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Utah rolls in Sugar Bowl

Utah’s Matt Asiata, left, Colt Sampson, center, and Chris Joppru celebrate a TD. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
By BRETT MARTEL Associated Press
Utah’s Matt Asiata, left, Colt Sampson, center, and Chris Joppru celebrate a TD. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

NEW ORLEANS – Undefeated, and uninvited.

Led by Brian Johnson and a swarming defense, No. 7 Utah completed its perfect season by upsetting fourth-ranked Alabama 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl on Friday night.

After piling up wins in the Mountain West Conference against a schedule deemed soft, the Utes (13-0) were left out of the BCS national championship game in favor of perennial powers Florida and Oklahoma, even though both have one loss.

But at the Sugar Bowl, Utah showed it could do more than just hang with the big boys, it could dominate one of them.

“I know where I’m voting us. I’m voting us No. 1. End of story,” coach Kyle Whittingham said afterward.

Utah’s only chance for a piece of the national title – albeit a remote possibility – is in the Associated Press poll. The AP, not part of the BCS, awards its own national championship.

The Utes are the only team in the AP Top 25 that remains unbeaten.

“What else do we have to prove?” said Johnson, selected the game’s most outstanding player. “Without question, we’re one of best, if not the best team in the country.”

Johnson threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, and the Utes took charge from the start by bolting to a 21-point lead.

With the victory, Utah became the first team from a non-BCS conference to win two BCS bowls. The Utes beat Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl under coach Urban Meyer, going for his second BCS national title with Florida when his Gators play Oklahoma on Thursday in Miami.

Johnson’s pinpoint passing led Utah to a 21-0 first-quarter lead, the largest deficit Alabama faced all season. The Utes refused to wilt when Alabama pulled to within 21-17 early in the second half.

Utah’s defense was equally impressive, intercepting John Parker Wilson twice and sacking him eight times, with the seventh sack forcing a fumble that sent crimson-clad Alabama fans streaming for the exits with just more than 5 minutes to go.

After surging to No. 1 in the rankings with a 12-0 regular season, Alabama closed the season with two consecutive losses, the first against Florida in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Following that first loss, Saban noted that his club still was the only team to have an undefeated regular season in a “real BCS conference.”

“From my perspective, I was angry, not just because of what Saban said but everything that was out there,” Johnson said. “I just felt like we were being completely disrespected.”

The Utes’ array of stunts and blitzes appeared to upset Wilson’s rhythm. He overthrew a couple of open receivers downfield and finished 18 of 30 for 177 yards and a touchdown

Utah didn’t seem interested in running the ball, and who could blame the Utes the way Johnson adeptly spread the ball around to seven receivers? He hit Freddie Brown 12 times for 125 yards.

Johnson was 27 of 41 and was not intercepted. His touchdowns went for 7 yards to Brent Casteel, 18 yards to Bradon Godfrey and 28 yards to David Reed. Matt Asiata ran for a 2-yard TD.