Utah Accepts Freedom Bowl, Will Face Trojans on Dec. 30

Utah, a winner of five of its last six games, was selected Sunday to play in the Dec. 30 Freedom Bowl game in Anaheim against USC.

Freedom Bowl director Don Andersen said Utah officials accepted the bid Sunday and will bring a 7-5 team to face the Trojans.

USC officials, including some members of the university’s Board of Trustees, had initially preferred that the Trojans participate in another bowl.

On Saturday, USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett had said he was trying to cut a deal that would put USC in San Antonio’s Alamo Bowl on Dec. 31. “Playing a WAC team is a no-win proposition for us,” Garrett said. “In the next few days we’ll be trying to find a way that we can play in the Alamo Bowl.”

But those chances ended Sunday when Alamo officials invited Iowa and California to play in their inaugural game.

Said Garrett on Sunday: “After all the selections transpired, we’re going to the Freedom Bowl. It’s an opportunity to play another game in ’93 and to uphold our bowl tradition.”

Coach John Robinson, who had earlier said he and his players were eager to play in any bowl and “could (not) care less” who USC played, said as much Sunday, after Utah was invited.

“I’m excited about playing Utah,” he said. “And I’m sure they’re excited about playing us. I like the idea of not having to travel, of playing close to home. We’ll have fun, enjoy ourselves and play well.”

USC’s entry into the Freedom Bowl became official Sunday after No. 17 Arizona accepted an invitation to play No. 8 Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Utah comes to Anaheim having recently achieved one of the great victories in school history. The Utes, on Nov. 20, defeated Brigham Young in Provo for the first time in 22 years, 34-31, on a 55-yard field goal with 30 seconds left by Chris Yergensen.

Utah lost to Wyoming, Idaho and New Mexico consecutively in the middle of the season, then lost only at Hawaii over the last six weeks.

Utah’s junior quarterback, Mike McCoy, ranks second nationally in total offense. He played for Long Beach State as a freshman and transferred to Utah when the 49ers dropped football.

The Utes have a power running back in fullback Jamal Anderson, a 240-pounder from Woodland Hills who ran for 958 yards this year, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He scored 11 touchdowns. The defensive star is junior defensive end Luther Ellis.

After not appearing in a bowl game for 28 years, Utah played in last season’s Copper Bowl at Tucson, losing to Washington State, 31-28.

* THE POLLS: West Virginia isn’t happy about it, but Nebraska will face Florida State for the national title. C13