"The guarantee thing just kept stirring the pot a little bit," he said. "Obviously last year was a factor, and the comments that were made were a factor."

It added up to a sixth straight victory for the Utes (7-3 overall, 4-2 in Mountain West Conference play), who clinched a winning record for the fifth consecutive season.

"If you're a competitor — when you get in that situation — you want to come out, compete and play hard every single play," Andersen said. "But to get a little bit of extra momentum ... "

Enough said.

Defensive tackle Gabe Long, who made three sacks, considered Glenn's guarantee the equivalent of having someone spit in your face.

It was disrespectful.

Quarterback Brian Johnson noted it wasn't about love or hate but respect.

"We came out fired up and ready to play," he added. " ... We brought our 'A' game."

And that, Whittingham said, was the bottom line.

"No statement," he insisted. "We just played well."

Larry Baber of the Poinsettia Bowl took notice. He attended the game and told reporters he was "very impressed" by Utah.

A victory over New Mexico Saturday or at BYU the following week could pretty much lock up a bowl date for Utah with Navy in San Diego — unless hometown SDSU manages to run the table. The Utes, however, would likely secure the invitation without serious debate with two more wins. The Las Vegas Bowl also remains a possibility, depending on how things play out down the stretch. And so, too, could the New Mexico Bowl. A selection committee representative will be on hand for this weekend's game at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

---

E-mail: dirk@desnews.com