3 keys and a prediction for Nebraska against Utah in Las Vegas Bowl

The 2025 Nebraska football season will come to a close on Wednesday, and even though much of the focus is on the offseason already, the Huskers still have a game to win.

Utah is a heavy favorite. The Utes will have a new head coach (Morgan Scaley). They will also be dealing with some opt-outs, which include both starting offensive tackles.

Bowl games are also hard to predict. Which team will be more motivated? The Huskers haven’t beaten a top-25 team in nine years, and for some players, that would be a great way to go out.

8-5 is surely better than 7-6, and if you can as a double-digit underdog, that would put a different perspective on this season heading into 2026.

Bowl games are meaningless, except to the teams that win them. Besides after not playing in a bowl game for almost a decade, winning these things regularly would be a good habit to form.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s Las Vegas Bowl, here are three keys and a prediction.

Be better against the run

Nebraska isn’t going to turn into a great run defense overnight (15 practices). Maybe they can go from atrocious to average, though. Phil Snow talked about a lot of assignment and alignment issues for the Blackshirts.

They were thinking more than they were playing. That won’t be the case this week. Nebraska football will simplify things, and the results on the field should be better.

They have to be if Nebraska wants to have a chance to win. If Utah is limited to less than 200 rushing yards (they average 269), Nebraska should at least have a chance.

Run the ball

Some Nebraska fans might not believe it, but Utah allows 181 rushing yards per game, as well as 4.9 yards per attempt — both numbers are worse than Nebraska’s.

If Emmett Johnson were playing, this game might be an entirely different story. However, Isaiah Mozee averaged 4.4 yards per attempt this season, on limited attempts. He ran well against Big Ten teams, though. With more carries, against a defense that isn’t great against the run, Mozee and the running game have to produce. Mekhi Nelson is another, and TJ Lateef needs to do damage with his legs.

The rushing numbers need to be close, which means the rushing offense needs to hold up its end of the bargain, even without the All-American running back.

Turnovers/special teams

Nebraska will need a break or two to win this game. Devon Dampier is a dynamic dual-threat quarterback. Nebraska has had issues defending running QBs all season. We’ll see if that continues, but a quality kickoff return, a turnover or two, something flukey, whatever, is what’s needed.

Nebraska needs to get some extra advantages to close the gap.

Prediction: Utah 31, Nebraska 20

The USC game might be the best comparison for this game. Nebraska had a shot to win that game. My prediction is that Nebraska will have a chance to win this game.

TJ Lateef will have some good moments. The defense will, too. The Huskers will play hard, but Utah will be too good in the trenches.

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