DALLAS (FWAA) 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.