2023 Utah Utes football team

2023 Utah Utes football
2023 Utah Utes football
Las Vegas Bowl, L 7–14 vs. Northwestern
Conference	Pac-12 Conference
Record	8–5 (5–4 Pac-12)
Head coach	Kyle Whittingham (19th season);
Offensive coordinator	Andy Ludwig (9th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Morgan Scalley (8th season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Rice–Eccles Stadium
Uniform
	Seasons ← 2022 2024 →

The 2023 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah as a member of the Pac-12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Utes were led by Kyle Whittingham in his 19th year as Utah's head coach. They played their home games at Rice–Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The Utah Utes football team drew an average home attendance of 52,499 in 2023, the 37th highest in college football.^[1]

2023 Pac-12 Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 2 Washington y$^	9	–	0	14	–	1
No. 6 Oregon y	8	–	1	12	–	2
No. 11 Arizona	7	–	2	10	–	3
Oregon State	5	–	4	8	–	5
Utah	5	–	4	8	–	5
USC	5	–	4	8	–	5
California	4	–	5	6	–	7
UCLA	4	–	5	8	–	5
Washington State	2	–	7	5	–	7
Stanford	2	–	7	3	–	9
Arizona State*	2	–	7	3	–	9
Colorado	1	–	8	4	–	8
Championship: Washington 34, Oregon 31
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant * – Ineligible for postseason play due to self-imposed ban for 2020 recruiting violations Rankings from AP Poll

This was the Utes' final season in the Pac-12 before they move to the Big 12 Conference in 2024.^[2]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	6:00 p.m.	Florida*	No. 14	Rice–Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT	ESPN	W 24–11	53,644
September 9	10:00 a.m.	at Baylor*	No. 12	McLane Stadium Waco, TX	ESPN	W 20–13	43,732
September 16	12:00 p.m.	No. 9 (FCS) Weber State*	No. 12	Rice–Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT	P12N	W 31–7	51,532
September 23	1:30 p.m.	No. 22 UCLA	No. 11	Rice–Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT	FOX	W 14–7	52,919
September 29	7:00 p.m.	at No. 19 Oregon State	No. 10	Reser Stadium Corvallis, OR	FS1	L 7–21	37,372
October 14	1:00 p.m.	California	No. 16	Rice–Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT	P12N	W 34–14	52,115
October 21	6:00 p.m.	at No. 18 USC	No. 14	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	FOX	W 34–32	61,551
October 28	1:30 p.m.	No. 8 Oregon	No. 13	Rice–Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT (College GameDay)	FOX	L 6–35	53,586
November 4	12:00 p.m.	Arizona State	No. 18	Rice–Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT	P12N	W 55–3	52,104
November 11	1:30 p.m.	at No. 5 Washington	No. 18	Husky Stadium Seattle, WA	FOX	L 28–35	70,976
November 18	12:30 p.m.	at No. 17 Arizona	No. 22	Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ	P12N	L 18–42	50,800
November 25	1:00 p.m.	Colorado		Rice–Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT (Rumble in the Rockies)	P12N	W 23–17	51,595
December 23	5:30 p.m.	vs. Northwestern		Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, NV (Las Vegas Bowl)	ABC	L 7–14	20,897
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after October 31) - Released prior to game All times are in Mountain time

^[3]

Game summaries

vs Florida

Pregame line	Over/under
Utah -5.0	44.5

Helmet	Jersey	Pants
Uniform Combination

Game One: Florida Gators (0–0) at No. 14 Utah Utes (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Florida	3	0	0	8	11
No. 14 Utah	7	10	7	0	24

at Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah

Date: August 31
Game time: 6:00 p.m. MST/5:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: Sunny, 92 °F (33 °C)
Game attendance: 53,644
Referee: David Smith
TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline)
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

(13:10) UTAH – Money Parks 70-yard pass from Bryson Barnes (Cole Becker kick) (Drive: 1 play, 70 yards, 0:11; Utah 7–0)
(2:27) FLA – Adam Mihalek 32-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:30; Utah 7–3)

Second quarter

(7:50) UTAH – Nate Johnson 27-yard rush (Cole Becker kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:45; Utah 14–3)
(2:27) UTAH – Cole Becker 51-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 2:57; Utah 17–3)

Third quarter

(10:51) UTAH – Bryson Barnes 5-yard rush (Cole Becker kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 1:06; Utah 24–3)

