SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 Sports) - It's the biggest question surrounding this year's Utah-BYU rivalry game. Who will start at quarterback for the Utes, Jon Hays or Travis Wilson?
"You know, I don't know," Hays said with a smile after Wednesday's practice. "No comment."
"We really don't know who is going to start yet," Wilson confirmed.
Kyle Whittingham said he won't decide on a starter until after analyzing the film from Thursday's practice, and he won't make his decision public until game time.
"They're both looking good," Whittingham said. "They're both getting work in practice. We want to give each guy a fair shot. There's really no advantage naming a guy, maybe no disadvantage either."
The prevailing opinion is that Hays will start, but Wilson will still see some playing time just as he has in the first two games of the season. Hays, a senior, is the better passer and has the experience factor going for him, having gone 6-3 as a starter last year. But Wilson, a true freshman, is the better runner and he is the future.
"It's definitely strange," Wilson said about not knowing which quarterback will start. "Me and Jon are just competing out here and trying to make each other better. If I can get a chance to get in there, then I'm going to prove I had what it takes to play quarterback here."
"Me and Travis are just working together," said Hays. "We're just keep getting better and keep getting ready."
"I think competition is always a healthy thing," added Whittingham. "They push each other and it makes for a better situation."
Down at BYU, the Cougars don't sound too concerned who will play quarterback.
"Our preparation is going to be the same no matter who is in there," said Cougar linebacker Brandon Ogletree. "Their offense doesn't really change. We'll be ready for it. It's not like we're scared of their two dudes."
Regardless of who starts, neither Hays nor Wilson has played in the rivalry game, so this will be unlike anything they have ever experienced before.
"I don't think any game really compares to this Holy War game and the atmosphere that we're going to have here," said Hays. "We've got great fans and it's going to be rocking on game day."
We'll just have to wait until then to see which quarterback takes the field.
