The postseason dream has evaporated for Utah this year, and on Friday in Cleveland, there's nothing left to play for but pride.

Even though Utah (8-9) won its game last week in a thrilling 14-point comeback against the New Orleans Voodoo, their playoff fate was out of their hands. Wins by Spokane and Orlando left the Blaze as the odd team out.

Although there is nothing tangible left to play for this season, there is the future to look toward.

"Simply put, it's an opportunity to audition for next year," coach Ron James says. "I'm looking to these guys to show professionalism and their love for the game of football. It's a gut check."

It's a frustrating finish to a season that started out so well. The Blaze had been a step ahead in the playoff race before injuries and road woes dragged down on them. Down the stretch, Utah limped to a 3-5 record in its last eight games and is only 1-7 away from EnergySolutions Arena.

Now, equipped with backups and patch players at a number of key positions, the Blaze are staring down a tough road finale. The Eastern Division champ Cleveland Gladiators will host Utah, looking to lock down the Blaze attack with a grinding defense.

Last month, the Gladiators notably stomped the San Jose SaberCats 82-21, one of the biggest blowouts in league history.

"They've got an opportunistic defense," James says. "Their defensive backs fly to the ball. It's similar to what we were at the start of the season."

If the Blaze are to go out with a .500 record and some pride, they'll need to recapture the sense of unity and urgency from their 62-58 win over the Voodoo. A number of new players were critical to the comeback: Wide receiver Michael Preston caught three touchdowns, while Brenton Brady notched two sacks as a linebacker.

James also pointed out if the Blaze made the playoffs, they might've played Cleveland down the line. But with the postseason now out of the picture, the team will aim for the next best thing: going out with a win.

"I think we showed last week that even when you bring new guys in, they can be productive," James says. "With the way we won, it was a tremendous feeling for a lot of these players. Hopefully they'll step it up again for this last game."

kgoon@sltrib.com

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Blaze at Gladiators

P Friday, 5:30 p.m.

Radio • 97.5 FM

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