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Utah Utes football: Rice, Whit going 'home'

Big Rock | 12:49 a.m. Dec. 19, 2008

What what the Las Vegas Bowl gives out. Too bad Max Hall ruined it for everyone. Max, throw to the guys in blue shirts next year!

UtahFan | 1:58 a.m. Dec. 19, 2008

COME ON START TALKING ABOUT THIS GAME FROM A DECENT RESPECTABLE PERSPECTIVE! This isn't a sports story its a bedtime story!!!

Bob2 | 5:35 a.m. Dec. 19, 2008

Hey, a swag bag with coupons for a free ride on the stratosphere roller coaster and one Circus Circus breakfast buffet is nothing to sneeze at.

Comments continue below

Rich Cranium | 7:38 a.m. Dec. 19, 2008

Go Brandon Johnson! Go Yewts!

SCR | 8:39 a.m. Dec. 19, 2008

Let's get to the game!

Go Utes | 10:59 a.m. Dec. 19, 2008

Nobody is giving us a chance in this game - I think that is a good thing for the Utes.

This team may not be as flashy as the '04 team but you can't argue with the result. Even with some inconsistency, it's quite an amazing feat to go undefeated against some pretty tough competition.

Just like the '04 team, this team has shown a ton of heart - they have also had some very good games. Of course it will take that type of effort against Alabama, but they have the ability to do it. I do think that this team is peaking at the right time - Brian has gotten better and better. I hope the time off isn't too long.

I can't wait for this game.

Go Utes!!!!

Re: Big Rock | 12:40 p.m. Dec. 19, 2008

"Too bad Max Hall ruined it for everyone."

Not really. At least not in the that fantastic, comicbook, "Bizarro-World" where fans from the tdS live.

But I digress...

Had Max Hall SOMEHOW engineered an upset, undefeated BOISE ST. would have went on to New Orleans or Miami, while the tdS would have still wound up in Las Vegas. Max even said it HIMSELF. "We're not as good as we thought we were."

CyclingUte | 12:46 p.m. Dec. 19, 2008

"Rich Cranium | 7:38 a.m. Dec. 19, 2008
Go Brandon Johnson! Go Yewts!"

2 questions and a comment.

1st: who's Brandon Johnson?
2nd: what's a Yewt?

Comment, thanks for the support of the team.

Re: cycling ute | 1:16 p.m. Dec. 19, 2008

what is a zoob? I think that is a good question to ask to.

Very commendable | 1:35 p.m. Dec. 19, 2008

to hear the Alabama Coach said the things he said about the Utes and that's how it supposed to be, very respectful and having the spirit of good sportsmanship. The best of luck to both teams.

Whitts home | 6:00 p.m. Dec. 19, 2008

I hope they still have the doghouse. He'll be there after the tide thumping his sloboys will take!

RE: very commendable | 6:19 p.m. Dec. 19, 2008

What is Sabin supposed to say? "We are going to kill the Utes, because they play in a conference of nobodies."

The truth of the matter is that it would be a good game to see the Utes play a mid-range SEC team and BYU play a mid-range Pac-10 team.

The Las Vegas Bowl will be exciting to watch because of this.

But the Sugar Bowl will be a slaughter. Sabin knows it.

If you think Utah has a chance: keep dreaming.

Hey cool it........ | 7:55 p.m. Dec. 19, 2008

The U will come to play and that's all you need to know. The best prepared team will win. I appreciated Saban's respect and caution. I think it'll be a close game.

I've seen the future... | 9:56 p.m. Dec. 19, 2008

Utah jumps on Alabama early, going up 17-0 early in the 2nd quarter based upon adrenalin and some new looks in the no huddle, spread offense with the short passing game.

17-6 halftime for Utah.

Alabama's defense adjusts but struggles to generate enough passing offense to overtake Utah's early lead, cutting the margin to 20-16 at one point. Utah scores a special teams or defensive touchdown to go up 27-16 mid-way through the fourth quarter.

Alabama scores a late touchdown but does not get the 2-point conversion or the onside kick.

Final score: Utah 27, Alabama 22

RE: Cool it | 10:03 p.m. Dec. 19, 2008

Utah may come willing to play, but they won't be ready for BAMA. Oregon St, BYU, nor TCU will have prepared the Utes for the buzzsaw they are running into.

And yes, it will be close... at 0-0 for the first few minutes before the slaughter begins.

Give them a break | 12:11 a.m. Dec. 20, 2008

Come on. Give Alabama some credit. They're not going to get slaughtered. They'll make it close. Good thing they will have the "we didn't get up for the game because we should have been playing in the national championship game" excuse to fall back on.

Go ahead and tell me to keep dreaming. Just make sure you wake me up in time to rush you to the ER so you don't die from the shock.

Sabin's laughing inside | 1:39 a.m. Dec. 20, 2008

Unfortunately, Utah's inconsistent offense will sputter early against the physically superior Alabama defense and then panic will set in. Utah will set a Sugar Bowl record for 3-and-outs and its defense will be on the field so much that they will be exhausted by the middle of the third quarter. Sakoda will punt more times than he has in any previous game and the Ute offense won't get close enough to the end zone to even allow for field goal attempts. This game will be really ugly (although probably not as bad as the Georgia-Hawaii disaster).

I really dislike the SEC and have developed a fondness for Utah (but definitely not BYU) in my 2 years here in SLC, but in this game the gap in talent, size and speed between the two teams will, unfortunately, be all too evident. This game will be a major disappointment for anyone invested in the MWC but just making it to a BCS bowl for a second time should be viewed as a great accomplishment and something that no other non-BCS school can claim.

Good luck to the Utes in New Orleans, but I don't see much hope. BTW, Sabin is evil.

not impressed..... | 2:19 p.m. Dec. 20, 2008

I've been watching the SEC reruns on CBS college sports channel, and I've watched their(Bama) game with (Lsu,Ole Miss,Kentucky & Florida)...and I gotta say "I'm not impressed". Utah will do just fine on Defense...the question is " can Bama stop Utah's offense?"...

Rammer Jammer | 7:54 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008

"Sabin's laughing inside"
Um, well first of all, the AP coach of the year's name is Saban, not Sabin. And evil? No. Evil would be refusing to go to the game because of the incredibly inferior opponent.

And Utah. I hear you guys had a tough schedule... Oregon St? Poor babies... Come play an Sec schedule and then we'll talk about undefeated.

And it won't be a slaughter because Bama doesn't do that. We let our opponents leave with a little dignity, unlike some teams.... We won't run up the score. We'll have the second string in during the 3rd quarter.

As far as not being impressed about Bama... You watched the four worst games of our season, and we still won three of them... Go watch the first half of the georgia game. And we held florida's offense like no one but ole miss could. We've seen the spread, and we can handle it.

Utah has never seen anything like Alabama. I'm looking forward to Rammer Jammer number 13 this year. (Ute fans, youtube it. And get ready. It'll be loud.)

kathleen | 9:55 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

congratulations to everyone who thought this was going to be a slaughter. Sabin laughing inside? I'm laughing outside! ha ha ha

Anonymous | 10:41 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

I am a HUGE Bama fan and have always been, and as much as it pains me to say it,Utah deserved this one.

Anonymous | 5:30 p.m. Jan. 3, 2009

I LOVE R.J.

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