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If you were looking for a storybook ending to Matt Rhule’s second season in Lincoln, the final score nebraska football game against Utah wasn't it. Honestly, it was a bit of a reality check. On New Year's Eve, under the bright lights of Allegiant Stadium, the Cornhuskers walked off the field with a 44-22 loss to the No. 15 Utah Utes in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. It was a game that started with a spark and ended with a thud.
The Huskers finished the 2025 season at 7-6. That’s a winning record, sure. But after that late-season slide, it feels a little heavier than seven wins usually should.
The Breakdown: Utah 44, Nebraska 22
Let’s be real—the first quarter was actually fun. Nebraska came out swinging. They scored on their first two possessions and actually held a 14-7 lead after the first fifteen minutes. Jacory Barney Jr. hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass that made it feel like, just maybe, the Huskers were going to bully a Top 15 team on a neutral site.
Then the wheels fell off.
Utah’s Devon Dampier basically decided he wasn't going to lose. He was everywhere. Dampier finished with 148 rushing yards and five total touchdowns. Think about that for a second. One guy accounted for five scores. Nebraska’s defense, which had been the backbone of the team for most of the year, just couldn't find an answer for his mobility. By the time the third quarter rolled around, the Utes had rattled off 31 unanswered points.
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Nebraska’s offense struggled to keep pace once Utah’s defensive front tightened up. Lateef finished the day 15-of-28 for 182 yards, and while Mekhi Nelson played his heart out with 136 total yards, the explosive plays just weren't there in the second half. By the time TJ Lateef scrambled for a seven-yard touchdown late in the fourth, the game was already long gone.
Scoring Summary by Quarter
In the first quarter, Nebraska put up 14 to Utah’s 7. It looked promising. The second quarter was a disaster for the Big Red, getting outscored 17-0. The third quarter didn't get better, with Utah adding another 14. Nebraska finally found the end zone again in the fourth with 8 points (including a two-point conversion), but Utah added a field goal to keep the distance.
Final: Utah 44, Nebraska 22.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2025 Season
When people look at the final score nebraska football game from the bowl, they see a blowout. They see a 22-point loss and assume the season was a failure. But you’ve gotta look at the context. This was Nebraska’s first bowl appearance in nearly a decade. That matters.
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The 2025 campaign was a rollercoaster. They started hot, beating Cincinnati 20-17 in Kansas City and absolutely annihilating Akron 68-0. They even went on the road and took down Maryland 34-31 in a nail-biter. But the finish? It was rough. The Huskers lost their final three games of the year:
- A 37-10 drubbing at Penn State.
- A frustrating 40-16 loss to Iowa on Black Friday.
- The 44-22 bowl loss to Utah.
Basically, Nebraska was a team that could beat anyone in the middle of the pack but struggled when the stage got big and the opponents got elite.
The Reality of the Big Ten Grind
The final score nebraska football game against Utah highlighted a massive gap in depth. Utah looked like a team that had been in big games before. Nebraska looked like a team still learning how to win them. According to stats from the Huskers Radio Network, Nebraska's third-down conversion rate plummeted in the final month of the season, finishing at about 45% for the year but dipping well below 30% in those final three losses.
You can't win in the Big Ten—or against a team like Utah—if you can't stay on the field.
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It wasn't all bad, though. We saw some serious growth from the younger guys. Isaiah Mozee and Nelson showed they have the speed to compete at this level. The problem is consistency. One week you’re beating UCLA 28-21 in the Rose Bowl (which was probably the highlight of the year), and the next you’re struggling to move the chains at home.
Where Does Nebraska Go From Here?
Look, 7-6 is a step forward. It is. But that final score nebraska football game result against Utah is going to be the "bad taste" that lingers all through winter conditioning. Matt Rhule has a 12-13 record over two seasons now. The "Year 3 Jump" is a real thing in coaching lore, and for Nebraska to make it, they have to fix the defensive lapses that allowed Utah to average 7.5 yards per play in the second half of the bowl game.
If you’re a fan, you’re looking at the transfer portal right now. The Huskers need more beef on the lines and probably another playmaker in the secondary to help with dual-threat guys like Dampier.
Actionable Insights for the Offseason
To move past the 44-22 heartbreak and actually contend in the Big Ten next year, the program needs to focus on a few specific areas. First, the defensive staff has to re-evaluate their containment schemes against mobile quarterbacks; the Utah game was a blueprint for how to shred Nebraska's current system. Second, the offensive line needs to get more "mean." They were out-muscled in the trenches during the Iowa and Utah games. Finally, fans should keep an eye on the spring game roster—early enrollees in the 2026 class will be crucial for depth.
The 2025 season is in the books. The score was 44-22. It wasn't pretty, but for a program that's been in the wilderness for years, it's a foundation. Now, they just have to build something on top of it that doesn't crumble in December.