The big one — Bruins are highest-ranked team ever to play Utes in Salt Lake

When UCLA plays at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday afternoon, the Bruins will be the highest-ranked nonconference team ever to play in Salt Lake against the University of Utah.

The Bruins are ranked No. 11 in both the Associated Press and ESPN-USA Today polls, moving up from No. 13 a week ago.

The highest-ranked opponent ever to play at Rice-Eccles Stadium was the No. 3-ranked BYU Cougars in 1984, the year they ended up No. 1 at the end of the season.

Other conference opponents, including Arizona (1975) and Arizona State (1973 and '75) were ranked as high or higher than No. 11 when they played at Utah back in the Western Athletic Conference days.

Over the years, the Utes have played several ranked non-league opponents, going back to the first year college teams were ranked, in 1936. That was the year No. 15 Texas A&M came to Salt Lake and whipped Utah 20-7 at Ute Stadium. The highest-ranked non-conference opponent the Utes have beaten at home was No. 19 Oregon in 2003.

The Utah coaches and players are excited to be playing the No.

11 team in the country, although they would prefer to be playing at full strength.

"We're excited to bring a team of UCLA's caliber into our stadium," said Ute coach Kyle Whittingham. "UCLA is an outstanding team and deserving of its national ranking. We like playing games like this; competing against the best is what you want to do as a player and as a coach."

Over the years, the Utes have played all of the Pac-10 schools, but UCLA along with Washington are the only schools they've never beaten.

Utah is 0-8 in a series that began in 1933 with a 21-0 loss in Los Angeles. This will mark the fourth time the Bruins have visited Salt Lake.

In the three previous meetings here, the Utes have been in the ball game most of the way, losing by margins of three, seven and 13 points. In none of those games were the Bruins ranked.

In 1960, the Utes and Bruins met in late November with the Bruins, led by all-American Billy Kilmer, heavily favored. The game was tied 9-9 in the second half before the Bruins scored a late touchdown to win 16-9. Led by quarterback Terry Nofsinger, the Utes outgained the Bruins 323 to 319.

Two years later, the Bruins came back to Salt Lake for another late-season game and again the Utes had the statistical edge only to lose a close one, 14-11.