H.C.R. 11

1

RESOLUTION HONORING THE UNIVERSITY
2 OF UTAH FOOTBALL TEAM
3 2005 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Jeff Alexander
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor recognizes the success
10 of the University of Utah's 2004 Championship Football Team and its coaching staff.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 . recognizes the extraordinary performance of the 2004 University of Utah Football
14 Team and coaching staff for a perfect 12-0 season, including their second
15 consecutive Mountain West Conference Championship, their convincing victory in
16 the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, and their individual and team recognitions, including their
17 top five national ranking; and
18 . expresses gratitude to the University of Utah Football Team for the positive image it
19 has projected for the state.
20 Special Clauses:
21 None
22
23 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
24 WHEREAS, the 2004 University of Utah Football Team is the outright Mountain West
25 Conference football champion for the second straight year;
26 WHEREAS, the 2004 University of Utah Football Team, returning 17 starters from its
27 Liberty Bowl-winning 2003 team that achieved a 10-2 win-loss record, began the season

28 nationally ranked;
29 WHEREAS, week after week the Ute offense, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Alex
30 Smith at quarterback, crushed, dominated, and with its potent, high-powered offense perplexed
31 one opponent after another;
32 WHEREAS, the Ute defense, greatly improved from a very good 2003 season, stunned
33 foes with its swarming coverage and punishing blitzes;
34 WHEREAS, the Utes were motivated by a common goal: to prove that they could beat
35 any team in the nation, anywhere;
36 WHEREAS, as the season progressed with victory after victory, the Utes consistently
37 advanced in the national rankings;
38 WHEREAS, Head Coach Urban Meyer and his coaching staff worked the team hard,
39 pushing each player to be his very best;
40 WHEREAS, Ute team members built on the success of the 2003 season, recognized
41 areas where their play needed improvement, and persistently eliminated all barriers to
42 individual and team success;
43 WHEREAS, the Utes capped the regular season with a 52-21 defeat of rival Brigham
44 Young University, became the first Ute team to win 12 games in a single season, and the first
45 undefeated Utah team in 74 years;
46 WHEREAS, quarterback Alex Smith and defensive back Morgan Scalley were named
47 the Mountain West Conference's Offensive and Defensive players of the year, respectively, and
48 Coach Urban Meyer was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year;
49 WHEREAS, Alex Smith was also named the Sporting News and Sports Illustrated's
50 National Player of the Year;
51 WHEREAS, Smith and offensive lineman Chris Kemoeatu were named First-Team
52 All-Americans;
53 WHEREAS, other Utes named to All-American teams were wide receiver Steve Savoy
54 and defensive backs Ryan Smith and Morgan Scalley;
55 WHEREAS, the University of Utah was the only Division 1 school in America to have
56 two football players, Alex Smith and Morgan Scalley, named Academic All-Americans, with
57 both players making the first team;
58 WHEREAS, the academic honors continued with Alex Smith being named the Football

59 Academic All-American of the Year and Morgan Scalley being named the Anson Mount
60 Scholar Athlete of the Year;
61 WHEREAS, the Utes proved themselves perfect on the gridiron by crushing the
62 Pittsburgh Panthers in the Fiesta Bowl on New Years' Day, 35-7;
63 WHEREAS, Utah's popular and explosive offense, one of the best in college football,
64 was more than matched by its defense in the Fiesta Bowl;
65 WHEREAS, in their 11 previous games the Utes had 24 sacks, an average of a little
66 more than two per game, but in the Fiesta Bowl the Utes racked up nine sacks against the
67 Panthers and broke the Fiesta Bowl record of seven, set in 1996;
68 WHEREAS, for the game, the Panthers were held to 17 net yards rushing, thanks to the
69 74 yards lost in sacks, and 268 yards total offense;
70 WHEREAS, the Ute defense extended its scoreless streak in bowl games to seven
71 quarters by shutting out the Panthers in the first half;
72 WHEREAS, Ute quarterback Alex Smith, who completed 29-of-37 passes for 328
73 yards and four touchdowns, and wide receiver Paris Warren, who scored twice and made a
74 Fiesta Bowl-record 15 catches, were named co-Offensive Players of the Game;
75 WHEREAS, nose guard Steve Fifita, responsible for one of the Utes' record-setting
76 quarterback sacks, claimed Defensive Player of the Game honors, while teammates Eric
77 Weddle and Tommy Hackenbruck contributed 11 tackles and three sacks, respectively;
78 WHEREAS, Utah's perfect season was capped when Coach Urban Meyer received the
79 Football Writers Association/Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award;
80 WHEREAS, under Coach Meyer, Utah finished 12-0 for the year, 22-2 during his two
81 years with the team, and was guided to the first Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game for a
82 team from a conference without an automatic BCS berth;
83 WHEREAS, Utah is the first team from a conference without an automatic bid to
84 participate in one of the NCAA's financially lucrative bowl games, with an expected payout of
85 between $14-17 million for the Mountain West Conference; and
86 WHEREAS, Urban Meyer, his coaching staff, and the University of Utah Football team
87 should be commended for their extraordinary success and for the positive attention they have
88 brought to the state of Utah:
89 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the

90 Governor concurring therein, recognize the 2004 University of Utah Football Team for its
91 tremendous success, including its top five ranking in season-ending college football polls.
92 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the members of
93 the 2004 Fiesta Bowl-winning University of Utah Football Team, former University of Utah
94 Football Coach Urban Meyer, current University of Utah Football Coach Kyle Wittingham, the
95 other members of its coaching staff, and the University of Utah.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-1-05 9:49 AM

Based on a limited legal review, this legislation has not been determined to have a high
probability of being held unconstitutional.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel