Utah had a very good year - late losses still left them very high in the pecking order for bowl games in the PAC and the prestige of any of those bowls fit the performance of the team as a whole and would have been deserved.
The reality was the fan base isn't up to snuff and is likely considered pathetic on many levels.
If I was a player I wouldn't be let down on our performance and where they ended up bowl wise...I'd be ticked at our fan base that leaves them at that level...the players did what they needed to do to be in a better game...
This picture probably sums it up nicely...team performance on top...fan base on bottom...