H.C.R. 4 Enrolled

1

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH CHAMPIONSHIP
2 FOOTBALL TEAM CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
3 2009 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: Jim Bird
6 Senate Sponsor: Patricia W. Jones
7 Cosponsors:
8 Sheryl L. Allen
9 Roger E. Barrus
10 Trisha S. Beck
11 Ron Bigelow
12 Jackie Biskupski
13 Laura Black
14 Melvin R. Brown
15 Rebecca Chavez-Houck
16 David Clark
17 Stephen D. Clark
18 Tim M. Cosgrove
19 Bradley M. Daw
20 Brad L. Dee
21 Jack R. Draxler
22 Susan Duckworth
23 James A. Dunnigan
24 Rebecca P. Edwards
25 Ben C. FerryJanice M. Fisher
Julie Fisher
Lorie D. Fowlke
Craig A. Frank
Gage Froerer
Kevin S. Garn
Francis D. Gibson
Richard A. Greenwood
Keith Grover
Neil A. Hansen
Wayne A. Harper
Lynn N. Hemingway
Neal B. Hendrickson
Christopher N. Herrod
Kory M. Holdaway
Fred R Hunsaker
Eric K. Hutchings
Don L. Ipson
Christine A. JohnsonBrian S. King
Todd E. Kiser
Rebecca D. Lockhart
Steven R. Mascaro
Kay L. McIff
Ronda Rudd Menlove
Merlynn T. Newbold
Michael E. Noel
Marie H. Poulson
Kraig Powell
Phil Riesen
Stephen E. Sandstrom
F. Jay Seegmiller
Kenneth W. Sumsion
Evan J. Vickers
Mark A. Wheatley
Larry B. Wiley
Bradley A. Winn 26
27 LONG TITLE
28 General Description:
29 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor recognizes the players
30 and coaching staff of the 2008 University of Utah football team for their perfect
31 winning season.
32 Highlighted Provisions:
33 This resolution:
34 . recognizes the superior performance of the 2008 University of Utah football team
35 and coaching staff; and

36 . extends best wishes to the team and coaching staff in all of their future endeavors.
37 Special Clauses:
38 None
39
40 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
41 WHEREAS, the 13-0, Sugar Bowl champion University of Utah football team finished
42 the 2008 season ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 4 in the USA
43 Today/Coaches Poll, both rankings being the best in school history;
44 WHEREAS, Utah received 16 first-place votes and 1,519 total points in the AP poll to
45 finish behind Florida with 48 first-place votes and 1,606 total points;
46 WHEREAS, it was the highest finish ever for a Utah football team, surpassing the 12-0
47 Fiesta Bowl champion team of 2004, which earned a No. 4 AP ranking;
48 WHEREAS, the 2008 Utes finished No. 4 in the USA Today Poll, which is voted on by
49 the coaches, who were required to vote the winner of the BCS Championship game No. 1;
50 WHEREAS, Utah held out hope for a share of the national title after dismantling an
51 Alabama team that was ranked No. 1 for five weeks in the regular season;
52 WHEREAS, Utah, led by quarterback Brian Johnson and an overpowering defensive
53 unit, blasted the Crimson Tide 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl on January 2, 2009 before a heavily
54 partisan Alabama crowd in the Louisiana Superdome;
55 WHEREAS, Alabama's only loss prior to meeting Utah was to Florida in the SEC
56 Championship game;
57 WHEREAS, the Utes jumped to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and finished the game with
58 both the most points scored against, and the fewest points allowed to, Alabama in the 2008
59 season;
60 WHEREAS, Utah finished the season as the only undefeated team in the nation at
61 13-0;
62 WHEREAS, Utah was 3-0 for the season against teams from automatic qualifying BCS
63 schools, namely Michigan, Oregon State, and Alabama;

64 WHEREAS, Utah was 4-0 against Top-25 teams, namely Alabama, TCU, Oregon
65 State, and Brigham Young;
66 WHEREAS, in their fifth game against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent, the
67 Utes beat Oregon State, the only team to beat USC, which finished No. 2 in the USA Today
68 Poll;
69 WHEREAS, Utah was 6-0 against teams that competed in bowl games;
70 WHEREAS, Utah's eight straight bowl wins is the longest current bowl winning streak
71 in the nation;
72 WHEREAS, included in the bowl winning streak are wins over USC, Pittsburgh,
73 Georgia Tech, and Alabama;
74 WHEREAS, in 10 games against Pac 10 and SEC foes in 2008, Mountain West
75 Conference teams were 8-2;
76 WHEREAS, eight Utah players were first team all-league selections in 2008, and three
77 were second team selections;
78 WHEREAS, Utah is 12-3 in its last 15 games against automatic BCS qualifiers;
79 WHEREAS, 13 wins in one year is a new school record;
80 WHEREAS, Utah's 14 straight wins is the longest current win streak in the nation;
81 WHEREAS, Utah All-America punter/kicker Louie Sakoda became Utah's first
82 consensus All-American first team selection in school history;
83 WHEREAS, Utah's Coach Kyle Whittingham, who led the Utes to the best season in
84 its 115-year history, is the first football coach in Utah history to win the American Football
85 Coaches Association and the Paul "Bear" Bryant National Coach of the Year Awards;
86 WHEREAS, Coach Whittingham has said, "Our players should be very proud of what
87 they have accomplished and are well deserving of all the accolades that have come their way";
88 WHEREAS, Coach Whittingham added, "We felt that being the only undefeated team
89 in the country should have allowed us the opportunity to play for a national championship.
90 We believe that if given the chance, we can play with any team in the nation . . . While there
91 is certainly some disappointment about not finishing No. 1, we prefer to look on the positive

92 side"; and
93 WHEREAS, on January 16, thousands of fans turned out to honor the Utes at a parade
94 in their honor down Salt Lake City's State Street:
95 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
96 Governor concurring therein, recognize the superior performance of the 2008 University of
97 Utah football team and coaching staff, and for its pursuit and attainment of true excellence in
98 football.
99 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor extend their best
100 wishes to the team and coaching staff in all of their future endeavors.
101 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be presented to the
102 players and coaches of the 2008 University of Utah football team.