The University of Utah's unforgettable 2008 football season officially ends Friday afternoon, with a 3 p.m. parade through downtown Salt Lake City for a team that won 13 straight games in every conceivable manner.

The parade will begin at 3 p.m. with the football team, band, cheerleaders, Swoop and the MUSS marching from the Eagle Gate entrance at the corner of South Temple and State Street to the City County Building at Washington Square.

The marchers will toss red Sugar Bowl beads into the crowd and 10,000 commemorative buttons will be distributed.

Players, coach Kyle Whittingham and others will speak at a rally at Washington Square.

This season, the Utes won in front of 108,000 fanatics at Michigan and a couple of thousand onlookers at San Diego State.

They won in the late-summer heat of Salt Lake City and the late-autumn chill of Albuquerque.

They beat Oregon State, which was coming off a Pac-10 win over mighty Southern Cal, and they beat Big Sky Conference co-champion Weber State, which would later lose to Eastern Washington.

They won inside the climate-controlled Louisiana Super Dome and outside in the take-your-breath-away wind of Wyoming.

They beat a beloved former coach in Rob McBride and a disliked ex-coach in Joe Glenn.

They won easy -- fives times by at least three touchdowns -- and they won hard -- four times by a total of 11 points.

They won on the strength of Brian Johnson's arm and Louie Sakoda's leg.

For the first time in three years. they defeated BYU. And, for the 19th time in the last 21 years, they whipped Utah State.

In the hearts and minds of Utah fans from Snowville to St. George, it was a season that, unofficially, will never end.

A season to celebrate

Date Opponent Score

Aug. 30 at Mich. W, 25-23

Sakoda kicks four FGs

Sept. 6 vs. UNLV W, 42-21

Utes trail 21-7 but score 35 straight points

Sept. 13 at USU W, 58-10

Most points since BCS-busting's 04 season

Sept. 20 at AFA W, 30-23

Mack scores late TD

Sept. 27 vs. Weber St. W, 37-21

Sakoda becomes all-time leading U. scorer

Oct. 2 vs. Oregon State W, 31-28

Utes score 11 points in the final 1:29

Oct. 11 at Wyoming W, 40-7

Defense, special teams force five turnovers

Oct. 28 vs. Colo. State W, 49-16

The Utes pile up 549 yards of total offense

Nov. 1 at New Mexico W, 13-10

Sakoda kicks two FGs, defense holds late

Nov. 6 vs. TCU W, 13-10

Utes get game-winner with 48 seconds left

Nov. 15 at San Diego St. W, 63-14

Johnson throws five touchdown passes

Nov. 22 vs. BYU W, 48-24

Utes claim undisputed Mountain West title

Jan. 2 vs. Alabama W, 31-17

Quick 21-0 lead holds up against Tide