H.C.R. 4

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 Ron Bigelow
11 Jackie Biskupski
12 Melvin R. Brown
13 David Clark
14 Bradley M. Daw
15 Brad L. Dee
16 Jack R. Draxler
17 James A. Dunnigan
18 Rebecca P. Edwards
19 Ben C. FerryJulie Fisher
Lorie D. Fowlke
Craig A. Frank
Gage Froerer
Kevin S. Garn
Richard A. Greenwood
Keith Grover
Wayne A. Harper
Christopher N. Herrod
Fred R. Hunsaker
Eric K. Hutchings
Don L. IpsonTodd E. Kiser
Rebecca D. Lockhart
Steven R. Mascaro
Kay L. McIff
Ronda Rudd Menlove
Merlynn T. Newbold
Michael E. Noel
Kraig Powell
Stephen E. Sandstrom
Kenneth W. Sumsion
Evan J. Vickers
Bradley A. Winn 20
21 LONG TITLE
22 General Description:
23 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor recognizes the players
24 and coaching staff of the 2008 University of Utah football team for their perfect
25 winning season.
26 Highlighted Provisions:
27 This resolution:
28 . recognizes the superior performance of the 2008 University of Utah football team
29 and coaching staff; and
30 . extends best wishes to the team and coaching staff in all of their future endeavors.
31 Special Clauses:

32 None
33
34 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
35 WHEREAS, the 13-0, Sugar Bowl champion University of Utah football team finished
36 the 2008 season ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 4 in the USA
37 Today/Coaches Poll, both rankings being the best in school history;
38 WHEREAS, Utah received 16 first-place votes and 1,519 total points in the AP poll to
39 finish behind Florida with 48 first-place votes and 1,606 total points;
40 WHEREAS, it was the highest finish ever for a Utah football team, surpassing the 12-0
41 Fiesta Bowl champion team of 2004, which earned a No. 4 AP ranking;
42 WHEREAS, the 2008 Utes finished No. 4 in the USA Today Poll, which is voted on by
43 the coaches, who were required to vote the winner of the BCS Championship game No. 1;
44 WHEREAS, Utah held out hope for a share of the national title after dismantling an
45 Alabama team that was ranked No. 1 for five weeks in the regular season;
46 WHEREAS, Utah, led by quarterback Brian Johnson and an overpowering defensive
47 unit, blasted the Crimson Tide 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 before a heavily partisan
48 Alabama crowd in the Louisiana Superdome;
49 WHEREAS, Alabama's only loss prior to meeting Utah was to Florida in the SEC
50 Championship game;
51 WHEREAS, the Utes jumped to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and finished the game with
52 both the most points scored against, and the fewest points allowed to, Alabama in the 2008
53 season;
54 WHEREAS, Utah finished the season as the only undefeated team in the nation at 13-0;
55 WHEREAS, Utah was 3-0 for the season against teams from automatic qualifying BCS
56 schools, namely Michigan, Oregon State, and Alabama;
57 WHEREAS, Utah was 4-0 against Top-25 teams, namely Alabama, TCU, Oregon
58 State, and Brigham Young;
59 WHEREAS, in their fifth game against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent, the Utes
60 beat Oregon State, the only team to beat USC, which finished No. 2 in the USA Today Poll;
61 WHEREAS, Utah was 6-0 against teams that competed in bowl games;
62 WHEREAS, Utah's eight straight bowl wins is the longest current bowl winning streak

63 in the nation;
64 WHEREAS, included in the bowl winning streak are wins over USC, Pittsburgh,
65 Georgia Tech, and Alabama;
66 WHEREAS, in 10 games against Pac 10 and SEC foes in 2008, Mountain West
67 Conference teams were 8-2;
68 WHEREAS, eight Utah players were first team all-league selections in 2008, and three
69 were second team selections;
70 WHEREAS, Utah is 12-3 in its last 15 games against automatic BCS qualifiers;
71 WHEREAS, 13 wins in one year is a new school record;
72 WHEREAS, Utah's 14 straight wins is the longest current win streak in the nation;
73 WHEREAS, Utah All-America punter/kicker Louie Sakoda became Utah's first
74 consensus All-American first team selection in school history;
75 WHEREAS, Utah's Coach Kyle Whittingham, who led the Utes to the best season in its
76 115-year history, is the first football coach in Utah history to win the American Football
77 Coaches Association and the Paul "Bear" Bryant National Coach of the Year Awards;
78 WHEREAS, Coach Whittingham has said, "Our players should be very proud of what
79 they have accomplished and are well deserving of all the accolades that have come their way";
80 WHEREAS, Coach Wittingham added, "We felt that being the only undefeated team in
81 the country should have allowed us the opportunity to play for a national championship. We
82 believe that if given the chance, we can play with any team in the nation . . . While there is
83 certainly some disappointment about not finishing No. 1, we prefer to look on the positive
84 side"; and
85 WHEREAS, on January 16, thousands of fans turned out to honor the Utes at a parade
86 in their honor down Salt Lake City's State Street:
87 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
88 Governor concurring therein, recognize the superior performance of the 2008 University of
89 Utah football team and coaching staff, and for its pursuit and attainment of true excellence in
90 football.
91 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor extend their best
92 wishes to the team and coaching staff in all of their future endeavors.
93 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be presented to the players

94 and coaches of the 2008 University of Utah football team.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-22-09 9:50 AM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel