PASADENA, Calif. — Utah quarterback Troy Williams, who began his collegiate career at Washington, is eager for Saturday’s showdown with the fifth-ranked Huskies Saturday (1:30 p.m., FS1) at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
“That game is finally here,” Williams said. “I’ve been waiting for it for about two years now.”
Williams, who redshirted at Washington in 2013 and saw limited action in 2014 before transferring to Santa Monica (California) College, added that “it’s going to be fun going out there against my former team.”
The Utes (7-1, 4-1) and Huskies (7-0, 4-0) are in the top 20 of both major polls, setting up a contest of national interest. In anticipation, a university official confirmed that ESPN’s “College GameDay” program made inquiries earlier in the week about bringing its show to Presidents Circle for the second straight season.
It became official after the game when ESPN announced that Utah will host the popular show for the fourth time overall.
Williams acknowledged it’ll be great for the club and school. However, his mind is on something else.
“I’m just focused on winning the game,” he said.
MR. TOUCHDOWN: When senior Cory Butler-Byrd took the opening kickoff back 99 yards for a touchdown, he become the first Utah return specialist to do so since, well, he took one back 98 yards for a score last season against Fresno State.
“He does stuff like that all the time. He’s a playmaker,” Williams said. “I knew he would pop one sooner or later. It’s only right that he did it in his hometown. So everybody’s excited that happened.”
THE DIVISION RACE: Colorado’s 10-5 win at Stanford earlier in the day assured the Buffaloes (6-2, 4-1) would remain atop the standings. Utah’s victory over UCLA kept the teams tied with four conference games remaining, including a Nov. 26 meeting in Boulder.
EXTRA POINTS: It was 84 degrees and sunny at kickoff. … The attendance was generously announced at 66,243. … Scouts from the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, as well as the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, were credentialed for the game, as was a representative from the AFL. … Former Herriman High School all-stater Andre James, a redshirt freshman for UCLA, made his third consecutive start at right tackle on Saturday.
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