Morgan Scalley earned his first win as Utah’s head coach.
(John Locher | AP) Utah quarterback Devon Dampier (4) runs during the first half of the Las Vegas Bowl game against Nebraska, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas • It’s been a busy few weeks for the Utah Utes.
Kyle Whittingham went down and went to Michigan. Morgan Scalley has since become Utah’s next head coach.
There have been rumors of a potential exodus of Utah assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Jason Beck, and players leaving for the Wolverines.
But despite all the distractions, the No. 15 Utes still took care of business, beating Nebraska 44-22 on New Year’s Eve.
Junior quarterback Devon Dampier finished the contest with five total touchdowns to go with 310 yards passing and 148 yards rushing.
Utah’s defense held the Cornhuskers to 182 passing yards and 161 rushing yards on the afternoon.
Nebraska jumped out to a 14-7 lead over Utah in the first quarter on a 38-yard rushing score by running back Mekhi Nelson and an 8-yard touchdown run by quarterback TJ Lateef.
Utah’s lone score in the first quarter came on a 2-yard run by Dampier.
Dampier and the Utes tied the game at 14-14 when the junior quarterback fired it to tight end JJ Buchanan for a 20-yard slant touchdown with 10:05 left in the half.
Utah took a 17-14 lead with 4:13 left in the first quarter after kicker Dillon Curtis kicked a 28-yard field goal to cap a 10-play, 50-yard drive.
From there, Dampier continued his dominance. A series later — after the Ute defense forced a punt — the junior quarterback found pay dirt again and scored his second rushing touchdown of the game. His touchdown gave the Utes a 24-14 advantage at the break.
Utah opened the floodgates on the Cornhuskers in the second half. Running back NaQuari Rodgers scored on a 3-yard rush early in the third quarter. Dampier added another touchdown to his total on a five-yard rush up the middle with 5:56 left in the third quarter.
Midway through the fourth, a 17-yard pass to Dallen Bentley made it 44-14.
The season is officially over and Utah and Scalley will move into the offseason as the NCAA transfer portal opens on Friday.
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