Fourth quarter

(9:22) FLA – Caleb Douglas 19-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Graham Mertz-Eugene Wilson III pass) (Drive: 13 plays, 98 yards, 6:54; Utah 24–11)

Statistics	FLA	UTAH
First downs	17	13
Total yards	65–346	53–270
Rushing yards	21–13	30–105
Passing yards	333	165
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	31–44–1	15–23–0
Time of possession	31:52	28:08

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Florida	Passing	Graham Mertz	31/44, 333 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Trevor Etienne	7 carries, 25 yards
	Receiving	Ricky Pearsall	8 receptions, 92 yards
Utah	Passing	Bryson Barnes	12/18, 159 yards, TD
	Rushing	Nate Johnson	6 carries, 45 yards, TD
	Receiving	Money Parks	1 reception, 70 yards, TD

at Baylor

Pregame line	Over/under
UTAH -7.0	46.5

No. 12 Utah Utes (1–0) at Baylor Bears (0–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 12 Utes	0	3	3	14	20
Bears	0	10	3	0	13

at McLane Stadium • Waco, Texas

Date: September 9
Game time: 10:09 a.m. MST/9:09 a.m. PST
Game weather: Sunny • 90 °F (32 °C)
Game attendance: 43,732
Referee: Christopher Wiggins
TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

(13:03) BAY – Isaiah Hankins 34-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 2:05; Baylor 3–0)
(9:04) UTAH – Cole Becker 31-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:59; Tied 3–3)
(3:23) BAY – Sawyer Robertson 4-yard run (Isaiah Hankins kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 5:41; Baylor 10–3)

Third quarter

(11:00) BAY – Isaiah Hankins 24-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:00; Baylor 13–3)
(4:05) UTAH – Cole Becker 46-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 9 yards, 3:43; Baylor 13–6)

Fourth quarter

(1:59) UTAH – Nate Johnson 7-yard run (Cole Becker kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 1:18; Tied 13–13)
(0:17) UTAH – Jaylon Glover 11-yard run (Cole Becker kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 1:18; Utah 20–13)

Statistics	Utah	Baylor
First downs	20	14
Plays–yards	73–377	57–339
Rushes–yards	47–224	29–121
Passing yards	153	218
Passing: comp–att–int	12–26–1	12–28–2
Time of possession	36:17	23:43

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Utah	Passing	Nate Johnson	6–7, 82 yards
	Rushing	Ja'Quinden Jackson	19 carries, 129 yards
	Receiving	Mikey Matthews	4 receptions, 48 yards
Baylor	Passing	Sawyer Robertson	12–28, 218 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Dominic Richardson	14 carries, 77 yards
	Receiving	Hal Presley	4 receptions, 72 yards

vs No. 9 Weber State (FCS)

Pregame line	Over/under
Utah -8.0	47.0

No. 9 Weber State Wildcats (FCS) (2–0) at No. 12 Utah Utes (2–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 9 Wildcats (FCS)	0	7	0	0	7
No. 12 Utes	7	10	14	0	31

at Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah

Date: September 16
Game time: 12:00 p.m. MST/11:00 a.m. PST
Game attendance: 51,532
Referee: Ty Druse
TV announcers (Pac-12 Network): Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Lincoln Kennedy (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Statistics	Weber State (FCS)	Utah
First downs	5	23
Plays–yards	127	424
Rushes–yards	52–231	19–61
Passing yards	66	193
Passing: comp–att–int	11–23–1	13–21–0
Time of possession	19:55	40:05

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Weber State (FCS)	Passing	Kylan Weisser	11/23, 66 yards, INT
	Rushing	Damon Bankston	8 carries, 59 yards
	Receiving	Treyshun Hurry	2 receptions, 22 yards
Utah	Passing	Nate Johnson	13/21, 193 yards, TD
	Rushing	Nate Johnson	16 carries, 71 yards, TD
	Receiving	Munir McClain	3 receptions, 92 yards

vs No. 22 UCLA

Pregame line	Over/under
UTAH -3.0	50.5

No. 22 UCLA Bruins (3–0) at No. 11 Utah Utes (3–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Bruins	0	0	0	7	7
No. 11 Utes	7	7	0	0	14

at Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah

Date: September 23
Game time: 1:30 p.m. MST/12:30 p.m. PST
Game weather: Sunny, 68 °F (20 °C)
Game attendance: 52,919
Referee: Mark Duddy
TV announcers (FOX): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst), Allison Williams (sideline)

