SALT LAKE CITY >> Wide receiver Dylan Collie went on a mission out of Brigham Young University in 2013, proselytizing the faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Richmond, Va.

This week picture him, sans bicycle and tie, spreading the word of the way the University of Hawaii sees the BYU rivalry to his hard-pressed Cougars brethren, urging them to match the Rainbow Warriors’ ferocity and focus.

He will, he said, tell them of the passion the Warriors historically have for playing BYU, the importance the game traditionally has on UH’s schedule and how it would be a good idea for the struggling (3-3) Cougars to embrace it themselves come Saturday.

It is something that he is uniquely qualified to speak to in a series that dates to 1930, as the first player who will have played a game for each side over consecutive years.

“I guess you could say I’m kind of a veteran of this now,” Collie told a press conference Monday.

Having played for UH against BYU 11 months ago before becoming a graduate transfer back to BYU, Collie said, gave him insight and a heart-felt feel for the often-heated, sometimes dramatic series. “It means a lot. It is a very, very big game and it is a big game to us (at BYU), but over there (in Hawaii) it is their rivalry game,” Collie explained.

“It is bad blood between BYU and Hawaii and has been that way for a very long time,” Collie pointed out. “So, the passion that they have for it and what I was able to see and kind of develop for it is a big deal.”

Collie told reporters, “I think I will be able to share that and say that we need to go and do it with a certain mentality that kind of gets us out of the funk that we may be in right now and it is a great opportunity to do it during this game because they are a very good football team.”

Collie had followed his father, Scott, and older brothers, Austin and Zac, who contributed a combined 38 touchdowns for the Cougars, to BYU initially. But after a redshirt season spent on the Cougars’ scout team, he went on the LDS mission.

When he returned, he decided to join Norm Chow at UH, investing three seasons, including leading the ‘Bows in receptions in 2017 with 56. Six of them and 103 yards came against BYU in his final game in a UH uniform.

But after earning his degree, Collie looked over his options and chose to return to BYU with immediate eligibility as a graduate transfer. He has eight receptions of 68 yards and a touchdown at BYU as a backup this season.

Had Collie stayed at UH he was expected to be a starter. “We felt like he would be a contributor,” coach Nick Rolovich said Thursday.

But his January decision to transfer prompted UH to recruit replacements, including junior college transfer Cedric Byrd, who has been among the top 20 in the nation this season in receptions (47), yards (514) and touchdowns (7).

Collie said his UH stay was “fun, a good time. I love those guys and am grateful for the experiences I had there. They are like brothers to me.”

Just not on Saturday now that his mission has become lifting the Cougars.