Utah, Las Vegas Await
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USC’s anticipated invitation to the Las Vegas Bowl became official Tuesday, as did the opponent the Trojans will face on Christmas Day: Utah. The teams last met in the 1993 Freedom Bowl, with the Trojans winning, 28-21.
This time, the Utes have a 7-3 record and the 19th-ranked defense in the nation. They can clinch a share of second place in the Mountain West Conference with a victory in their season finale at Air Force on Saturday.
“This is the game we wanted all along,” Utah Coach Ron McBride said of the Las Vegas Bowl. “We get to play a Pac-10 school that’s playing good football right now. Our fans can really get excited about a name opponent like USC.”
The Salt Lake City campus is only a five-hour drive to the north. The Utes drew about 11,000 fans when they defeated Fresno State, 17-16, in the 1999 Las Vegas Bowl.
USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett used Tuesday’s announcement as an opportunity to praise Coach Pete Carroll for leading the team into the postseason. The Trojans had been to only one bowl game the previous five years.
“We believe this is the start of USC football’s rise back to prominence,” Garrett said.
The 12:30 p.m. game will be played at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium and will be televised by ABC.
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