Viva Las Vegas: Utah to play Northwestern in Las Vegas Bowl

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah football is headed back to Las Vegas.

The Utes (8-4, 5-4 Pac-12) were selected Sunday to play the Big Ten's Northwestern in the 2023 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 23 (5:30 p.m. MST, ABC).

Though Utah has spent the last two postseasons in Las Vegas for a Pac-12 championship game, it's the first time since 2015 that the Utes have been back in the city to play in the Las Vegas Bowl, though in a new venue.

"We are looking forward to playing in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement. "We have a lot of respect for the Big Ten and Northwestern, and we are excited to start preparing for a great atmosphere in Allegiant Stadium."

This year's meeting, the bowl's 31st, will be Utah's sixth Las Vegas Bowl appearance, with the last meeting ending with a 35-28 win over BYU in 2015.

Utah's matchup with Northwestern (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) will be the fourth all-time between the two programs. Utah last played Northwestern in the 2018 Holiday Bowl, in which Utah jumped out to a 20-3 lead before committing four turnovers in the third quarter, resulting in 28 straight points for the Wildcats en route to a 31-20 win.

"What a great matchup of two proud college football brands we will have this year," Las Vegas Bowl executive director John Saccenti said in a statement. "Our bowl has a long, successful history with the Utes and their great fans while it's always exciting to bring in a team like Northwestern for the first time. Las Vegas will be waiting to show both teams why our bowl week is considered one of the best in the nation."

Northwestern isn't known for its offense prowess this season, but features a top-50 defense that has led the Wildcats to wins over Minnesota, Maryland, Wisconsin, Purdue and Illinois, as well as a 10-7 loss to Big Ten West champion Iowa.

The Wildcats finished the season second in the Big Ten West despite a tumultuous year that featured longtime head coach Pat Fitzgerald being fired for not stopping alleged hazing and bullying within his football program. Fitzgerald, in turn, sued the university for $130 million for wrongful termination.

Defensive coordinator David Braun, who served as the program's interim head coach for the season, was officially named the program's newest head coach on Nov. 15 and was later named the Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Utah enters the game with questions about who will start under center for the team after quarterback Bryson Barnes suffered an injury that kept him out of the team's season finale against Colorado.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, who is 11-5 in bowl games, indicated after the Colorado game that Barnes would likely be available for the bowl game, but wasn't ruling out walk-on quarterback Luke Bottari or another quarterback should Barnes not be available. Redshirt freshman Nate Johnson has entered his name into the transfer portal.

"Hopefully we get Bryson back," Whittingham said. "It's nothing that we don't believe is long term — I guess it remains to be seen — but he is making progress and with the timing of the bowl ... he would be ready to go."

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