What to watch for in Las Vegas Bowl game between Utah and Nebraska

Utes and Cornhuskers set to duel from Allegiant Stadium

Utah Utes offensive coordinator Jason Beck orchestrated an offense that averaged 41.1 points per game in the 2025 regular season. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The stage is set for Utah and Nebraska to go toe-to-toe in the 2025 Las Vegas Bowl.

The Utes (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) and Cornhuskers (7-5, 4-5 Big Ten) are set to kick off from Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 31 at 1:30 p.m. MT. Fans not making the trip to Las Vegas will be able to tune in via ESPN.

With several bowl game opt-outs and a significant head coaching change headlining the major storylines, here's what to watch for when Utah and Nebraska take the field on New Year's Eve.

Morgan Scalley Takes The Wheel

Kyle Whittingham's expedited takeover in Ann Arbor, Michigan, puts Utah's longtime defensive coordinator, Morgan Scalley, at the helm of the Utes for the first time as the head coach.

Scalley was previously in charge of the Utah defense for 10 seasons, helping reaffirm the same principles Whittingham established when he was the team's defensive coordinator; relentless, smart, tough and not prone to giving up a lot of points.

Since 2019, the Utes have held opponents to 15 points or fewer in 36 games, including seven times during the 2025 regular season. Scalley's defense in 2025 ranked No. 5 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing efficiency defense, No. 15 in interceptions (14) and No. 16 in scoring defense, allowing just 18.7 points per game. Utah was No. 2 in the Big 12 in passing yards, allowing 177.5 per game.

It's safe to assume the transition to Scalley — a Salt Lake City native who's been on the Utes' sidelines in some capacity since 2007 — will be seamless for the most part, and that Utah's defense will continue to be stout as it faces a Nebraska offense that's being led by a true freshman making his fourth career start. How the Utes as a whole come out of the gate and their intensity and focus on both sides of the ball after the abrupt head coaching switch, will be worth monitoring, though.

Utah's Bowl Game Opt-Outs

From the sidelines to the field itself, Utah will be without several key figures for its postseason game.

The offensive line, especially, won't look the same, as both Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu have opted out of the Las Vegas Bowl while declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.

It'll be interesting to monitor how the Utes — who averaged the second-most rushing yards per game (269.8) in the Football Bowl Subdivision in the regular season — function without their two best offensive linemen bookending their front line against a Cornhuskers defense that allowed the third-highest yards per carry average in the Big Ten (4.8).

According to reports, Keith Olsen and Zereoue Williams will fill in for Fano and Lomu along the offensive line. Olsen, a 6-foot-6 junior, started at right tackle for the Kansas game and has allowed one pressure and one hurry in 64 pass blocking opportunities this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Williams, a 6-foot-8 Arizona native, played in all 12 regular season, mainly at left tackle, and recorded 79 total snaps, including 59 on run plays.

As for the other side of the ball, Utah will be down without its main edge rushers in John Henry Daley and Logan Fano. Daley's absence has been felt since his season-ending injury against Kansas State in November; Logan, meanwhile, recently announced with his brother that he'll be entering the 2026 NFL Draft.

Utah's Offensive Play-Calling

First-year offensive coordinator Jason Beck has orchestrated the Utes offense to the tune of 41.1 points per game — the third time since 1930 that Utah averaged over 40 points per game — and 478.6 total yards of offense per game, ranking No. 6 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He's been creative, too; from wildcat packages, flea flickers, defensive players lined up at skill positions and designed run plays for both the starting and backup quarterback.

A standalone postseason game to cap off the 2025 campaign will give Beck more opportunities to show what he's got up his sleeves as a play-caller. And given his name has been attached to the list of assistants Whittingham will reportedly target to join him at Michigan, it'll be interesting to see how Beck approaches what could be his final game as the Utes' offensive coordinator.

Not to mention, Utah won't have its top two tackles leading the way in the run game. If the Utes can't move the ball with the same consistency they had in the regular season, it'll be worth monitoring how Beck adjusts.

Will Ryan Davis Play?

Utah's top receiver wasn't involved during the home finale against Kansas State and was ruled out for the Kansas game in the days leading up to kickoff. It's unclear what sort of ailment Davis has been dealing with, though he'd certainly like to be on the field for what will likely be the final college football game of his career.

Davis, a New Mexico transfer who began his career at UAB in 2019, led Utah with 659 receiving yards on 57 receptions, hauling in four touchdowns across 11 regular season appearances.

Nebraska Without Emmett Johnson

The Cornhuskers were middle of the pack in the Big Ten in rushing, averaging 144.7 yards per game during the regular season, due in large part to Emmett Johnson's success on the ground. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound junior from Minnesota was named the Big Ten Running Back of the Year after totaling 1,451 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, plus 46 catches for 370 yards and three more touchdowns. His 1,821 scrimmage yards ranked No. 2 in the country.

The Utes won't have to worry about trying to slow down Nebraska's dynamic tailback, though, given he's already declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Utah struggled defending the run down the stretch of the regular season, giving up 275.3 rushing yards per game and yielded 7.1 yards per carry in November, including 472 yards on the ground to Kansas State on Nov. 22.