Utah Utes Football Drops To Northwestern In Las Vegas Bowl

LAS VEGAS – The Utah Utes football team struggled to put points up as they lost to the Northwestern Wildcats in the 2023 Las Vegas Bowl.

Utah wasn’t able to get on the board until early in the fourth quarter.

A great defensive performance kept the Utes in striking distance but they ultimately came up short, losing 14-7.

Pregame

Good afternoon and #GoUtes from Las Vegas 🏈🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/zp0ED5k7xL

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 23, 2023

Gameday ➤ ➤ ➤ Gameface@Utah_Football | #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/k5G78nUO7b

— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) December 23, 2023

One last ride. pic.twitter.com/9WQ9B5B1Yb

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 23, 2023

First Half

First Quarter

Utah won the toss and will defer to the second half.

Defense will be up first.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Northwestern, welcome to #SackLakeCity in Sin City.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Back to back sacks from @VaughnZemaiah & @johnathanBhall on our opening defensive stand!! 🙌#GoUtes

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 24, 2023

Northwestern returns the sack favor on the first Utah offensive play.#Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Buckle up buttercups. All defense and no offense early in this one.#UTAHvsNW

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Zemaiah Vaughn taking no prisoners on the pass play.

Sheeesh.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Northwestern attempts the field goal, but it’s no good. Looks like someone maybe got a hand on it.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Offense starting off with a Ja’Quinden Jackson carry this go around. Good call.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

…and yet, another three and out. At least the punt was better.#Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

For perspective’s sake.

Utah is sitting at -21 yards of offense right now and Northwestern has exactly 1 yard of offense.

It’s THAT kind of game.#UTAHvsNW

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Northwestern punts away again, but pins Utah on their own two-yard line. This could be interesting with how things have gone so far…#Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Ja’Quinden Jackson gives Bryson Barnes and the #Utes lots of room to breathe now at the Utah 27.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Micah Bernard helps move the chains again.

Utah should run and run only.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Interception.

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Second straight game with an INT for @LockemupJah_7 🔒 pic.twitter.com/mf5ou1N5zJ

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) December 24, 2023

END OF Q1

We are scoreless here in Las Vegas after one quarter of play that has been dominated by defense.#LasVegasBowl #UTAHvsNW pic.twitter.com/jbBVCrtKSa

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 24, 2023

Second Quarter

Defense stands strong! 😤

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 24, 2023

Interception again.

This game has been a comedy of errors.

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Jaheem Joseph has ✌️ INTs, and counting.

It’s early in the second quarter. pic.twitter.com/QDsvBCVHjV

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) December 24, 2023

Ja’Quinden Jackson is on the ground and hasn’t moved. He’s being attended to at the moment.#Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

JJ is up and walking to the sideline now on his own. Good news. Obviously, he’ll be getting further evaluations in the tent.#Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Utah gets a first down with a facemask penalty. By any means necessary.#Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Luck be an endzone, tonight.#UTAHvsNW #LasVegasBowl pic.twitter.com/3ozlRGOjCm

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Let’s trade facemasks,

Northwestern, probably.

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

We have points. This is not a drills. Points have been had.

Northwestern strikes first.#LasVegasBowl

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

BRYANT ➡️ JOHNSON. 6️⃣🙌 pic.twitter.com/8DWR2FinvF

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) December 24, 2023

Northwestern strikes first with a 1:20 left in the first half.

UTAH 0 | NORTHWESTERN 7#LasVegasBowl

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 24, 2023

Northwestern misses a field goal to end the half.

What a long, strange trip this game has been.#LasVegasBowl

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

At the Half.

🏈: @Utah_Football vs. @NUFBFamily
📌: Las Vegas
🏟️: Allegiant Stadium
📺: ABC
📻: @ESPNLasVegas 100.9AM/1100AM
📈: https://t.co/QAAoaatTeS#LVBowl | #Vegas | #BowlSeason | #GoUtes | #GoCats pic.twitter.com/1cSGIVpbEH

— SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (@LasVegasBowl) December 24, 2023

Second Half

Third Quarter

Second half shaping up to be as weird and the first. Kickoff is out of bounds…#LasVegasBowl

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Utah still struggling to move the ball well in the second half.#Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Tao Johnson close to the interception. Northwestern to punt.#Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Fumble…this game is just brutal.

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Welcome back, Micah Bernard.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

We have another first down!#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

No more first downs. Utah to punt it away.#Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Defense does their job again. Offense should have decent field position.

Let’s see what happens.#Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Time for another Bottari Party for a play.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Bottari Party for more than one play.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

END OF THE 3RD

No change to the score since half.#UTAH 0 | #NORTHWESTERN 7#LasVegasBowl #UTAHvsNW

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 24, 2023

Fourth Quarter

Luke Bottari still out. Completes a pass. #GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Micah Bernard takes the hand-off and ties the game. That feels strangely appropriate after the unfortunate year he had.#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

.@ctb_mb punches it in‼️

📺: @ESPNCFB #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/sWiycLc3iD

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 24, 2023

RELATED: Micah Bernard Runs In Fourth-Quarter Equalizing Touchdown

Still in it ‼️ pic.twitter.com/GhJ852ijEs

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 24, 2023

Northwestern quarterback Ben Bryant is being attended to.#LasVegasBowl

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Northwestern opts to go for it on 4th and 7 and doesn’t get it.#Goutes #LasVegasBowl

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Utah looking at a 4th and 2. #Utes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

Northwestern comes up with the stop.#UTAHvsNW #LasVegasBowl

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 24, 2023

🙌😼 pic.twitter.com/yyeKfL2uyy

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) December 24, 2023

Northwestern takes the lead again.#UTAH 7 | #NORTHWESTERN 14

6:19 Q4#LasVegasBowl

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 24, 2023

Final from Allegiant Stadium: Utah 7 – Northwestern 14

Thank you to all the fans that supported us throughout the season, until the very end.

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 24, 2023

Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports. 

Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports

Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

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