Keanu Tanuvasa is walking back into Rice-Eccles Stadium this Saturday, and it is not just the Utah faithful ready to shake the place up. The BYU defensive tackle, a redshirt senior, is set to face his former team, the Utah Utes, for the first time on their home turf since his infamous transfer, and there are more personal stakes than ever before. This week is shaping up to be one of the most emotional and memorable of his life.
The “Earthquake” That Rocked Salt Lake City
A few years back, when Tanuvasa left the University of Utah to join rival BYU, he famously declared the move “was going to cause earthquakes” in Salt Lake City. He was not wrong, metaphorically speaking. That bold decision grabbed headlines for months and sparked some seriously nasty back and forths between Cougar and Ute fans. Tanuvasa, a Mission Viejo, California, native, mostly stayed above the fray. He even got the first laugh in the rivalry, helping his new BYU teammates beat Utah 24-21 last year in Provo, making it BYU’s third-straight win in the series. This time around, he is heading into Rice-Eccles to face the Utes who are currently sitting at a hot 8-0. Tanuvasa knows why they are rolling, giving credit to defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley: “I am not surprised that they’re (8-0) because that’s Morgan’s attitude. That’s coach Scalley’s way of life. He is a go-getter, and that man has one of the greatest spirits that I’ve been around in being ruthlessly the best version of himself.”
More Than Just Football on His Mind This Saturday
So, what kind of reception does a guy expect after calling his move an “earthquake” and then beating his old team? “Nothing but their best, which is their passion, their fire, everything that comes along with it,” Tanuvasa said Monday. He gets it, too. He was one of their biggest advocates when he played there, loving their passion and impact on the game, feeling it when they were behind him as a player. He expects nothing different going back as an opponent. He is genuinely “excited for their fire and their juice.”
But this week is getting even wilder for the 6-foot-4, 300-pound NFL prospect. His wife, Zerin, is due to deliver their son “any day now” in Provo. Yeah, you read that right. Tanuvasa has BYU defensive line coach Sione Po’uha and several trainers “on standby” with his phone during practices. They are ready to alert him if he needs to sprint off the field and make a beeline for the hospital. Talk about high stakes. Even with all that going on, he is still pumped to play. He calls Rice-Eccles “a phenomenal place to play” and “one of my favorite stadiums in the entire country,” so being back there brings a lot of excitement. He knows Utah’s standout offensive line well, too, describing them as “a freaking great bunch of guys that give huge effort.” Tanuvasa appeared in 24 games at Utah, starting in 19, including the 2024 game that ended in heartbreaking fashion for the Utes. That is when Jake Retzlaff drove BYU into field goal range in the final minute, and Will Ferrin kicked a 44-yard field goal for the 22-21 Cougars victory. He is just “excited to go line it up” again.
This Saturday, 10 a.m. at Rice-Eccles, is not just another game. It is a homecoming, a rivalry clash, and potentially, a life-changing moment all rolled into one for Keanu Tanuvasa. Get ready for some fireworks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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