SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The rivalry was heating up, but the atmosphere was all about fun Saturday morning as University of Utah fans gathered to cheer on the Utes ahead of the 104th matchup against their rivals, the BYU Cougars.
Music, cheers and plenty of team spirit filled the Utah tailgating lot as fans enjoyed a beautiful fall morning before kickoff.
“Oh, it’s so much fun. It’s crazy. The vibe is like, oh my gosh, it’s crazy. We’re having a great time,” said Kjeresty Thomas, who was there with her family.
For longtime Utes supporters, the day had all the ingredients for a great rivalry game: sunshine, crisp fall air, family traditions and plenty of food.
With the early start time, the tailgate menu got a breakfast makeover. Instead of traditional burgers and barbecue, fans were serving up bacon, eggs and breakfast burritos.
Among those welcoming hungry fans was Bryan Roberts, who spent 30 years working in the University of Utah's facilities department, including the metal shop.
Roberts has a tradition of his own. He once promised his daughter that if he made it to retirement, he would dye his beard red.
“I told my daughter if I get my retirement out of there, I’m going to dye my beard red,” Roberts said.
He kept that promise and the crimson beard has been part of his game-day look ever since.
But Roberts has another connection to Utah pride. He helped build the iconic Block U that stands proudly on campus.
“Legacy. It is the U’s legacy, but also some part of my legacy," he said. "I built that, and I built that because I love the U and it’s something that everybody can enjoy."
The landmark has stood on campus for the past 10 years, and Roberts shared one of his favorite photos of the project.
Across the tailgating lot, dozens of parties brought together Utah and BYU fans, mingling, dancing and debating who would come out on top.
The Masons traveled from Lehi for the big game and said it was a fun environment and joked about how "everybody loves you" here when you're wearing all blue. They predicted a BYU win, while others confidently predicted it would be Utah coming out on top.
Andrew Valdez was one of the few BYU fans surrounded by a sea of red in his section of the tailgating lot. But he seemed to be fitting right in.
“Even if he’s cheering for the wrong team, we love him so much,” one fan said.
Valdez was happy to represent the Cougars.
“So don’t judge me," he said. "I’m different from the other Cougar fans. I just love my team. I love blue and that’s all I’m about."
From crimson beards to breakfast burritos, friendly rivalries and generations of fans, the tailgating atmosphere showed that this matchup is about more than just the final score.
For many, it's about the traditions, friendships and memories that come with one of Utah's biggest football weekends.