Orlando, Fla. • As the rain poured down from the night sky, Kyle Whittingham strolled the sideline with water dripping from his silver hair and a familiar look on his face.
Amid the worst losing streak of his heading coach career, with the biggest question of his career looming, the Ute boss looked the same he’s always: no more emotion than needed; no less than he’s shown before.
Was it the last game of his illustrious career?
Or — at long last — just the latest win a career full of them?
Nobody knew and it didn’t matter. It was simply business as usual on Friday night for the 20-year head coach.
In a season that’s been anything but storybook, Whittingham delivered with the closest thing to that — a season-ending 28-14 victory over UCF that finally put an end to a seven-game losing streak and earned his 167th win all-time.
Central Florida running back RJ Harvey, right, scores a touchdown on a 5-yard run past Utah safety Tao Johnson (15) and linebacker Karene Reid (21) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
The Utes finished the 2024 season with a 5-7 record and a 2-7 record in the Big 12. It was their worst finish since 2013.
Senior quarterback Luke Bottari finished with 111 passing yards and one touchdown in the second start of his career.
Micah Bernard finished with 22 carries and 87 rushing yards against UCF’s defense. With the senior running back’s performance, he officially eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards on the season.
Utah jumped out to a early 10-0 lead in the first half, thanks in part to two turnovers forced by its defense — a fumble recovery by sophomore defensive end Logan Fano and a pick-six from senior defensive back Zemaiah Vaughn.
The Knights responded with a 5-yard rushing touchdown from running back RJ Harvey, which brought them within a 10-7 score with 3:25 remaining in the second quarter. Utah kicked and made a second field to take a 13-7 lead at the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, Bottari connected with junior tight end Landen King on a 15-yard touchdown pass to start the fourth quarter. Utah also converted on its two-point conversion attempt, which gave it a 21-7 lead with 14:46 remaining in the contest.
With Utah’s season officially over, the program will shift focus to the offseason. The early signing period for high school recruits starts on Dec. 4 and closes on Dec. 6. Whittingham has said that Utah will hire a new offensive coordinator, who will replace former Utah OC Andy Ludwig, before then.
The transfer portal is set to open Monday, Dec. 9 and close on Dec. 28.
Meanwhile, Utah still awaits the decision of seventh-year quarterback Cam Rising, who is mulling a decision to enter the portal, opt for the 2025 NFL Draft or return to Salt Lake City for an eighth season.
More importantly, the Utes will now await word from Whittingham, who has yet to decide whether he will return to coach the team next season.
