Both Utah, Navy have been to 5 straight bowls

For the fifth consecutive year, Utah is going bowling.

On Sunday, the Utes accepted an invitation to the San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. They'll face Navy on Dec. 20 at Qualcomm Stadium.

"We're elated," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "We can't wait."

The Utes (8-4), he added, have plenty of reasons to be excited.

"Who wouldn't want to spend the middle of December in San Diego? It's a great place," Whittingham said. "The weather is awesome and there's a lot to do down there. So we just feel it's a great destination. We were excited about it from the moment we heard it was a possibility."

Though he acknowledged Navy and its high-powered offense present a tough challenge, Whittingham noted that Utah has several fifth-year seniors who have won four straight bowl games and are seeking five consecutive triumphs.

"That's a heckuva pedigree," he said, while noting that the previous wins all came in different bowls — Liberty (Memphis), Fiesta (Tempe, Ariz.), Emerald (San Francisco) and Armed Forces (Fort Worth).

"Not many fifth-year seniors in the country have an opportunity to play in and win five straight bowl games," Whittingham said. "That's the opportunity they have."

Navy, however, won't make things easy. The Midshipmen finished the regular season with an 8-4 record after a 38-3 victory over rival Army on Saturday.

Navy coach Paul Johnson acknowledged he doesn't know a lot about Utah. He saw the Utes on film while preparing for Air Force and caught the tail end of the BYU game on television.

"I'm sure they're a quality football team," he said, while calling Whittingham an "outstanding coach" and making note of the Utes' lopsided win over UCLA.

"We know it'll be a huge challenge," Johnson said. "Utah will be a very talented team, and we look forward to having a chance to play them."

Utah's coaching staff, meanwhile, has already started preparations for the upcoming matchup. They've already secured tape of Navy's entire season. Whittingham and his assistants have been breaking it down since last Monday. The Utes practiced three times last week and have three more scheduled this week.

The Midshipmen run a triple-option offense similar to what Air Force ran under former coach Fisher DeBerry.