A familiar opponent will be traveling south on Interstate-15 to compete in the Las Vegas Bowl.
The Utah Utes were tabbed to play in the bowl game for a record sixth time, and will face Northwestern at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 23, bowl officials announced this afternoon.
“What a great matchup of two proud college football brands we will have this year,” 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.”
Utah (8-4) is also familiar with Allegiant Stadium, where last season it defeated USC for the Pac-12 Conference championship.
Utah has played in some of the more memorable Las Vegas Bowl games, including a 17-16 victory over Fresno State in 1999. In 2001, the Utes defeated USC here, 10-7; they beat rival BYU 35-28 in 2015.
An opponent from the Big 10 Conference will be another challenge, Utes 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,” Whittingham said.
Northwestern (7-5) exceeded preseason expectations to win five league games under David Braun, who was elevated to interim head coach in August and got the Wildcats to play so well that he earned the job full-time. Northwestern had a six win improvement from last season.
“From the start of this season, this group’s focus has been on writing its own story, and for our team to have the opportunity to step on the field together one more time is something we truly cherish,” Braun said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to the challenge of facing a very talented Utah team, and the chance to create another memorable chapter in our journey.”