Utes Working Hard While Looking Forward To Rose Bowl Fun
Dec 21, 2022, 8:30 AM
The head football coaches and select players from The Ohio State University Buckeyes and the Utah Utes pose for a photo with Mickey Mouse at Disneyland Park, in Anaheim, Calif., Dec. 27, 2021. The teams made their first stop on the way to the 2022 Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One Venture X in Pasadena, Calif., with a traditional visit to the Disneyland Resort. (Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)
(Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)
SALT LAKE CITY- Utah football is hard at work preparing for their second trip to the Rose Bowl to take on Penn State but are also looking forward to some of the fun that comes along with the bowl too.
Top of the list? Disneyland, obviously. It is the “happiest place on Earth,” after all.
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For some guys, it’s all about being in the parade, or just the simple joy of childhood memories. There are also the rogue ones who just like the idea of running around in a “Galaxy Far, Far Away” and that one hater that is out to prove Disney World is actually where it’s at.
We’re Going To Disneyland, Again
As a SoCal guy, quarterback Cam Rising is very familiar with the joys of Disneyland and is looking forward to being a part of the parade that will take place on Wednesday, December 28, as the welcome event.
“Back-to-back years in the parade, I’m looking forward to it,” Rising said. “It’s going to be awesome.”
“It’s pretty hard to beat Disneyland,” Rising quipped a little later during his availability when asked about what he was looking forward to outside of the game. “Being a part of the parade is awesome to see and to have the opportunity to be there back-to-back years is unreal. I’m looking forward to getting down there again.”
For senior wide receiver Jaylen Dixon, it’s all about the extra time he gets to spend with his teammates since this is his last go-around.
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“Those are always the moments you’re going to cherish the most,” Dixon said. “Those times with the teammates, just hanging out with the guys- that’s going to be the main thing for me.”
Admittedly, Dixon is not a Disneyland guy, but he loves Star Wars so the idea of getting to run around living his best Jedi-life at Star Wars land in Disneyland is what appeals most to him.
“I’m a huge Star Wars guy,” Dixon said. “I’m going to head there and build a lightsaber- stuff like that.”
Of course, the Florida guy is going to fight hard for Disney World and that’s exactly what freshman running back Jaylon Glover intends to do.
“I really want to see Disneyland,” Glover said. “We’ve got one in Orlando, and I heard Cali is smaller than ours so I’m ready to talk bad about it. I’m excited about that.”
It’s Not All Play And No Work
While there is a ton of excitement around being able to kick back and have some fun, Utah still acknowledges there is work to be done and a mission unfinished.
For head coach Kyle Whittingham, he’s happy his players and all the families involved with Utah football will get to have some time to let their hair down, but acknowledges the coaches aren’t quite as lucky.
“Hopefully our families will have a good time, I won’t,” Whittingham said with a chuckle. “It’s another work week for us as coaches but we want the families and players to have a great time. That’s what it’s all about. I know they had a great time last year even though the game didn’t turn out in our favor, but that’s the key. Coaches, we’re grinding, but as long as everyone else is having a great time, we’re good with that.”
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Despite looking forward to letting loose a bit, Glover says the older guys on the team who have been to the Rose Bowl before have preached to not get too carried away with it. There is still some unfinished business to attend to.
“We do have a mission to accomplish,” Glover said. “We want to get 11 wins. We have to win one more and we’re going to come ready to go.”
Captain Rising agrees and thinks its no accident the Utes have made their way to Pasadena on New Years (January 2 in this case) for the second time in a row.
“To go back to the Rose Bowl, it just means that there is unfinished business we’re going to go out there and finish.”
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports
