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Washington's Petersen praises Utah’s toughness, fans ahead of Pac-12 opener

SALT LAKE CITY — Under Saturday’s dark skies and Rice-Eccles Stadium’s beaming lights, the Utah football team will begin conference play against No. 10 Washington.

The 8 p.m. kickoff will ring in conference play for both programs as they battle in front of a rowdy sea of 45,000 fans dressed in black for Utah’s 11th-annual blackout game. It’s something not only the hometown Utes are exhilarated for, but also the Huskies.

“It’s as good as anywhere we’ve been. It’s how college football should be,” Washington head coach Chris Petersen said of Rice-Eccles Stadium. “It’ll be a packed house.