Game information

First quarter

(14:48) UTAH – Karene Reid 21-yard interception return, Joey Cheek kick (Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:07; Utah 7–0)

Second quarter

(1:01) UTAH – Landen King 7-yard pass from Nate Johnson, Joey Cheek kick (Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 3:59; Utah 14–0)

Third quarter

None

Fourth quarter

(3:39) UCLA – Josiah Norwood 17-yard pass from Dante Moore, R. J. Lopez kick (Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 4:29; Utah 14–7)

Statistics	UCLA	Utah
First downs	11	13
Plays–yards	243	219
Rushes–yards	32–9	48–102
Passing yards	234	117
Passing: comp–att–int	15–35–1	9–17–0
Time of possession	25:32	34:28

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCLA	Passing	Dante Moore	15/35, 234 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	TJ Harden	11 carries, 31 yards
	Receiving	Carsen Ryan	3 receptions, 69 yards
Utah	Passing	Nate Johnson	9/17, 117 yards, TD
	Rushing	Jaylon Glover	25 carries, 86 yards
	Receiving	Devaughn Vele	2 receptions, 57 yards

at No. 19 Oregon State

Pregame line	Over/under
UTAH +4	43

No. 10 Utah Utes (4–0) at No. 19 Oregon State Beavers (3–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 10 Utes	0	0	0	7	7
No. 19 Beavers	7	0	7	7	21

at Reser Stadium • Corvallis, Oregon

Date: September 29
Game time: 7:00 p.m. MST/6:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: Cloudy, 59 °F (15 °C)
Game attendance: 37,372
Referee: Jeff Dahle
TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando (play-by-play), Spencer Tillman (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Statistics	Utah	Oregon State
First downs	14	15
Plays–yards	63–198	62–358
Rushes–yards	32–57	36–131
Passing yards	198	227
Passing: comp–att–int	13–31–1	15–26–1
Time of possession	28:54	31:06

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Utah	Passing	Nate Johnson	8/23, 101 yards, TD
	Rushing	Jaylon Glover	16 carries, 58 yards
	Receiving	Thomas Yassmin	3 receptions, 59 yards, TD
Oregon State	Passing	DJ Uiagalelei	14/25, 204 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Damien Martinez	16 carries, 65 yards, TD
	Receiving	Silas Bolden	6 receptions, 100 yards, TD

vs California

Pregame line	Over/under
UTAH -9.5	43

California Golden Bears (3–3) at No. 16 Utah Utes (4–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Bears	7	0	7	0	14
No. 16 Utes	0	14	10	10	34

at Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah

Date: October 14
Game time: 1:00 p.m. MST/12:00 p.m. PST
Game attendance: 52,115
TV announcers (Pac-12 Network): Roxy Bernstein, Lincoln Kennedy

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Statistics	California	Utah
First downs	16	21
Plays–yards	55–254	75–445
Rushes–yards	24–66	53–317
Passing yards	188	128
Passing: comp–att–int	15–31–1	15–22–0
Time of possession	22:07	37:53

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
California	Passing	Fernando Mendoza	10/17, 149 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Jaydn Ott	8 carries, 46 yards
	Receiving	Taj Davis	7 receptions, 93 yards, TD
Utah	Passing	Bryson Barnes	15/21, 128 yards
	Rushing	Sione Vaki	15 carries, 158 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Mikey Matthews	7 receptions, 53 yards

at No. 18 USC

Pregame line	Over/under
Utah +7.5	51.5

No. 14 Utah Utes (5–1) at No. 18 USC Trojans (5–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 14 Utes	14	0	14	6	34
No. 18 Trojans	14	0	3	15	32

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, California

Date: October 21
Game time: 6:00 p.m. MST/5:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 61,551
Referee: Mike McCabe
TV announcers (FOX): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst), Allison Williams (sidelines)

