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The Rumble in the Rockies college football rivalry between Colorado and Utah is one of the more underrated rivalries in college football from a historical standpoint.

From 1903 to 1962, the Buffs and Utes played 57 times. In the early 1900's, CU and Utah were in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and then both moved to the Mountain States Athletic Conference - from 1938 to 1947.

In 1948, Colorado moved to the Big Seven Conference (later named Big Eight, and now the Big 12), but the CU-Utah rivalry continued as a part of both programs' non conference schedule up until 1962.

The rivalry was dormant from 1963 up until Utah and Colorado joined the Pac-10 (renamed to the Pac-12) in 2011, and the teams play each other every year as members of the Pac-12 South.

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The Rumble in the Rockies rivalry name was decided the week that CU and Utah played for the first time after the five decade hiatus by both teams' marketing departments.

Colorado holds a 32-28-3 series lead, and the 64th edition of the rivalry is this Saturday at 8:00 pm MT - in a game with huge implications for both teams. Colorado and Utah both sit at 5-6 and need a win to reach bowl eligibility.

Does Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre feel that Utah is a real rival for CU?

"I've been asked that almost every single year," MacIntyre said. "People keep asking the question over and over and over and that even creates it. They have their big rival with BYU and we have our big rival with CSU, but I definitely think that this is something that has turned into a rivalry now."

After Colorado beat Utah in 2011, the Buffs lost four straight years to Utah. The streak was snapped in 2016 as CU edged Utah 27-22.

Colorado cornerback Dante Wigley officially visited CU Boulder last season for the weekend of the Rumble in the Rockies matchup.

"When I came [for] the Utah game, it was a great environment and I loved being here," Wigley said. "They had a great secondary and I wanted to be out there. I watched them play and compete and it was just awesome. I said I'd love to be in that secondary next year. I want to keep it going and as a defense, play fast and try to do what they did last year."