Saturday’s Las Vegas Bowl between rivals Utah and BYU just got a whole lot more interesting.
Utah senior defensive lineman Viliseni Fauonuku added some intrigue to the Holy War matchup when he called BYU a “dirty team” at a pre-bowl game event on Wednesday.
The event was supposed to be a dance-off, but when Fauonuku grabbed the mic, he declared he wasn’t a dancer and that instead he was a trash talker and fighter.
Video: Utah DL Viliseni Fauonuku had a message for BYU at tonight's dance-off #BYU #Utes #LasVegasBowl pic.twitter.com/A39yaLqR6L
— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) December 17, 2015
“Honestly, I don’t dance,” Fauonuku said via the Salt Lake Tribune. “I throw hands.”
“BYU, y’all are a good team,” he continued. “But you’re a dirty team. Don’t start nothin’, won’t be nothin’.”
Fauonuku’s words fired up his teammates:
TURN UP!
All credit to you, @VFBOSS
#VivaUteVegas pic.twitter.com/zDuXbslIye
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 17, 2015
It also pumped up some BYU players:
Holy War starts early. Too much talkin. #BYUvsUTAH
— Phillip Amone (@pamone1) December 17, 2015
Fuel to the
— Terenn Houk (@thouk11) December 17, 2015
The Holy War tends to get pretty intense between these programs, and then when you factor in BYU’s history — just look at this video from last year’s bowl — Fauonuku’s words don’t come without a territory.
H/T Deadspin
