re:Shane | 11:49 p.m. | 12:52 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Dude, tonight was nothing about BYU.

I Bleed Blue but you have to respect what Utah has done tonight. You have to give respect to earn it.

Utah shut up Switzer and Johnson...

Utah did what I thought they could not.

All respect to Utah for what they did tonight. Congrats Kyle, I loved to watch you in Blue, but you made the whole state proud.

We'll take a crack at you next year, but enjoy your victory.
arnie | 12:54 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Where are all the BYU fans now
Bill-E | 12:55 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Hopefully this will open eyes about giving non-BCS teams a chance for National Championships. It was an amazing game. I loved every second of it. I am glad they had the chance to play a worthy opponent.
Comments continue below
drunk ute in socal | 12:59 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
I am so happy. Right now I have only two regrets: 1) that there were so many gracious BYu fans on here -- it took me forever to scroll through all these posts -- that now I'm sober; and 2) that I sprayed by baer on your linebacker on 11/22. That night I regretted it because I had to tape that bottle of baer to my leg to get in to the stadium and then it ripped my jeans when I jumped down 8 feet over the wall. After all that trouble, I really wished I had drank that baer. But now, I regret my act because there are many, many classy Cougs!

PS: this post is totally farcical (except the classy Coug comment).

Go UTES!
WYO Cougar Fan | 12:58 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
I wore red tonight and was proud to do it! WAY TO GO UTES! It was the best bowl game this season! Wake up BCS! The west is here to stay!!!
Cas Knies | 1:01 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Dear Utes -what a truly awesome excellent Football game!!! I have never been a prouder Ute Alumni than after this so called 'upset' victory over the Crimson Tides!! Wow, what a total rush, what a solid and convincing validation of the quality of this Championship Team, the only undefeated team in the nation: -should they be ranked #1 in the US of A? -You betcha! This stifling and unfair BCS/SEC elitist nonsense BS MUST change. Shouldn't it be about athletic fairness, competence and merit?

GO UTES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
'84 PITT.... | 1:07 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
ended up w/a losing record, unranked and bowl-less. Nice try. BCS x2 -- UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!
Fruit Heights BYU Fan | 1:13 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
re:"BYU fans biggest whiners ever | 12:23 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
BYU fans - quit hating because Utah is going to be the AP National Champion and now you have nothing to hang over our heads. Wah, wah, wah......waaaahhh!"

To 12:23 -- You do not understand sports. Be proud of who you are, and not who your are not. The game tonight had nothing to do with BYU.

Congrats to the Class Ute Fans, Ute Team, Coaches and Program.
Every Blue BYU fan I know was Pulling hard, and are impressed with your accomplishments..
Congrats and respects.
True red | 1:13 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009

Apps to the classy Y fans. I had hoped for a win for you @ Vegas, to give the MWC the respect it hasn't really had until this year. A couple years back, I thought your program would fall off after a large senior class moved on, but you've stayed in the mix because your program has staying power. Utah's program has proven it's program has staying power. Four years ago, tons of Y fans were telling us to enjoy our one moment in the spotlight and how everything was going to the gutter with our coaches being hired away. As you Y fans know, success breeds upon itself, Lavell proved that. Our recent success, will do likewise. Our rivalry with you guys will continue to be intense, the way it should be. All we Ute fans have heard for the past three weeks, is how deep, big, and talented that Bama was. So losing a few guys on the OL shouldn't have mattered. Even the pre-game chatter mentioned how impressive Bama's practices were this past week. Caught them at a bad time...flippin' A my eye! Vaunted Saban ... no change ups on D? Over paid!!
RE: Coug UC | 1:12 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
"Max and Austin will be back next year to tear down your little house of cars. We will see you next year, Alabama was waek and we would have won by at least 20 from what I sow tonight. NEXT YEAR, and no you are no where near the top five, keep dreaming."

Yaaaaaaawwwwwn!! Good luck to Zoobs next year!!

LOL... you can't even beat a weak UofA team but for some reason you think you can beat Bama. Go back to 84 and stay out of little brothers spotlight. Little brother is shinning while big brother lives in the past.

And you are right we are not top 5... what we are the only UNDEFEATED team in the nation. Can you Zoobs say the same?

Quest for Perfection was proven at the Suger Bowl not at the Vegas Bowl.
Go Utes | 1:17 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Another BYU fan loving the BCS bashing Utes.

