Battle of the Brothers: A look into Utah’s oldest rivalry

On Saturday, the Battle of the Brothers will kick off for the 114th time as the Aggies take on the University of Utah. The 134-year-old football rivalry is one of the oldest in college football and the oldest rivalry within the state of Utah. In anticipation of the matchup, here’s a look back at the history of the rivalry.

The rivalry has existed since the inception of college football in Utah, as the very first intercollegiate games played by both Utah State University, known then as the Utah Agricultural College, and the University of Utah were a matchup between the two universities in Logan. On November 25, 1892, the Aggies defeated the Utes 12-0 in the first-ever game of the rivalry.

The two teams didn’t meet again until 1900, but between 1900 and 2009 the Aggies and Utes played annually, with exceptions only in 1908, 1911 and 1943. Between 2009 and today, meetings between the universities have been less regular, with only four matchups: 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2024.

Despite the Aggies claiming the first win, the rest of the rivalry’s history has largely fallen in favor of the Utes, who hold a commanding 80-29-4 record against the Aggies. The longest win streak for USU is only four games, from 1965 to 1968. The Utes won the matchup for twelve seasons uninterrupted from 1998 to 2009. The Aggies snapped the streak with one of the most competitive matchups in the rivalry’s history: a 27-20 overtime win in Logan in 2012. This game would not only break the Aggies’ losing streak, but it would also be, as of now, the last win for the Aggies. Quarterback Chuckie Keeton led the Aggies’ offense and, in a phone call with The Utah Statesman, shared memories from the game.

“Getting into it, I didn’t have the clearest understanding of how intense the rivalry was. A lot of my teammates at the time were Utah high school kids. They got me schooled up in the midst of it and gave me more insight,” Keeton said. “Because they were in-state players, the rivalry lasted longer than just a college game, but it was something more like a neighborhood-type rivalry.”

The game was a back-and-forth contest. The Aggies entered the final moments with the lead in hand, but the Utes were able to get down the field and score a field goal, taking the game to overtime. In the opening drive of overtime, a 23-yard rush by Keeton helped the Aggies to the red zone, where they would score the game-deciding touchdown.

“The energy of the stadium and our team continued to mount until the clock was zero, and then again until Will Davis had a pass breakup on the home sideline in order to win the game,” Keeton said. “Seeing the students, and really the entire stadium, rush the field was a remarkable experience. At one point somebody embraced me with tears in their eyes. You could tell it was something that meant so much to those guys.”

The win was the last time the Aggies beat the Utes, though they have met three times since, most recently in a 38-21 Utah win in Logan during the 2024 season. 

The Aggies have the opportunity to snap their current losing streak in the series with their matchup against the Utes on Saturday. The Aggies will enter Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday as the underdogs once again, but inside the locker room the team feels like they have what it takes to come out with a win.

“We have to play a clean game, and we get that we have to be at our absolute best, and that’s required every single week,” offensive lineman Jimmy Liston said. “That’s ultimately what puts you in the best possible scenario to win. It doesn’t matter what team we’re playing, we have to bring our absolute best, and we know that’s what it’s going to take for us to win”

The Battle of the Brothers will continue in 2030 when the Aggies play the Utes in Salt Lake City, before the Utes return to Logan in 2031 and the Aggies return to Salt Lake City in 2033.