Despite its pre-Christmas scheduling and minimum payout, the Las Vegas Bowl represented the jackpot for the Mountain West Conference bowl contenders.

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The proximity to conference cities, likelihood of a good ticket sales base, strong fan following, low travel expenses and decent weather made the Dec. 18 bowl-opener a natural. All three tri-champs begged the committee for consideration.

Utah, less than a month removed from irate fans calling for coach Ron McBride's head, coasted into a nice trip. Yes, Colorado State took the MWC champion's berth in the higher paying New Year's Eve Liberty Bowl … and then MWC officials helped Utah's cause by pointing out that Brigham Young would fit well into the Motor City Bowl opposite Marshall.

In fact, when Las Vegas officials tapped Utah, it was immediately seen as a great sign for the conference as a whole. Like CSU being invited to the Liberty, it showed that BYU isn't the only team in the league that can present itself as attractive to bowl games. And when the Motor City indeed invited BYU to complete the MWC tri-champions all getting into bowl games, it was indeed a thorough postseason success.

Now it's up for the Utes and the others to enjoy success on the field.

The Utes, especially, face a crucial task: When they were in the WAC with Fresno State, the two teams developed a lively rivalry … and now the last thing the Utes want to do is lose to a team from a league they thumbed their nose at a year ago.

Just getting to the bowl is a big move for a team that was in crisis control during a late two-game losing streak (Colorado State and Wyoming). McBride circled the wagons and brushed off the criticism. The players rallied around their coach and McBride had every player in his office for a heart-to-heart.

The Utes responded, walloping an improving New Mexico team and then outlasting bitter rival BYU to keep the Cougars from sole possession of the MWC crown.

It was as good a finish as the Utes could hope for considering that quarterback Darnell Arceneaux missed the last two games with a concussion that might push him from the quarterback spot or football all together.

Arceneaux, a multi-talented playmaker, was undefeated as a starter going into his junior year but spent more time in the training room than on the field. He held up for the first three weeks, then sprained his foot in the loss at eventual Big West champ Boise State.

From then on he was never quite the same. He missed the Colorado State game with the flu and was knocked out cold the following week at home against Wyoming, a game in which Utah suffered a total collapse.

Back-up signal caller T.D. Croshaw, a junior-college transfer walk-on who was erratic early in the season, grew into the job. He had the perfect target in Utah's surprise player of the year, receiver/return specialist Steve Smith.

The Personnel File

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR: Senior tailback Mike Anderson took first team All-MWC honors, averaging 97.7 yards a game. He ran for 10 touchdowns but fell shy of the All-American season some projected.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: On a balanced defense, DE John Frank stood out, leading the league with 12 sacks and tackles for losses with 20.

COACH UPDATE: McBride ran his 10-year record to 70-46. The Utes have finished at .500 or better every season except his first (1990). This will be McBride's fifth bowl trip. His only win came against Arizona in the 1994 Freedom Bowl -- a game the Utes somehow won despite gaining only 75 yards.

STRENGTHS: Fresno State hasn't seen many defenses as dominating as Utah's. Between the pass rush and an active secondary, Fresno State QB Billy Volek's accuracy will be severely tested. The Utes have a major weapon in punt returner Steve Smith, who scored three touchdowns on returns.

CONCERNS: Croshaw still needs more consistency although he led the MWC in pass efficiency and had a 14-7 touchdown-interception ratio. If Utah gets over-confident against Fresno State, as Colorado State did earlier this season, the result could be the same.

Noteworthy

Arceneaux has been medically cleared to play, but the concussion he suffered in the Wyoming game was so severe that he was considering giving up football or moving to another position. ... Several Utah season records fell. Among them: RB Mike Anderson, average yards rushing per game in a career (102.4 ypg); Steve Smith, most yards on punt returns in a season (495), most punt returns for a touchdown in a game (2) and most punt returns for a touchdown in a season (3, tie); DE John Frank, most career sacks (27) and most tackles for loss (29, tie). … Anderson's 2,150 rushing yards is the most ever by a two-year player. … There's a nice little built-in angle in the bowl, with McBride's son in law (John Baxter) on the Fresno State staff.