And, as a member of the Husky 1984 marching band, but a BYU fan even then, I have to disagree with this:

"And by the way. In 1984 the Univ of Washington was the REAL #1 team in the nation regardless how the rankings worked back then.

I've had fun teasing my BYU friends for 24 years about it...."

Best defense by far that year, and i don't think I've seen the equal yet in college football. But the Husky offense, that was another story. Very unpredictable. Showed up for the Orange Bowl, and we trounced the Sooners. I almost lost my life arguing that BYU still deserved the championship. And they did. Go MWC!!
Ali Bin Wahoo | 1:15 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
I said Wednesday, I had a dream thaat it would be 20=0 Utah. What I didn't know was that the alarm went off before the end of the first quarter!
What a game! I am still hoarse, and I watched it alone on TV. Thanks for a great season.
Utah by 5! (teen) Death to the BCS! Utah is the only undefeated team still standing and just dominated a BcS superpower. UTAH is #1!
Utahn in Edmonton | 1:19 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Awesome win tonight Utes! You did JBW proud out there.
Ernesto de Bajo | 1:23 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
I am enjoying the insightful posts and the congratulary posts, here, but, especially on a glorious night like tonight, I really have no patience for Y and U idiot fans with locked horns acting like children competing for the high mark on the wall. This should be about one great night of football for the U of U, for the state of Utah and for the MWC.

Please leave the other stuff out, including 1984 references and what is going to happen next year, baby, when we get you into LES. Man, that stuff is tedious!

I'm a year-round Cougar fan but a huge Ute fan tonight!
BYUsuperiority | 1:20 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Ok Ute fans, you had a good season...nevermind the patsy road game schedule or the miracle game against TCU. After sustained success maybe someday you will be able to establish yourself as a major player the way BYU has (in all aspects) Academically and athletically. And all of you on here who attend Utah, you know you couldnt make it into BYU. So sorry to burst your bubble little bros.
Give thanks | 1:27 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Kewger fan, both classy and not. Utah may have just paved your way next year if you can muster a great season. We even PAYED your way next year.

You're welcome, just don't screw it up.
RE: To Shane- | 1:30 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Hey bro, give credit where credit is due.

Respectfully-
1 - Utes rolled BYU
2 - Utes rolled Bama tonight!

Go UTES! SHOULD BE RANKED #1
BB Queen | 1:42 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
This is better than sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll combined!

Way to go Utes!
BYU Nor Cal Fan | 1:40 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
What a great game. No real BYU fan can take anything away from Utah. They played like we wish we could. They deserve to be #1. Any real football fan can has to respect what they did tonight and all year for that matter. I'd take this win over 1984 hands down.
Somewhere... | 1:44 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
...JBW is smiling!

Go Utes!
re:No More Cougar Posts | 1:46 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
um, ok, but you'll have to tell that to Brian Johnson and everyone else that quoted Utah's strength of schedule. Beating a 10-1 team did the Utes a LOT of good and is part of the argument for being rated the best in the nation (in addition to your other 3 top-25 wins).
fanofootball | 1:50 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Big Bad Bama-ha. Had a big laugh at the FOX 'sportscasters' who didn't know the names of Utah players the first quarter. When they weren't talking up the Bama players, they were silently looking up names of Utah players who were going into the end zone over and over and over.
FOX needs to assign homework next year when Utah plays in the BCS title game!
Anne | 1:53 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Way to go Utah!! What a night and what a game! I couldn't be prouder of a group of guys. They played an almost flawless game and handled themselves with great poise. Thank Coach Whittingham! And thanks Utah players!! No one who watched that game (who has any understanding about football) can deny that the Utes totally dominated on all fronts. They were by far the better prepared, better coached and better overall team. The Utes deserve to be national champs!
re: biggest whiner ever | 12:23 | 1:52 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
CONGRATULATIONS!

You earn the award as...

biggest whiner!
AND
biggest loser!
Good times | 1:53 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
I love watching everyone who bad mouthed the best team in the country eat their words
the utes dont deserve to play in a bcs game. No!!! They deserve to play a team that is acctually good, not to take away from one of the best wins I've ever seen but Utah state's d posed more of a challenge than Alabama showed at times during the game.

