Utah Utes football: Senior stars wrap up Utah careers hoping for one last hurrah

NEW ORLEANS — Friday's Sugar Bowl will mark the end of a remarkable era in Utah football.

Alabama will be the final opponent that record-setting seniors Louie Sakoda and Brian Johnson face.

Sakoda is the program's first unanimous All-American, making the first team on all five consensus squads, and the only player in team history to receive national recognition at two different positions (kicker and punter).

Sakoda, a three-time Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year, holds numerous school and league records. He was just the second player ever to be named a finalist for both the Lou Groza (kicker) and Ray Guy (punting) awards in the same year.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has strong praise for Sakoda's steady contributions.

"I don't know if I've come across a college football player that has been as consistent for as long as Louie Sakoda has," Whittingham said.

After his final weightlifting session with the Utes Tuesday at Tulane, Sakoda acknowledged the end of his collegiate career is drawing near.

"It's hard for it to sink in now because you are still living it. But you can't help but take a glance around and get a little emotional," he said. "It's been a solid four years here. It's been a good run. We couldn't ask for a better opportunity to go out with hopefully a win here."

Playing on one of college football's biggest stages, with an opportunity to finish the season as the nation's only undefeated team, is something the seniors relish.

"I don't think there's a more fitting way to cap it off rather than playing for a national championship," Johnson said. "This is as good as it gets for us and we're going to enjoy every moment of it."

The Utes are having a good time in the Big Easy. That, however, doesn't mean they aren't taking things seriously.

Far from it, in fact.

With 13 consecutive wins over the past two seasons, Utah expects to add another.

"That's the mindset we have to have. We can't come in thinking 'oh maybe we can stick with these guys or whatever,"' Sakoda said. "Stranger things have happened. BCS busters have all played competitively and we don't expect anything different."

The Utes are making history as the first outsider to break into the BCS twice. In 2004, they were the initial non-BCS team to earn an invitation.