How SWEET it is...the Sugar Bowl!!

The BCS-Busting Utes did it for a second time! Some may say that we don't stand a chance, that we have already lost...BUT don't count out the Utah Utes quite yet. We have been known to have a surprise or two up our sleeve!!

Utah Invited to Play in the Allstate Sugar Bowl

Dec. 7, 2008

SALT LAKE CITY -- The University of Utah has accepted an invitation to play in the 75th Allstate Sugar Bowl on Friday, Jan. 2 in New Orleans. The No. 7 Utes (12-0) will play No. 4 Alabama (12-1) in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Kickoff is 7:17 p.m. CT (6 p.m. MT) in the 72,000-seat Louisiana Superdome. The game will be televised by Fox Sports.
Utah, which has won 20 of its last 21 games, owns the longest current win streak in the nation at 13 games. Utah and Alabama were tied for the longest win streak before the Tide's loss to Florida on Dec. 6.
With the Sugar Bowl bid, Utah becomes the first team from a non-automatic qualifying conference to play in two BCS bowl games. Utah was the original BCS Buster in 2004--beating Pittsburgh in the (2005) Fiesta Bowl to complete an undefeated season at 12-0. Utah's No. 6 BCS ranking equals that of the 2004 Utah team and is the highest a team from a non-automatic qualifying conference has ever attained.
Utah has more wins against BCS schools (15) since 2000 than any other non-automatic qualifying BCS school. The Utes are 15-10 against BCS teams in that time and 10-3 since 2004. Utah is 2-0 this year against teams from BCS conferences, with wins over Michigan and Oregon State. Utah has also beaten two ranked teams this year: No. 11 TCU and No. 14 Brigham Young.
Utah has the second-longest current bowl win streak in the nation at seven games--one behind Boston College. Utah wins during the streak came against Fresno State (1999), USC (2001), Southern Miss (2003), Pittsburgh (2005/2004 season), Georgia Tech (2005), Tulsa (2006) and Navy (2007). Utah is 10-3 all-time in bowl games. Alabama will play in its 56th bowl game--an NCAA record--and is 31-21-3 in the postseason.
The Utes are led by the 2008 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year, Kyle Whittingham. Whittingham, 36-14 in four years as Utah's head coach, is 3-0 in bowl games and 6-3 against BCS schools. He has been on Utah's staff since 1994 and was the defensive coordinator for the first four games in Utah's current bowl win streak.
While Utah is 0-6 all-time against the Southeastern Conference, the Utes have not played an SEC school since 1984 when they lost 27-21 to Tennessee in Knoxville.
The Utes will depart for New Orleans on Dec. 27.