San Diego » Utah senior receiver David Reed didn't score a touchdown in the Utes' 37-27 Poinsettia Bowl win over Cal, but he still left San Diego with some milestones.
Reed finished with six catches for 106 yards, giving him a school record for catches in a season (81) and receiving yards in a season (1,188). Wednesday's game also was the fifth game he has finished with 100-plus yards in a game this year.
"I couldn't be more thankful for how it ended," he said. "This was a happy ending."
He set the records with a 39-yard catch in the fourth quarter which helped the Utes keep alive a drive that ended with a 25-yard field goal by Joe Phillips , giving the Utes a 30-21 lead.
"He was huge for me," Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn said. "I threw a bubble screen and he'd take it for 50, 60 yards. That shows you the kind of talent he has."
League pride
Coach Kyle Whittingham is keeping an eye on other bowl matchups and is pulling for the other MWC teams to win their games.
He was one of the first to mention the MWC is now 3-0 in bowls this year. The Pac-10 is 0-2 with BYU thumping Oregon State 44-20 Tuesday.
"It says a lot about the strength of our league," he said.
The MWC is 23-15 in bowl games and is 8-3 against teams from BCS conferences.
"With what BYU did last night and us, we're something not to mess with and people need to realize that," Utah senior Stevenson Sylvester said of the MWC. "People talk down about us but we'd play anybody. I can't wait to see how the rest of the bowls shape out to be."
Air Force plays Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 31 and TCU plays Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 4.
Wyoming defeated Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl 35-28.
