Utah Utes football: It was a banner year for the Utes

Utah's football season officially ended with a 31-17 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.

The celebration, however, is still going strong.

The Utes, who went 13-0 and finished No. 2 in the final Associated Press rankings, are just a couple of days removed from a parade in their honor in downtown Salt Lake City. Simply put, they're the toast of the town.

And with good reason.

"What a great season our guys were able to put together," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "After 13 games, they were the only ones in the country still standing without a loss."

The Utes currently reside in college football's upper echelon. They own two of the nation's longest active win streaks — 14 straight victories overall and eight consecutive bowl triumphs — while racking up several individual accolades.

Two organizations tabbed Whittingham as the national coach of the year and kicker/punter Louie Sakoda became Utah's first unanimous All-American.

Both also earned Mountain West Conference recognition.

So, too, did quarterback Brian Johnson. The Sugar Bowl's Most Outstanding Player was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year after helping the Utes capture their first league title since 2004.

It was a banner year for Utah.

"I'm very proud of them and very proud of the assistant coaches," said Whittingham, who was especially pleased with how the season ended. "They saved their best for last. That's for sure. It was fun to be a part of that," he added while noting the Utes' wins over BYU (which clinched an outright conference crown for Utah) and Alabama.

The journey, though, had its share of twists and turns along the way.

Utah overcame some close calls. The Utes faced stiff challenges from Michigan (25-23), Air Force (30-23), Oregon State (31-28), New Mexico (13-10) and TCU (13-10).

"We had our backs against the wall four or five times this season and our guys responded each and every time," said Whittingham, who considers the win over Oregon State as the game that "set the tone for the rest of the season."

The Utes used an 11-point rally in the final 1:29 to defeat the Beavers at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Oct. 2.

"That really was the turning point," Whittingham said.

And the rest, they say, is history.