Utah was a win away from going to the College Football Playoff, however, Friday’s loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game dropped the Utes six spots in the rankings and sent the 11th-ranked Utes to the Alamo Bowl.
Utah, the back-to-back Pac-12 South champions, will face Texas inside the Alamodome in San Antonio on New Year’s Eve. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. The game will air on ESPN.
“It is an honor to be chosen to play in the Alamo Bowl against a great opponent such as Texas,” said Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan. “It is an incredible opportunity to chase our 12th victory and complete what has been a phenomenal season. 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.”
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Utah, meanwhile, is headed to a bowl game for the sixth straight season and 23rd time overall. Under head coach Kyle Whittingham, the Utes are 11-2 in bowl games and will have a great opportunity to take down one of College Football’s blue-blood programs. The game will also help Utah in its recruiting efforts as Texas has become a big recruiting part for Coach Whittingham.
It will be Utah’s first appearance in the Alamo Bowl as the program holds a 17-5 all-time record in bowl games. The contest also means that Utah will play in its fifth bowl game in the state of Texas. Utah is 4-0 in those games, including the 1939 Sun Bowl, 2006 Armed Forces Bowl, 2011 Sun Bowl and 2017 Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Utah and Texas have only played once in program history, falling to the Longhorns 21-12 in 1982. Utah is 5-3 against the Big 12 in the Kyle Whittingham era.
“Having the opportunity for this team to play together one more time in the Alamo Bowl is something we are all looking forward to,” Whittingham said. “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.”
Fans wishing to purchase tickets to the Alamo Bowl can visit www.UtahTickets.com or call 801-581-UTIX.
Check out (GoUtahUtes.com) to find all of the latest news about the Utes!
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