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Statistics	Utah	USC
First downs	23	18
Plays–yards	70–482	58–401
Rushes–yards	47–247	23–145
Passing yards	235	256
Passing: comp–att–int	14–23–1	24–35–0
Time of possession	34:42	25:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Utah	Passing	Bryson Barnes	14/23, 235 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Ja'Quinden Jackson	26 carries, 117 yards
	Receiving	Sione Vaki	5 receptions, 149 yards, 2 TD
USC	Passing	Caleb Williams	24/34, 256 yards
	Rushing	MarShawn Lloyd	7 carries, 86 yards, TD
	Receiving	Tahj Washington	5 receptions, 112 yards

vs No. 8 Oregon

Pregame line	Over/under
UTAH +7	49.0

No. 8 Oregon Ducks (6–1) at No. 13 Utah Utes (6–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Ducks	14	7	14	0	35
No. 13 Utes	3	3	0	0	6

at Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah

Date: October 28
Game time: 1:30 p.m. MST/12:30 p.m. PST
Game weather: Cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C), W 9 mph
Game attendance: 53,586
Referee: Mark Duddy
TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play) and Joel Klatt (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

(12:18) ORE – Bo Nix 1-yard run, Camden Lewis kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:42; Oregon 7–0)
(3:45) UTAH – Cole Becker 32-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 13 yards, 3:21; Oregon 7–3)
(0:18) ORE – Jordan James 18-yard pass from Bo Nix, Camden Lewis kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:27; Oregon 14–3)

Second quarter

(12:29) ORE – Troy Franklin 3-yard pass from Bo Nix, Camden Lewis kick (Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 2:25; Oregon 21–3)
(0:00) UTAH – Cole Becker 30-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 1:22; Oregon 21–6)

Third quarter

(8:44) ORE – Bucky Irving 9-yard run, Camden Lewis kick (Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 4:15; Oregon 28–6)
(6:08) ORE – Traeshon Holden 5-yard run, Camden Lewis kick (Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:19; Oregon 35–6)

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Statistics	Oregon	Utah
First downs	18	13
Plays–yards	58–390	66–241
Rushes–yards	27–142	36–99
Passing yards	248	142
Passing: comp–att–int	24–31–0	16–30–2
Time of possession	28:03	31:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Oregon	Passing	Bo Nix	24/31, 248 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Bucky Irving	14 carries, 83 yards, TD
	Receiving	Troy Franklin	8 receptions, 99 yards, TD
Utah	Passing	Bryson Barnes	15/29, 136 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Jaylon Glover	9 carries, 39 yards
	Receiving	Devaughn Vele	7 receptions, 80 yards

vs Arizona State

Pregame line	Over/under
TBD	TBD

Arizona State Sun Devils (2–6) at No. 18 Utah Utes (6–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Sun Devils	3	0	0	0	3
No. 18 Utes	14	10	10	21	55

at Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah

Date: November 4th
Game time: 12:00 p.m. MST/11:00 a.m. PST
Game attendance: 52,104
Referee: Justin Elliott
TV announcers (P12N): JB Long, Lincoln Kennedy

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Statistics	Arizona State	Utah
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Arizona State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Utah	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at No. 5 Washington

Pregame line	Over/under
TBD	TBD

No. 18 Utah Utes (7–2) at No. 5 Washington Huskies (9–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 18 Utes	7	21	0	0	28
No. 5 Huskies	10	14	11	0	35

at Husky Stadium • Seattle, Washington

Date: November 11th
Game time: 1:30 p.m. MST/12:30 p.m. PST
Game weather: Cloudy, 52 °F (11 °C)
Game attendance: 70,976
Referee: Mike McCabe
TV announcers (FOX): Jason Benetti, Brock Huard, Allison Williams

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Statistics	Utah	Washington
First downs	17	26
Plays–yards	57-382	75-457
Rushes–yards	27-115	33-125
Passing yards	267	332
Passing: comp–att–int	17-30-2	24-42-0
Time of possession	25:02	34:58

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Utah	Passing	B. Barnes	17-30, 267 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	B. Barnes	6 Car, 39 Yds
	Receiving	D. Vele	5 Rec, 145 Yds
Washington	Passing	M. Penix Jr.	24-42, 332 Yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	D. Johnson	23 Car, 104 Yds, TD
	Receiving	R. Odunze	3 Rec, 111 Yds, 2 TD

at No. 17 Arizona

Pregame line	Over/under
TBD	TBD

No. 22 Utah Utes (7–3) at No. 17 Arizona Wildcats (7–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Utes	0	7	3	8	18
No. 17 Wildcats	21	7	0	14	42

at Arizona Stadium • Tucson, Arizona

Date: November 18
Game time: 12:30 p.m. MST/11:30 p.m. PST
Game weather: Cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 50,800
Referee: Jeff Dahle
TV announcers (P12N): Ted Robinson, Yogi Roth

