UTAH is FEDEX Orange Bowl Naitonal Team of the Week

Utes complete unbeaten regular season with rout of BYU

Utah defensive back Eric Weddle (32) intercepts the pass intended for BYU wide receiver Chris Hale (29) during the third quarter Saturday, Nov. 20, 2004, in Salt Lake City.
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Nov. 22, 2004

DALLAS, Texas - With their 52-21 win over rival BYU, the Utah Utes are the FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week, as selected by the pollsters of the FWAA's Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll for games of the weekend of Nov. 20.

Wide receiver Steve Savoy ran for two touchdowns - including a 92-yarder - and caught a pass for another score as Utah completed its first unbeaten regular season (11-0) since 1930. The Mountain West Conference champions are now poised to earn a berth in a Bowl Championship Series game. The Utes would be the the first-ever mid-major school to participate in the BCS.

Other FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Nov. 20 included:

- Florida (7-4): The Gators topped rival Florida State, 20-13, to win for the first time in Tallahassee since 1986 in coach Ron Zook's final regular-season game.

- Ohio State (7-4): Quarterback Troy Smith had 386 yards of total offense and Ted Ginn Jr. returned a punt for a touchdown as the Buckeyes upset rival Michigan, 37-21.

The FWAA has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the first season that the award has been sponsored by the FedEx Orange Bowl.

The 16 pollsters of the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2004 college football season, the FWAA will name the FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week through Nov. 29. This season, FedEx Orange Bowl will match the two top-ranked teams in the final BCS standings. It will be played at Miami's Pro Player Stadium on Jan. 4, 2005.

The Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll has resumed this season and will be released each Monday. The top-ranked team in the final poll will be awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy as the FWAA's national champion. The FWAA has awarded the trophy each season since 1954.

For more information on the FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week, go to www.footballwriters.com or www.orangebowl.org .