Utah's bowl matchup against Big Ten opponent revealed
Utah has learned where it will play during the 2023 bowl season. The Utes will face Big Ten team Northwestern in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 23.
The Las Vegas Bowl is set for a 4:30 p.m. PT kickoff from Allegiant Stadium. It will be televised on ESPN.
Utah is 8-4 this season. The Utes got off to a 6-1 start before dropping three of their last five to Oregon, Washington, and Arizona. That said, they were forced to play the season without quarterback Cam Rising, the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game MVP.
Meanwhile, Northwestern entered 2023 under a cloud of adversity after head coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired following a hazing investigation into the team.
Defensive coordinator David Braun was named interim head coach in Fitzgerald’s place and later saw the interim tag dropped on Nov. 15. The Wildcats went 7-5 (5-4 in the Big Ten) and are in a bowl for the first time since 2020. Braun was named the conference’s coach of the year for his efforts.
This will be the fourth meeting between the two programs all-time. Northwestern has won two of the previous three.
Utah is 17-8 all-time in bowl games. Under coach Kyle Whittingham, the Utes have an 11-5 record (.688). His 11 postseason wins are tied for third among active FBS coaches and in the top 10 all-time.