The Holy War has arrived with the highest stakes the rivalry has ever carried. No. 7 BYU visits No. 3 Utah on Saturday, November 7, in the first Holy War where both teams are ranked in the top 10. The 10 a.m. local kickoff at Rice-Eccles Stadium adds another wrinkle.
Utah is 8–0 and sits atop the Big 12 at 5–0. BYU is 7–1 and shares second place with Texas Tech, but its loss to UCF leaves little room for error. Utah opened as roughly a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 48.5.
These predictions go against the safe script, a ground-game surprise, a Utah quarterback performance and a late BYU rally that falls short. Let's take a look at the bold predictions for this marquee matchup.
LJ Martin plays, but Bear Bachmeier is the star
LJ Martin will return and play a limited role, yet Bachmeier will be the one who carries BYU's offense.
Martin has missed four games with a leg injury and has not played since the October 3 win over TCU. He is still BYU's leading rusher at 344 yards and 7.8 yards per carry, so the Cougars badly need him. But offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said Martin is “not all the way back yet,” which suggests a managed workload.
The prediction is Bachmeier throws for 275 yards and rushes for two touchdowns, outproducing Martin in every category.
Bachmeier has already accounted for most of BYU's rushing output without Martin, with 336 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns on 80 carries. He also has 1,750 passing yards and 12 touchdowns.
Utah's secondary is among the best in the country, so BYU may need Martin's presence as a decoy more than as a workhorse. That could open play-action and RPO looks for Bachmeier.
Devon Dampier and Wayshawn Parker combine for 300 total yards
Utah's offense will hinge on its quarterback and running back, and together they will account for 300 total yards and four touchdowns.
Dampier has been outstanding, with 12 total touchdowns against one interception over his last four games. He has completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 1,876 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.
Parker is the other half. He has 726 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, and Utah's ground game ranks eighth nationally at 226.9 yards per game.
MAKE IT THREE FOR #1 🔥
Devon Dampier connects with Wayshawn Parker for Parker’s third touchdown of the night @Utah_Football
📺 ESPNU pic.twitter.com/fd6TeWSwbl
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) September 4, 2026
BYU's rush defense is strong in raw yardage, ranking 20th at 100 yards per game, but Covers notes it ranks only 74th in rush success rate. That gap suggests Utah can win with misdirection and efficiency instead of pure power.
The Utes also rank third nationally in third-down efficiency at 54.1 percent, which helps them sustain drives against an aggressive linebacker group.
Article Continues BelowUtah will lose right tackle Kelvin Obot for the season, but the line has still been one of the best in the country. I expect the Utes to handle his absence.
Utah wins 31–27 and snaps BYU's three-game streak
The final prediction is a four-point Utah win that comes down to the last possession.
BYU has won three straight in the series, while Utah had won nine in a row before that. Utah has still won 14 straight overall, the longest active streak in the FBS.
Utah's offense should control the game early, but BYU will keep it close by converting in the red zone. A late Cougars touchdown will make it a one-possession game before the Utes' defense finishes with a stop.
The projected 58 total points would clear the 48.5-point line comfortably. The point spread would also come down to a single score, giving BYU a cover as a 5.5-point underdog.
The result would leave Utah in prime position for a Big 12 title game berth and a playoff bid. BYU would stay alive in the conference race, but it would have almost no margin left.