No. 11 Utah to face Texas in the Alamo Bowl
Following Friday's fallout from the Pac-12 championship game, Utah was left holding its breath until Sunday awaiting its postseason fate.
After their 37-15 loss to No. 6 Oregon, the Utes knew their Rose Bowl hopes were dashed, but still clung to hope of reaching the Cotton Bowl, one of the coveted New Year's Six bowls that teams strive for.
But unfortunately, the hits kept coming for Utah as it found out that the Cotton Bowl passed up the Utes in favor of Penn State, the team just ahead of them in the final CFP rankings.
Now, Utah will travel to San Antonio, Texas to face off with Texas in the Alamo Bowl — kickoff is set for December, 31 at 5:30 p.m. MST and will air on ESPN. This will be the first time the Utes take part in the Alamo Bowl.
“Having the opportunity for this team to play together one more time in the Alamo Bowl is something we are all looking forward to,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “We appreciate the invitation, and know our team and our fans will have a great experience in San Antonio. We are proud of all this team has accomplished this year, including winning a second consecutive Pac-12 South title and winning 11 games, the third-highest single-season total in school history.”
It wasn't the destination the Whittingham or the Utes were hoping for, but according to Utah athletic director Mark Harlan, it's still an honor for the program to be chosen.
“It is an honor to be chosen to play in the Alamo Bowl against a great opponent such as Texas. It is an incredible opportunity to chase our 12th victory and complete what has been a phenomenal season,” Harlan said in a released statement. “I know Ute Nation, as always, will be there in full force to support this team as they look to close out the season the right way, and celebrate their accomplishments with all Ute fans.”
Texas enters the game after finishing third in the Big-12 at 5-4 in conference play, and 7-5 overall.