Game information

First quarter

(10:33) ARIZ – Michael Wiley 21-yard pass from Tetairoa McMillan, Tyler Loop kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:27; Arizona 7–0)
(8:32) ARIZ – Anthony Ward 2-yard blocked punt return, Tyler Loop kick (Arizona 14–0)
(4:06) ARIZ – Montana Lemonious-Craig 32-yard pass from Noah Fifita, Tyler Loop kick (Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:55; Arizona 21–0)

Second quarter

(14:53) ARIZ – Michael Wiley 31-yard pass from Noah Fifita, Tyler Loop kick (Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:19; Arizona 28–0)
(0:52) UTAH – Devaughn Vele 20-yard pass from Bryson Barnes, Cole Becker kick (Drive: 10 plays, 92 yards, 4:46; Arizona 28–7)

Third quarter

(10:00) UTAH – Cole Becker 36-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 5:00; Arizona 28–10)

Fourth quarter

(7:57) ARIZ – Jonah Coleman 1-yard run, Tyler Loop kick (Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:25; Arizona 35–10)
(0:43) UTAH – Munir McClain 2-yard pass from Bryson Barnes, Bryson Barnes run for two-point conversion (Drive: 14 plays, 88 yards, 2:44; Arizona 35–18)
(0:32) ARIZ – Tetairoa McMillan 51-yard pass from Jayden de Laura, Tyler Loop kick (Drive: 1 play, 46 yards, 0:09; Arizona 42–18)

Statistics	Utah	Arizona
First downs	26	21
Plays–yards	–438	–443
Rushes–yards	37–118	24–118
Passing yards	320	325
Passing: comp–att–int	31–53–2	25–33–0
Time of possession	35:34	24:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Utah	Passing	Bryson Barnes	31/53, 320 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Ja'Quinden Jackson	10 carries, 47 yards
	Receiving	Devaughn Vele	9 receptions, 111 yards, TD
Arizona	Passing	Noah Fifita	22/30, 253 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Jonah Coleman	14 carries, 90 yards, TD
	Receiving	Tetairoa McMillan	8 receptions, 116 yards, TD

vs Colorado (rivalry)

Pregame line	Over/under
UTAH -21.5	43.5

Colorado Buffaloes (4–7) at Utah Utes (7–4) – Game summary
Rumble in the Rockies

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buffaloes	0	10	0	7	17
Utes	7	3	7	3	20

at Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah

Date: November 25
Game time: 1:00 p.m. MST/12:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: Cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
Game attendance: 51,595
Referee: Justin Elliott
TV announcers (P12N): Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Lincoln Kennedy (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

(4:03) UTAH – Luke Bottari 2-yard run, Cole Becker kick (Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 5:10; Utah 7–0)

Second quarter

(11:17) UTAH – Cole Becker 34-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:46; Utah 10–0)
(8:17) COL – Dylan Edwards pass from Jimmy Horn Jr., Alejandro Mata kick (Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:50; Utah 10–7)
(1:38) UTAH – Cole Becker 22-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 6:39; Utah 13–7)
(0:20) COL – Alejandro Mata 47-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 1:12; Utah 13–10)

Third quarter

(7:10) UTAH – Luke Bottari 1-yard run, Cole Becker kick (Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:27; Utah 20–10)

Fourth quarter

(11:31) UTAH – Cole Becker 31-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 56 yards, 8:25; Utah 23–10)
(7:31) COL – Travis Hunter 18-yard pass from Ryan Staub, Alejandro Mata kick (Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 3:52; Utah 23–17)

Statistics	Colorado	Utah
First downs	13	22
Plays–yards	–262	–329
Rushes–yards	17–37	53–268
Passing yards	225	61
Passing: comp–att–int	18–25–0	6–10–0
Time of possession	20:56	39:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Colorado	Passing	Ryan Staub	17/24, 195 yards, TD
	Rushing	Sy'Veon Wilkerson	7 carries, 32 yards
	Receiving	Travis Hunter	8 receptions, 107 yards, TD
Utah	Passing	Luke Bottari	6/10, 61 yards
	Rushing	Jaylon Glover	17 carries, 107 yards
	Receiving	Mikey Matthews	2 receptions, 19 yards

vs Northwestern (Las Vegas Bowl)

Pregame line	Over/under
TBD	TBD

Northwestern Wildcats (7–5) vs. Utah Utes (8–4) – Game summary
2023 Las Vegas Bowl

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Utes	0	0	0	7	7
Wildcats	0	7	0	7	14

at Allegiant Stadium • Paradise, Nevada

Date: December 23rd
Game time: 5:30 p.m. MST/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

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

NU – Camron Johnson 12-yard pass from Ben Bryant (Jack Olsen kick), 1:20. Wildcats 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 2:22.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

UTAH – Micah Bernard 6-yard run (Cole Becker kick), 12:38. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:59.
NU – Bryce Kirtz 19-yard pass from Ben Bryant (Jack Olsen kick), 6:19. Wildcats 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 0:51.

