SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – October 7, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – It’s an eventful time for the University of Utah this week as the Utes prepare for their Pac-12 Conference home opener, Homecoming and a live broadcast of ESPN’s College GameDay Show.
The Utes rise to sudden fame and the possibility of a #1 ranking started just two weeks ago when the Utes posted their biggest win in the Pac-12, a 62-20 beatdown of Oregon on the Ducks’ own turf. With several undefeated top ten teams falling short of a win last week, and the Utes on a bye week, they landed themselves a fifth-place ranking in this week’s Associated Press poll. The Utes now face the extra pressure to prove they deserve to be ranked among the nation’s best.
But rankings don’t guarantee wins, and the Utes hosting No. 23 California Golden Bears is not a reason to let up on the pressure. It’s hard to overlook that both teams are still undefeated, and according to ESPN, California’s quarterback Jared Goff does very well under pressure and is extremely accurate.
Coach Kyle Whittingham said being a good team means players have to be able to handle the success they have had and the attention that’s being placed on their program. “That’s part of the deal. You have to be able to block out the noise and continue to stay focused. We have to continue to do the things that have gotten us here,” Whittingham said. “If you get in the mindset where you’re worried about the external things and end up paying attention to all of it, it’s going to end up being a distraction, so you can’t allow that.”
College GameDay announced they would be coming to Utah in a video posted on facebook on October 3, making Saturday their third appearance since 2004 on the University of Utah’s campus.
In a press release issued from the University of Utah, ESPN will begin broadcasting shows from Presidents Circle on Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. MT with a live show scheduled from noon to 12:30 p.m. Sponsors such as Pizza Hut, Home Depot, Coke Zero and Cheezit will be offering promotional items, food sampling, games, and a sign-making competition.
The University will allow overnight camping starting at 6 p.m. Friday night, but have requested all camping equipment to be removed by 4 a.m. before they allow fans into the GameDay site starting at 4:30 a.m.
Whittingham and the rest of the Utes are proud to have the College GameDay show and said it helps to create a lot of energy around what they’re doing for the community and the university. “It’s an honor to have those guys come into town. If you handle it the right way, it’s a plus for your team. Like I said, you can’t let it distract you. You can’t let it become your focal point, but as far as ‘amping up’ our fan base and exposure for our university, it’s great,” Whittingham said. “We’d like to have GameDay here every week if they wanted to come here every week. We see it as a big positive.”
The Utes are hoping to continue their winning streak after having won six games in a row. Their best streak was a nine-game run in 2009-10.
