2023 Las Vegas Bowl
Postseason college football bowl game
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The 2023 Las Vegas Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 23, 2023, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, southwest of adjacent Las Vegas. The 31st annual Las Vegas Bowl featured the Utah Utes from the Pac-12 Conference and the Northwestern Wildcats from the Big Ten Conference. The game began at approximately 4:30 p.m. PST and was aired on ABC.[4][5] The Las Vegas Bowl was one of the 2023–24 bowl games concluding the 2023 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by SRS Distribution, a roofing materials and building supplies company, and was officially known as the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl.
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| 2023 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 31st Las Vegas Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, hosted the Las Vegas Bowl. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 23, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Allegiant Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Paradise, Nevada | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Ben Bryant (QB, Northwestern)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Utah by 6.5[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Kevin Boitmann (Big 12)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 20,897 | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), and Stormy Buonantony (sideline) | ||||||||||||||||||
| International TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN Deportes | ||||||||||||||||||
Teams
Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game featured the Northwestern Wildcats from the Big Ten Conference and the Utah Utes from the Pac-12 Conference.
This was the fourth meeting between Northwestern and Utah. Entering the game, the Wildcats held a 2–1 series lead, including a win over the Utes in the 2018 Holiday Bowl.[6]
Northwestern Wildcats
The Wildcats entered the game with a 7–5 record (5–4 in the Big Ten), tied for second place in their conference's West Division.
This was the first Las Vegas Bowl appearance for Northwestern.
Utah Utes
The Utes entered the game with an 8–4 record (5–4 in the Pac-12), tied for fourth place in their conference.
This was Utah's sixth Las Vegas bowl, tying in-state rival BYU for the most appearances in the game. Entering the game, the Utes held a 4–1 record in the Las Vegas Bowl, tied with Boise State for most Las Vegas Bowls wins.
This was Utah's final game as a member of the Pac-12, as the Utes committed to join the Big 12 Conference for the 2024 season.
Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Northwestern | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Allegiant Stadium • Paradise, Nevada
- Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023
- Game time: 4:30 p.m. PST
- Game weather: N/A (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 20,897
- Referee: Kevin Boitmann
- TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), and Stormy Buonantony (sideline)
- Box score
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Statistics
| Statistics | UTAH | NU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 13 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 65–211 | 70–290 |
| Rushes–yards | 51–138 | 31–65 |
| Passing yards | 73 | 225 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 9–14–2 | 24–39–0 |
| Time of possession | 34:21 | 25:39 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | Passing | Bryson Barnes | 8/13, 55 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Ja'Quinden Jackson | 8 rushes, 55 yards | |
| Receiving | Micah Bernard | 3 receptions, 24 yards | |
| Northwestern | Passing | Ben Bryant | 23/34, 222 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Cam Porter | 10 rushes, 33 yards | |
| Receiving | Bryce Kirtz | 5 receptions, 68 yards, TD |