way he cares for his staff and players. As brothers, Sitake believes the two programs should lead with love.

The feeling wasn't mutual up north, as Utah's head coach refused to even say the word "BYU" in any media appearance, belittling the rivalry and the Utes' adversary at every turn. The bitterness reached a boiling point when Utah's Athletic Director, Mark Harlan, walked onto the field to berate the officiating crew during a live play as BYU punctuated a comeback win in 2024.

But Morgan Scalley, who assumes the mantle up at the U in Whittingham's vacancy, appears to hold his rival in higher regard than his predecessor had. Much like Sitake, Scalley has been involved in the Holy War for decades, and approaches his new responsibilities with mutual respect and admiration as a motivator.

When asked by On3 about Whittingham's departure for Michigan, and his predecessor's tendency to target Ute players, Scalley was all class, saying, "Did I know he would go to Michigan? No. Did I feel like he could go coach somewhere? One hundred percent. He's a good coach, and if I'm in Kyle's shoes, he's got to do what he feels is best for Michigan.

"So, of course, he’s going to lean on contacts. He’s going to lean on what he knows. He knew our players, he knew our coaches, and he knows the recruiting environment here in Utah. That’s just him trying to do what’s best for Michigan. I can’t sit there and fault him."

BYU fans are beginning to take notice, saying words that have not been uttered toward the head football coach in Salt Lake City for decades: "I like this guy."

Just check the comment sections of these two tweets -- BYU fans don't want to let go of their hatred for Utah, but even they can't deny that there's something refreshing about Scalley's demeanor and attitude towards his competition.

BYU and Utah will always be bitter rivals. The Holy War is one of the most competitive and exciting rivalries in all of college football, and it needs to stay that way.

But leading with respect is a refreshing, and greatly appreciated quality that BYU fans haven't seen in Scalley's position for a very, very long time. Maybe the tone of this rivalry can finally be different now.

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