LAS VEGAS, NV — No. 15 Utah turned an early deficit into a rout, scoring 37 consecutive points after the first quarter to defeat Nebraska 44-22 in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl on Wednesday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium.
Utah (11-2) trailed 14-7 after one quarter before dominating the remainder of the game behind quarterback Devon Dampier, the unanimous Rich Abajian Most Valuable Player. Dampier accounted for a Las Vegas Bowl-record 458 yards of total offense, throwing for 310 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 148 yards and three more scores. Nebraska (7-6) managed just one touchdown after its fast start.
“We stayed calm and trusted the plan,” Dampier said. “Once we settled in, we knew we could play our game and keep attacking.”
The game marked a historic moment for Utah, which appeared in its record seventh Las Vegas Bowl and improved to 5-2 all-time in the event, the most wins by any program. It was also the head coaching debut for Morgan Scalley, who took over five days earlier and became the first person to both play in and coach a Las Vegas Bowl.
“I’m incredibly proud of how these guys responded,” Scalley said. “They believed in each other, played physical and finished the way Utah football is supposed to.”
Nebraska struck first with a 38-yard touchdown run by Mekhi Nelson and added another score to take a 14-7 lead late in the opening quarter. From there, Utah seized control. The Utes scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 24-14 halftime lead, then pulled away with three more touchdowns in the second half.
Dallen Bentley led Utah receivers with six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Moroni Anae recorded nine tackles, and Rock Caldwell sealed the outcome with a late interception, the game’s only turnover.
Nebraska freshman quarterback TJ Lateef threw for 182 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing score, but the Cornhuskers struggled to sustain drives after the first quarter. Nelson finished with 88 rushing yards on 12 carries, while defensive back Caleb Benning had a game-high 13 tackles.
“We didn’t handle the momentum shift very well,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “Utah played faster and more physical, and once they got rolling, it was hard to stop.”
The crowd of 38,879, mostly dressed in red, was the largest for the Las Vegas Bowl since it moved to Allegiant Stadium after the 2019 season and the ninth-largest in the game’s history. The New Year’s Eve matchup was the latest-ever Las Vegas Bowl and just the third played after Christmas.
Utah finished with 44 points, its highest total in the bowl since scoring 45 in 2014, while Nebraska suffered the Big Ten’s first loss in three all-time Las Vegas Bowl appearances.