Dec 27, 2004 4 min read

PHOENIX (AP) – Utah and Pittsburgh arrived for their Fiesta Bowl matchup on Sunday, one team unbeaten and breaking the BCS barrier and the other stung by criticism that it doesn’t deserve to be here. The Utes (11-0) couldn’t believe the reception, which included a red carpet, a mob of yellow-clad Fiesta Bowl volunteers and the event’s trademark mariachi band.

“I guess this is why they call it the BCS, huh?” Utah senior defensive tackle Sione Pouhal said. “In the Liberty Bowl, we had Elvis Presley out there by himself. Here we’ve got all those yellow jackets. This is the real deal. I didn’t think it would be like this when we were practicing in Salt Lake City, but I guess this is the opening of things to come.”

The game matches head coaches making their farewell appearances before moving on to new jobs. Utah coach Urban Meyer is headed for Florida, Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris to Stanford.

Both decided to coach their final games before taking over their new jobs.

“I chose to coach this game because I’ve always taught our players to finish whatever you start,” Harris said.

While the Fiesta Bowl organizers gladly welcomed Utah and the throngs expected to head south from Salt Lake City, they were forced to take Pittsburgh (8-3), the Big East champion, even though the Panthers were only ranked 21st in the BCS standings.

Pitt is a double-digit underdog for the Jan. 1 game. Will they bring a chip on their shoulder?

“Could be,” Harris said. “I haven’t read the papers lately, but when you’re the largest underdog, that might hit some competitive spirit. But all that stuff doesn’t matter once the game starts.”

Utah enters the game ranked fifth by The Associated Press and sixth by the BCS. The Utes, the first non-BCS team to play in one of the four BCS games, have been aiming at the Fiesta for a long time.

“Back at the end of last spring, people started talking about the University if Utah coming to the Fiesta Bowl,” Meyer said. “As a head coach, you just cringe and say “Let’s worry about our first opponent.’ Then throughout the season, Salt Lake City fell in love with the Fiesta Bowl because they kept hearing about it. Now it’s a dream come true.”

Meyer took a few days off to recruit for Florida, then came back to Salt Lake City to prepare the Utes for the biggest bowl game in the school’s history.

“Since I’ve been back, it’s full-time preparing for our 12th win,” he said. “The one thing you will see, and I promised this team and I promised this athletic director, you’re going to see a very well prepared team. We’re committed to do that.”

With Pittsburgh’s offense rolling behind Tyler Palko at the end of the season, and Utah’s scoring machine under the direction of Alex Smith, a high-scoring game would seem a good bet.

“I’ve coached a long time, and whenever you think you’re going to score a lot of points, you don’t. When you think you’re going to give up a lot of points, you don’t,” Harris said. “I do know that they’re very explosive on offense. I think their quarterback has got to be one of the great quarterbacks in the United States.”

Meyer said that the Utes have labored all season under the weight of being the team that was supposed to break through the barrier that has prevented non-BCS teams from playing in the biggest bowls.

“It was pressure that was put on this team and the coaching staff from the middle of the season. It’s not something that we asked for,” Meyer said, “and that’s carrying the flag of all the non-BCS conference school. … To know that a non-BCS conference school made it to the BCS, that’s a great opportunity that we take great pride in.”

So Meyer said his players deserved to be a little overwhelmed by the reception they received at Sky Harbor International Airport.

“To be honest with you, I think they’re in awe, and they should be,” Meyer said. “You don’t get an opportunity to do this very often, so you’re darned right they should enjoy it.”