Four Observations from Nebraska's 44-22 Loss to No. 15 Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl

Nebraska and No. 15 Utah met in Las Vegas to close out their 2025 campaigns on Wednesday afternoon.

After a 14-14 start, the Utes ran away with the 44-22 victory. They finish the year 11-2 while the Huskers go 7-6 for the second straight year.

Below are four observations from the game.

The first two offensive drives

Let's start with something positive, yes?

The Huskers racked up 157 yards and 14 points through those first two possessions. TJ Lateef completed 5-of-7 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown on a sweep to Jacory Barney Jr.

On the ground, Mekhi Nelson raced out for 72 yards and a score on six attempts. He added one catch for 24 yards.

Wait ... Wait ... Go!@huskerfootball gets on the 'board first with a 38-yard TD run by Mekhi Nelson.

1Q: Nebraska 7 | Utah 0#LVBowl | #BowlSeason | #GBR pic.twitter.com/MhCE9JM93h
— SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (@LasVegasBowl) December 31, 2025

Elsewhere in the backfield, Isaiah Mozzee had two runs for 11 yards and two receptions for 23 yards. Kwinten Ives had a trio of rushes for 10 yards.

The offense looked smooth and in control. The offensive line consistently opened up holes, and the running backs showed patience in picking their time to burst through.

Unfortunately, that production would disappear for the next couple of quarters.

Same mistakes from the regular season

Just like against Penn State and Iowa, the Husker offense up and disappeared.

After those scoring drives to open the game, Nebraska's offense failed to pick up a first down until late in the third quarter. By then, the Huskers had punted five times and accumulated a total of five yards.

Nebraska would end that possession with a turnover on downs, followed by an interception before the touchdown drive and a turnover on downs to end the game. Below is the drive chart result for the game.

TD
Punt
Punt
Punt
Half
Punt
Punt
Downs
INT
TD
Downs

On the other side of the ball, Devon Dampier did whatever he wanted for four quarters. The Utah quarterback lit up the Husker secondary for 310 yards and a pair of touchdowns. On the ground, he ran for 148 yards and a trio of scores. Whether by land or by air, he routinely torched the Blackshirts, especially on third and fourth downs.

Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier carries the ball against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Donovan Jones in the second half during the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Nebraska had problems during the regular season with stopping the run, particularly from quarterbacks. The Blackshirts also made a habit of losing one-on-one battles, allowing players in space to pick up first downs when a stop was possible.

On special teams, Nebraska's kick return decision-making left much to be desired. The Huskers received kickoffs eight times. Of those eight, four started inside the 20-yard line. The other four were at the 25, which is the spot for touchbacks. At no point did the Big Red make a return that netted positive yards compared to a touchback, something that has been an issue since even before Mike Ekeler took over the special teams.

Backwards hat Matt

When you do something out of the ordinary, especially with your attire, it can be inspirational during a moment of change. When you do that, and the same mistakes continue, and another blowout ensues, it just comes off as performative.

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule gestures against the Utah Utes in the second half during the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Fans watching on TV got their first look at the game just before kickoff, with a sideline shot of Nebraska coach Matt Rhule and his hat on backwards. That swagger and personality would fade as the first half slipped away, with the hat getting turned back around, though it returned for a while in the second half.

Earlier this month, Rhule talked about the hat going backwards as he's been coaching the defensive tackles. It is a way to show players and recruits that he's relatable as he mixes it up with them to get the results that have so far been short of what he's even wanted. He's "just Matt" with the hat on backwards and not the head coach.

"Just Matt" was present for most of the game on Wednesday, and, unfortunately, when that energy results in another four quarters of busted coverages, missed assignments, and a disappearing offense, the gimmick itself falls short.

Clearly not close to being a CFP team

While a bowl game against the No. 15 team in the final College Football Playoff rankings brought with it opportunity, it also showed just how far away this program is.

First, both teams had opt-outs and injuries. Emmett Johnson or Rocco Spindler or DeShon Singleton are unlikely to make a difference in this outcome.

But Rhule admitted it himself in the postgame that, while making back-to-back bowl games is an achievement compared to the past decade, the Huskers in their current form aren't there.

"At the end of the day, we faced three top-15 probably teams, and we lost, so, yeah, we're not a top-15 team," Rhule said of Penn State, Iowa, and Utah. "It doesn't mean we're a bottom 15 team; it just means we're not at the level of these guys right now."

To get to the level of those three teams, let alone the ones that made the CFP field, Nebraska will need to be among the most active in the transfer portal.

Utah Utes coach Morgan Scalley celebrates in the fourth quarter of victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Outside of two uber-talented wide receivers and a hand-picked punter, no position should be safe over the next month. Lateef showed flashes, but the Huskers need to make a big upgrade there. The same goes for the running back room, even with some moments against Utah, the offensive line, the tight ends, the defensive line, the linebackers, and the secondary.

As Holgorsen said when discussing portal quarterbacks earlier this month, you go and get the best available. That's for every position.

Rhule flipped a number of coaching positions, including both trenches and his defensive coordinator. When the portal opens on Jan. 2, he needs to load them and offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen with as much talent as possible heading into a 2026 that feels hotter than expected after the way the team played through October.

Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.

Nebraska Football 2025 Schedule

Aug. 28 Nebraska 20, Cincinnati 17
Sep. 6 Nebraska 68, Akron 0
Sep. 13 Nebraska 59, Houston Christian 7
Sep. 20 Michigan 30, Nebraska 27
Oct. 4 Nebraska 38, Michigan State 27
Oct. 11 Nebraska 34, Maryland 31
Oct. 17 Minnesota 24, Nebraska 6
Oct. 25 Nebraska 28, Northwestern 21
Nov. 1 USC 21, Nebraska 17
Nov. 8 Nebraska 28, UCLA 21
Nov. 22 at Penn State 37, Nebraska 10
Nov. 28 Iowa 40, Nebraska 16
Dec. 31 Utah 44, Nebraska 22 (Las Vegas Bowl)

Home games are bolded. All times central.

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