Undefeated, Unchallenged: Storybook season ends with big victory

Warren scored twice down the stretch to give the Utes a pair of 28-point leads. Less than six minutes after hauling in a 23-yard touchdown pass from Smith, Warren took a hook-and-ladder pass from teammate Steve Savoy for another score.

Between touchdowns, Pitt scored its first points of the game on a 31-yard pass from Tyler Palko to Greg Lee.

The Panthers (8-4), however, were never in contention after a sluggish start. Their problems were compounded by Marty Johnson's 18-yard touchdown run on the Utes' first series in the second half.

Utah continued a season-long streak of leading at halftime by holding a 14-0 advantage. The Utes scored touchdowns on two of their first three possessions to pull away from the Panthers. The first score came late in the first quarter when Quinton Ganther reached the end zone on a 4-yard touchdown run. The second came on a 6-yard scoring strike from Smith to John Madsen with 5:29 remaining in the half.

Defense and special teams also made contributions. The Utes recorded four quarterback sacks over the first and second quarters while holding Pitt scoreless. The Panthers attempted a 48-yard field goal between Utah touchdowns, but it was blocked by freshman Martail Burnett.

"We obviously ran into an excellent football team. I think in the physical parts of the game we did not match up," said Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris. "We had trouble on offense protecting our passer. On defense, you know, I think they put the pressure on people all year long and that's why they score big."

The fifth-ranked Utes have now won four consecutive bowl games. The streak includes the Las Vegas Bowl in 1999 and 2001 as well as the 2003 Liberty Bowl. The last two victories came under Meyer, who officially turned over control of the program to long-time defensive coordinator Kyle Whittingham.

"It's a fairy-tale season and I'm just excited to move forward and continue this program heading in the direction that it's at," said Whittingham.

---

E-mail: dirk@desnews.com