Statistics	Utah	Northwestern
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 carries, 55 yards
	Receiving	Micah Bernard	3 receptions, 24 yards
Northwestern	Passing	Ben Bryant	23/34, 222 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Cam Porter	10 carries, 33 yards
	Receiving	Bryce Kirtz	5 receptions, 68 yards, TD

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	14	12	12	11	10	18	16	14	13	18	13	16	RV	RV	RV	—
Coaches	14	12	12	10	10	19	16	14	13	18	14	16	RV	RV	RV	—
CFP	Not released									18	18	22	—	—	—	Not released

Roster

2023 Utah Utes football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
WR	`0`	Mikey Matthews	Fr
QB	`0`	Steve Smedley	Fr
RB	`1`	Jaylon Glover	So
RB	`2`	Micah Bernard	Jr
RB	`3`	Ja'Quinden Jackson	So
WR	`4`	Munir McClain	Jr
WR	`5`	Mycah Pittman	Sr
WR	`6`	Daidren Zipperer	Fr
QB	`7`	Cameron Rising	Sr
QB	`8`	Brandon Rose	Fr
QB	`9`	Mack Howard	Fr
WR	`10`	Money Parks	Jr
WR	`11`	Makai Cope	So
QB	`13`	Nate Johnson	Fr
QB	`15`	Luke Bottari	Sr
QB	`16`	Bryson Barnes	Jr
WR	`17`	Devaughn Vele	Jr
WR	`18`	Emery Simmons	Sr
WR	`19`	Luca Caldarella	Jr
WR	`20`	Jett Meine	Fr
RB	`21`	Mike Mitchell	Fr
RB	`24`	Chris Curry	Sr
RB	`25`	John Randle Jr.	Fr
RB	`26`	Charlie Vincent	Jr
RB	`27`	Daniel Wood	Fr
RB	`30`	Dijon Stanley	Fr
RB	`33`	Hunter Schroeder	Fr
WR	`37`	Peyton Rice	Fr
WR	`45`	Kaimana Hanohano	Fr
TE	`46`	Hayden Erickson	So
TE	`47`	Miki Suguturaga	Jr
TE	`48`	Luke Tucker	Fr
OL	`51`	Keaton Bills	Jr
OL	`52`	Michael Mokofisi	So
OL	`53`	Johnny Maea	Sr
OL	`55`	Spencer Fano	Fr
OL	`59`	Falcon Kaumatule	Jr
OL	`60`	Shintaro Mann	Jr
OL	`61`	Kolinu'u Faaiu	So
OL	`62`	Solatao Moeai	Fr
OL	`64`	Jacob Edmonds	Fr
OL	`66`	Hunter Deuel	Fr
OL	`68`	Jaren Kump	So
OL	`71`	Caleb Lomu	Fr
OL	`72`	Isaia Thompson	Fr
OL	`73`	Tanoa Togiai	So
OL	`74`	Keith Olson	Fr
OL	`75`	Roger Alderman	Fr
OL	`76`	Zereoue Williams	So
OL	`78`	Sataoa Laumea	Jr
OL	`79`	Alex Harrison	Jr
TE	`80`	Brant Kuithe	Sr
TE	`82`	Landen King	So
WR	`83`	Brandon Bethel	Fr
WR	`84`	Sidney Mbanasor	Fr
TE	`85`	Cody Christensen	Fr
TE	`86`	CJ Jacobsen	Fr
TE	`87`	Thomas Yassmin	Sr
TE	`88`	Dallen Bentley	So
WR	`89`	Noah Bennee	So

