Northwestern completes 8-5 season with victory vs. Utah in Las Vegas Bowl

LAS VEGAS — Ben Bryant passed for 222 yards and found Bryce Kirtz in the corner of the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, helping Northwestern beat Utah 14-7 Saturday night in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Bryant went 22 for 34 with two touchdowns as Northwestern (8-5) closed out its season with a fourth straight win. The Wildcats limited Utah (8-5) to 221 yards and had two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Bryson Barnes was 8 for 13 for 55 yards with two interceptions, and Ja’Quinden Jackson rushed for 55 yards on eight carries to lead Utah, which lost three of its last four games.

The Utes trailed 7-0 early in the fourth quarter and tied the game with 12:38 left when Micah Bernard scored on a 6-yard run. The touchdown capped an eight-play, 60-yard drive that took 3:59. Bernard was playing for the first time since injuring a knee in the season-opener against Florida.

Northwestern scored the first points of the game with 1:20 left in the first half when Bryant connected with Cam Johnson from 12 yards out for a score. The touchdown capped an eight-play drive that covered 75 yards, including a 25-yard completion to Marshall Lang to set up a first down at the 12 yard line.

The Wildcats had a chance at a field goal on the last play of the half, but Jack Olson missed a 40-yard attempt. It was his second miss of the half after failing to convert from 51 yards in the first quarter.

Northwestern threatened earlier in the second quarter after Jaheem Joseph intercepted Barnes and returned it 45 yards to the Utah 7. But Northwestern was stopped on a third-and-goal play from the 1, and Barnes then threw incomplete on fourth down, turning the ball over.

Joseph also intercepted a pass in the end zone to thwart a Utah drive in the first quarter.

THE TAKEAWAY

Utah: The Utes will hope to rebound from a disappointing season with quarterback Cam Rising, who missed the whole season with a knee injury, returning for 2024. It will be his seventh season of college football.

Northwestern: Coach David Braun inherited a team that went 1-11 in 2022 and improved to 8-5 with a bowl victory in his first year as Wildcats’ coach.

UP NEXT

Utah: The Utes, who will move from the Pac 12 to the Big 12 next season, will open the season at home against Southern Utah on Aug. 29.

Northwestern: The Wildcats open the 2024 season at home against Miami of Ohio.