Still waiting for someone to say Alabama didn't show up that's why they lost, or they lost their lineman, its alabama they have one of if not the deepest depth chart that still has talent all the way down. If they had all their lineman I predict 5 sacks instead of 8. The utes d is to dominant to lose to anyone, and their offense is at times just as potent as any big 12 team.
Jaime Iberola | 2:03 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Congratulations Utah! As a BYU grad and a current resident of Hawaii, I am pleased to see a Non-BCS team stomp a team from the "best" conference in the country, the SEC. After Georgia beat Hawaii in last year's Sugar Bowl, the whole country seemed to believe that no non-BCS team could beat a team from the SEC. Utah certainly proved the rest of the country wrong tonight. Way to go Utes; you made all of the teams outside of the BCS proud! You have my vote for National Champions, not that it will get you much.
rvalens2 | 2:06 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
In my entire life (53 years) I have had only two teams that I rooted for go undefeated.

For Utah to have done it in 2004 and again in 2008 is unbelievable!!!

I can now die a happy man ...
DM | 2:14 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Who needs the BCS to declare Utah the national champion? We know we are!!! We proved our claim! Print up the t-shirts and let's celebrate UTAH'S 2009 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
Way to Go from a BYU Grad | 2:15 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Congrats Utes, you did the state of Utah proud tonight. Hands down the biggest win in the history of college athletics in the state of Utah, ever.
Magna Ute | 2:16 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
W,W,W,W,W,W,W,W,W,W,W,W,W!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to all the Utah players and their coaches. Your grit and determination are awesome. Thanks for the greatest game I have ever watched.

Thanks to the classy Cougar fans who have posted tonight.

Go MWC. GO UTES!!! You deserve a shot at the National Championship after this game.
Dave | 2:44 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Congrats to the Utes, that was an amazing game and way to come out and punch Bama right on the chin. What a great gameplan by Whittingham going no huddle right away and getting that lead to force John Billy Bob to pass.

I'm a BYU fan and want to apologize for the few tards that have posted on here and probably never set foot out of happy valley. Way to go lamo's talking about '84 and next year, awesome arguments. Give some credit to the Utes, they ran the table and beat some solid teams along the way. And for the idiots that say BYU would have beat Bama I say don't smoke crack. They wouldn't have because they would have played their soft defense and we all know how Maxine performs when it counts (TCU, Utah, Arizona).

So way to go Utes, what an awesome season. Hopefully you get many, well deserved votes in the AP poll. Too bad there's no playoff because it would be great to see them play OK, FL, Texas or SC next weekend. Maybe someday.
Dave | 2:45 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
And what a great performance by the D. They were blowing by that O line all night long.
UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!! | 2:56 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! UTAH UTES 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!!
RE: USC Fan | 3:03 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Home boy are you aware that Utah beat OSU team that USC lost to?

Given that fact I can see why USC deserves to be national champs.

Oooo BTW what team in the nation is ONLY one undefeated? I will give you a hint, it is not USC.
Anonymous | 3:07 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
When's the national championship parade? U of U Marketing Department are you listening? SLC Mayor? Governor? Don't sit on your hands like you did in 2004!!! Declare the Utes college football's #1 and give us a national championship parade!
cashgeld-a loyal Ute | 3:06 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Yesterday, at the barbershop here in Ohio, the guys laughed at the Utes chances of victory. How sweet it is! Congratulations on a magnificent performance!
One for JBW | 3:09 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
From the north of Europe... comes a genuine cougar shout of thanks to the Utes!

We are ALL proud of you! You did this one for the biggest fan you have ever had (JBW).

Last time I met him 10/2007 I asked him if he had "repented" yet (of being a Ute fan). His immediate answer, with a grin, was "Never, not a chance".

This is a lesson to all those Cougar and Ute "fans" who do not know what this is all about.
Sportmanship first and always.

Way to go Utes!

Jussi
Finland

ps. Now we could change UofU's name to BYUoU to honor the founding father of both...
The Way I See It | 3:22 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Utah simply opened up a good ol fashion can of whoop _ _ _ on Alabama. Anybody heard much from Corso, May, Schlabach and Herbstriet? Monday's Jim Rome show will be a good listen.
AzByuFan | 3:32 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Congrats to the UTES!!!!! Shame on those non-true blue fans that say this was more impressive than the 1984 team. Tonight was the UTES night, not just them but the state of Utah, the MWC, and for all non-BCS, and for the little guy in general, but SHAME on BYU fans who say this was more impressive than 1984. BYU won that game despite playing poorly, they had 6 turnovers that game and STILL WON. The only team worthy of national championship talk was WASHINGTON. BYU did the next best thing and played WA early the next season and beat them soundly!!!!! Utah was very good tonight but had close calls throughout the season. I actually think the greatest team was the 2004 Utes, they were dominant each and every game. BYU was not dominant every game in 84 but they were the best team the country could offer that year!!! Kudos to both schools!!!!!! Congrats UTES!!!!!
Utah 2008 National Champs | 3:51 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Congrats to the Utes the ONLY undefeated team in the nation to beat 4 ranked teams.

