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Utah will not pursue the opportunity to play in a bowl game and will conclude its season Saturday against Washington State, the school announced Friday. "Our No. 1 priority is the well-being of our players, and we support the decision they have made," Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said. "They have worked extremely hard since they returned to campus this summer, and they have shown tremendous resiliency in dealing with adversity and challenges. We're proud of what they have accomplished on the field and the way they have handled everything off the field. We look forward to beginning our preparations for the 2021 season when the players return to campus in January." The Utes join Washington, Stanford, UCLA and Washington State from the Pac-12 in announcing that they would turn down any bowl invitations. Utah was one of the teams most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic this season. After the Pac-12's lengthy delay to the start of the season, the Utes' first two games were canceled and they were the final FBS team to begin play when they opened against USC on Nov. 21. In August, a player in the program was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. "We support our student-athletes in their decision and applaud them for the way they represent the University of Utah," athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement. "We have said from the beginning of this pandemic that everything is about the health and well-being of our student-athletes. They have done everything asked of them in following the strict protocols that were established to provide them the opportunity to play a football season this fall." Utah (2-2) has won two straight, including a 38-21 victory against previously unbeaten Colorado last week.
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