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
DE	`0`	Logan Fano	Fr
CB	`1`	Miles Battle	Sr
CB	`2`	Kenzel Lawler	So
LB	`3`	Levani Damuni	Jr
CB	`4`	JaTravis Broughton	Sr
CB	`5`	Zemaiah Vaughn	Jr
LB	`6`	Justin Medlock	Fr
DE	`7`	Van Fillinger	Jr
S	`8`	Cole Bishop	Jr
CB	`9`	Elijah Davis	Fr
LB	`12`	Sione Fotu	Fr
DE	`13`	Chase Kennedy	Fr
LB	`14`	Josh Calvert	Jr
CB	`15`	Tao Johnson	Fr
CB	`16`	CJ Blocker	Fr
CB	`17`	Smith Snowden	Fr
S	`18`	Briton Allen	Jr
S	`19`	Bryson Reeves	Jr
LB	`20`	Lander Barton	So
LB	`21`	Karene Reid	Jr
CB	`23`	Faybian Marks	Jr
S	`24`	Bleu Stewart	So
CB	`25`	Nick Howe	So
S	`28`	Sione Vaki	So
S	`29`	Johnathan Hall	Fr
S	`29`	Austin Keetch	Fr
S	`30`	Ben Durham	Fr
S	`31`	Nate Ritchie	Fr
DE	`32`	Helaman Ofahengaue	Fr
CB	`33`	Jocelyn Malaska	Fr
CB	`34`	Xane Uipi	Fr
S	`38`	Brock Nowatzke	Fr
S	`39`	Jadon Pearson	Jr
DE	`43`	Gavin Nawahine	So
LB	`44`	Hayden Furey	Sr
LB	`45`	Spencer Clegg	Fr
LB	`49`	Jason Saosi	Sr
DT	`50`	Austin LaRue	Fr
DT	`52`	Bobby Piland Jr.	Fr
LB	`54`	Owen Chambliss	Fr
LB	`54`	Shay O'Kelly	Fr
DE	`56`	Ka'eo Akana	Fr
DT	`57`	Keanu Tanuvasa	Fr
DT	`58`	Junior Tafuna	Jr
DT	`77`	Simote Pepa	So
DE	`81`	Connor O'Toole	Jr
DE	`83`	Jonah Elliss	Jr
LB	`90`	Vili Taufatofua	So
DT	`91`	Jori Benson	So
DE	`91`	Jonah Lea'ea	Fr
DT	`92`	James LeBaron	Fr
DT	`94`	Nifai Tonga	Fr
DT	`95`	Aliki Vimahi	Jr
DT	`99`	Tevita Fotu	So

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
P	`34`	Jack Bouwmeester	So
K	`36`	Cole Becker	Jr
P	`40`	Nathan Price	So
LS	`50`	Justice Brusatto	So
LS	`57`	J. T. Greep	Jr
K	`63`	Tanner Cragun	So
LS	`65`	Logan Castor	Fr
K	`67`	Chase Carter	Sr
K	`97`	Joey Cheek	Fr

Head coach

Kyle Whittingham

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Morgan Scalley – Defensive coordinator/safeties
Andy Ludwig – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Jim Harding – Assistant head coach/offensive line
Sharrieff Shah – Special teams coordinator/cornerbacks
Freddie Whittingham – Recruiting coordinator/tight ends
Lewis Powell – Defensive ends
Luther Elliss – Defensive tackles
Colton Swan – Linebackers
Alvis Whitted – Wide receivers
Quinton Ganther – Running backs
Josh Crawford – Offensive graduate assistant
Chase Murdock – Defensive graduate assistant
Quincy Watkins – Defensive graduate assistant
Ryan Blakney – Offensive analyst
Vince Conti – Defensive analyst
Dom Conti – Special teams analyst
Doug Elisaia – Director, strength and conditioning
Robert Blechen – Director, personnel coordinator
Adam Fry – Director, football operations
Jeff Rudy – Associate director for football administration

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster
Last update: 11/17/23

References

^ "2023 FBS Attendance Trends". D1.ticker. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
^ Coles, Joe (August 2, 2024). "How Utah ended up in the Big 12, and what the future looks like in its new conference". Deseret News. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
^ "2023 Utah Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved December 21, 2022.

[1] "2023 FBS Attendance Trends". D1.ticker. Retrieved December 14, 2024.

[o596-2] Coles, Joe (August 2, 2024). "How Utah ended up in the Big 12, and what the future looks like in its new conference". Deseret News. Retrieved November 11, 2024.

[3] "2023 Utah Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved December 21, 2022.

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