SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s national attention is growing. At 9-1 overall and 6-1 in Pac-12 play, the program is sitting on solid ground. They’re seventh in the College Football Playoff and Associated Press rankings. The coaches poll has them eighth.
Individually, several Utes are up for awards including a Heisman Trophy campaign for quarterback Tyler Huntley.
The accolades are mounting as Utah enters the final stretch of the regular season — Saturday at Arizona and Nov. 30 at home against Colorado. The Utes are well aware of the noise surrounding them.
“It certainly gets louder and there is more of it, but you’ve still got to take the same approach and have the same M.O. of just not listening and not paying attention to it and just keeping your vision and your focus with what the immediate task at hand is,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “And our guys to this point have done a great job of that and here we are with the last two games of the regular season and hopefully we don’t deviate from that now — at this point and time.”
The new CFP rankings will be released Tuesday (5 p.m., ESPN) as the Utes pursue a top four finish by season’s end and a trip to the national semifinals. The program is well represented on late watch lists, too:
— Bednarik Award (defensive player): DE Bradlee Anae
— Broyles Award (assistant coach): DC Morgan Scalley
— Walter Camp Player of the Year: RB Zack Moss
— Dodd Trophy (coach): Whittingham
— Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end): Anae
— Maxwell Award (player of the year): Moss
— Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player): Anae, Jaylon Johnson
— Davey O’Brien Award (quarterback): Huntley
— Outland Trophy (interior lineman): DT Leki Fotu, DT John Penisini
— Polynesian Player of the Year: Anae, Fotu, Penisini, S Julian Blackmon, OL Viane Moala, OT Darrin Paulo, DE Mika Tafua
— Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (quarterback): Huntley
— Doak Walker Award (running back): Moss
In addition, six Utes (Anae, Blackmon, Fotu, Moss, Francis Bernard and Terrell Burgess have already accepted invitations to the Senior Bowl.
“We’re always cognizant of trying to promote our teams, our student-athletes, and our coaches in ways that are most deserving for them,” said Paul Kirk, Utah associate athletics director for strategic communications. “And some of that is based upon our own statistical and performance observations and sometimes its also validated by national perspectives.”
Kirk acknowledged that the Utah sports information department is getting an increase in national inquiries. He said it’s a real positive challenge.
“It’s what we would want because our people deserve it and it’s something that anybody that works in this business really enjoys being a part of,” Kirk explained.
Utah has been down this road before, going undefeated in 2004 and 2008 and capping things off with January wins in the Fiesta and Sugar bowls, respectively.
Whittingham acknowledged that the national spotlight may actually narrow the team’s focus down the stretch rather than add pressure to it, even if there’s distractions to the usual approach of just taking things one game at a time.
“I don’t want to say it helps,” Whittingham said. “But as we talk about it and as the players sense it and feel it and as the coaches stress ‘block it out and focus,” yeah, I think it can. I think it can work out in that way and in that fashion.”
PAC-12 HONORS: Utah picked up two more Pac-12 Player of the Week awards, giving the Utes 10 for the season. Blackmon and Tafua were honored for performances in Saturday’s 49-3 win over UCLA.
Blackmon captured the league’s top defensive accolade with a stat-stuffing showing that included 12 tackles (nine solo), an interception and a forced fumble.
Tafua had his conference-best fourth fumble recovery of the year and returned it 68 yards for a touchdown to earn Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week recognition.
Utes on the air
No. 7 Utah (9-1, 6-1) at Arizona (4-6, 2-5)
Arizona Stadium — Tucson
Saturday, 8 p.m.
TV: FS1
Radio: ESPN 700AM