SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah football team is starting the season on a high note even before the first kickoff.
In the preseason USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll released Monday, the Utes are ranked No. 8 overall, the highest the current Pac-12 Conference champions have ever started a season.
Coming off a 10-4 season and the school's first-ever Rose Bowl appearance, Utah returns most of the players from its dynamic offense, including quarterback Cam Rising. The Utes open the season on Sept. 3 at unranked Florida.
Utah is the highest ranked Pac-12 team in the preseason rankings, coming in ahead of Oregon (12) and USC (15).
BYU placed just outside the Top 25, falling in the "others receiving votes" category behind Iowa, Penn State and Tennessee.