AzByuFan | 4:16 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
I attented both schools, congrats to the U!!!! New Mexico looked better than Bama! How bout that mighty SEC!!!!! Even good ol Wyo beat Tennessee. Wyo even fired their coach after the season. It gets old hearing people worship the SEC. That may be true that Bama would not have recruited any of the Utes out of high school. It goes to show what coaching can do. Saban is supposed to be one of thee best coaches, but that offense of theirs was very boring; up the middle runs and standard passes. The game wasn't close. 1984, 2004, and 2008 were great teams from the state. Enough said about that.
CP | 4:19 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
I'm a Y fan, but last night I was cheering on the UTES and boy did they play great! Way to go UTES!
ramper | 5:13 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Congrats Utah from Pennsylvania. It sure looked like you totally out coached Alabama on both sides of the ball. It was a very interesting game to watch, even though I had to watch it as it was being squeezed in between all those commercials.
CheerTheU | 5:18 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Don't follow sports, didn't even know the game was being played. But when I read about the lopsided match up and the results of the game, it warmed my heart. Whatever the sport or event, it's great to see a team of good old southern hillbillies get thrashed.
Football Fan | 5:46 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
I am an Oregonian by birth, Texan by choice, and I have never seen a more balanced attack (except militarily) than what Utah did to the tide. They beat them in every possible way. I was at the OSU-USC game, and watched as OSU completely dismantled the national press' cupcake. Then, Utah beat OSU with little doubt that they are a top caliber team. What they did to Alabama was simply a trip to the woodshed. No smart mouthing, just good old fashioned football - settle it on the gridiron, let the whiners and complainers cry. Utah is UNDEFEATED, and the best team in the nation. This was not a fluke, but a precision surgical removal. Number 1 is reserved for the best, and in my unbiased opinion, they are the best of 2008-09.
Turtle | 6:02 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
As a BYU fan, I want to congratulate the Utes on an outstanding season and Sugar Bowl win. You make our conference proud because there are few in the media who give the MWC any respect.

This is some of the best defense I have ever seen played and the offense during the first quarter was awesome.

Hopefully the Utes will get some respect in the final vote...
Nevada BYU fan | 6:46 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
"We're the best team in the country" said Brian Johnson. You know what? He has every right to say that. The Utes have been impressive all season and they ARE the ONLY undefeated team in the country. However, if Austin Collie, under similar circumstances had said the same thing, you whiny Utes fans would be all over him. So, congratulations to the Ute football team and coaching staff, which includes part of the USU and KSU coaching staff. Ute fans, you are still the lamest and most prideful fans in the country. You are fortunate your team is not a reflection of you!
DennyG | 6:53 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Most of us in the MWC and the WAC have no idea how much importance football is to programs like Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Florida etc. etc. They spend millions. Utah and BYU literally get second pickings when it comes to recruits.
Even though Leslie has NO IDEA what she is talking about, this was a HUGE WIN FOR UTAH AND THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE. HUGE, HUGE, HUGE!!!
It was good for everybody.
Nice to see some accolades from the BYU fans.
I won't stop smiling for weeks over this.
As for everyone else in the country that wasn't undefeated, to quote many BYU fans, "There is always next year".
Dick Harmon | 7:04 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
I don't know why you people are so excited.

It's just a game.
BlueUte | 7:11 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009
Thanks a bunch to all the BYU fans who have been with us. I know, and the team knows, this win was about so much more than us. We're trying to prove that the MWC is just as good as the rest of them, and tonight the Utah Men showed what we can do.

I'm a Ute through and through, but I WILL be cheering for the Cougs next season ('cept when we play them, of course ;) . We've done our part to show what we out West can do, and now it's time for the Cougs to step up.

Viva la resistance! Down with the BCS!!

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Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, left, and quarterback Brian Johnson hoist the Sugar Bowl trophy.

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