Utah Has Perfect Bowl Record Since Joining Pac-12

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah has had a lot of success in bowl games during their school history with a 17-5 record. Since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, Utah has never lost a bowl game, posting a 5-0 record.

After leaving the Mountain West Conference, the Utes have been bowl eligible in five of their first seven seasons since becoming a member of the Pac-12 Conference.

This season will be Utah’s sixth bowl appearance and their fifth straight season of playing in a bowl game. They missed the 2012 and 2013 seasons after a pair of five win seasons.

Here is the bowl games that Utah has participated in since joining the Pac-12 Conference.

2011 Sun Bowl

Utah had seven wins when they played Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl. They picked up wins over Montana State, BYU, Pittsburgh, Oregon State, Arizona, UCLA and Washington State.

The Utes lost to USC, Washington, Arizona State, California and Colorado. They finished their first season in the Pac-12 with a 4-5 conference record.

Utah scored the first touchdown of the game in the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets answered with a touchdown of their own in the second quarter before Utah kicker Coleman Peterson kicked a field goal before halftime to give Utah a 10-7 halftime lead.

The third quarter was all Georgia Tech as they started the second half with a field goal tie the game. Then they added a 31-yard touchdown pass and Utah quarterback Jon Hays threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The Yellow Jackets had a 24-10.

Hays connected with tight end Kendrick Moeai on a three-yard touchdown with 6:50 left in the fourth quarter. On a crucial drive at the end of the final period, Hays found wide receiver DeVonte Christopher for a 28-yard touchdown to tie the game at 24 and the game went into overtime.

The Yellow Jackets scored first on a 34-yard field goal. When Utah needed a field goal to keep the game going, running back John White IV found the end zone from 8-yards out to give the Utes the win.

Hays finished with 193 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception while White IV had 115 yards and one touchdown on the ground. He was named offensive MVP of the Sun Bowl.

Christopher had four receptions for 74 yards and one touchdown, also he had two kick returns for 97 yards. He was awarded special teams MVP of the bowl game.

Both teams finished the season with an 8-5 record.

2014 Las Vegas Bowl

An eight win regular season had them play Colorado State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Utah beat Idaho State, Fresno State, Michigan, UCLA, Oregon State, USC, Stanford and Colorado. They lost to Washington State, Arizona State, Oregon and Arizona.

Utah scored three touchdowns in the first quarter off of an 8-yard run by quarterback Travis Wilson and connecting with wide receiver Delshawn McClellon on a 16-yard pass while running back Devontae Booker scored a 60-yard rushing touchdown.

Colorado State added 10 points to Utah’s 21-10 lead after one quarter.

The second quarter was uneventful on the scoreboard with Utah kicker Andy Phillips hitting a 38-yard field goal to give Utah a 24-10 halftime lead.

Quarterback Travis Wilson #7 of the Utah Utes gets tripped up after rushing for a 17-yard gain as linebackers Bryan Ohene-Gyeni #36 (L) and Aaron Davis #37 of the Colorado State Rams give chase during the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium on December 20, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Utah won 45-10. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Wilson continued the rout with a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a 12-yard score in the fourth quarter. Utes running back Bubba Poole put the nail in the coffin with a 10-yard touchdown run to give Utah the 45-10 win.

Travis Wilson was named MVP of the Las Vegas Bowl with 158 passing yards and one touchdown while adding 91 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Booker finished with 162 yards and one touchdown.

The Utes finished with a 9-4 record while Colorado State dropped to 10-3.

2015 Las Vegas Bowl

Utah won nine regular season games to enter the bowl game with a 9-3 record and 6-3 in the Pac-12. They beat Michigan, Utah State, Fresno State, Oregon, California, Arizona State, Oregon State, Washington and Colorado.

The Utes lost to USC, Arizona in double overtime and UCLA. Even though they were scheduled for a two-year hiatus from BYU, the Las Vegas Bowl matched the rivals up.

Utah scored all five touchdowns in the first quarter off of BYU turnovers. Running back Joe Williams began the insane scoring for Utah with a one yard touchdown. Safety Tevin Carter took an interception 28-yards for a touchdown before Williams had another one yard score.

Defensive back Dominique Hatfield #15 of the Utah Utes runs for a touchdown after intercepting a pass intended for wide receiver Kurt Henderson (C) #13 of the Brigham Young Cougars who is blocked by Jason Fanaika #51 of the Utes during the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium on December 19, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Utah won 35-28. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Utes cornerback Dominique Hatfield intercepted a pass and returned it for a 46-yard touchdown. Quarterback Travis Wilson capped the 35-0 first quarter with a 20 yard touchdown run.

The Cougars scored 28 unanswered but couldn’t quite complete the comeback as the Utes beat BYU 35-28.

Carter was named MVP of the Las Vegas Bowl and the Utes finished the season with a 10-3 record while BYU dropped to 9-4 in Bronco Mendenhall’s last game as BYU’s head coach.

2016 Foster Farms Bowl

The Utes faced the Indiana Hoosiers in the Foster Farms Bowl after completing an 8-4 regular season and a 5-4 conference record. They beat Southern Utah, BYU, San Jose State, USC, Arizona, Oregon State, UCLA and Arizona State while losing to California, Washington, Oregon and Colorado.

Indiana scored their first touchdown of the game, just 52 seconds into the game on three plays. Utah answered with a 30-yard field goal by Andy Phillips and a 16-yard touchdown run from running back Joe Williams.

Quarterback Tyler Huntley ran in a one-yard run in the second quarter to give the Utes a 17-7 lead. Indiana scored 10 unanswered points to take a 17-10 lead at halftime.

Phillips hit two more field goals from 48-yards and 41-yards to give Utah the lead back 23-17 going into the fourth quarter.

Sunia Tauteoli #19, Justin Thomas #12 and Siaosi Wilson #80 of the Utah Utes pose with the trophy after a win against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Foster Farms Bowl game at Levi’s Stadium on December 28, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

The Hoosiers scored a touchdown with 10 minutes left to lead 24-23. Utah would rely on the foot of Phillips once again as he hit a 27-yard field goal with 1:24 left to give the Utes the win 26-24.

The senior kicker finished with four field goals for Utah, while quarterback Troy Williams had 178 yards passing and one interception while Huntley threw one pass for 36 yards.

Joe Williams finished with 222 rushing yards and one touchdown and was named Offensive MVP. The Utes committed four turnovers with one interception and three fumbles. Indiana had three miscues with two fumbles and one pick.

Utah finished the season with a 9-4 record while Indiana fell to 6-7 on the year.

2017 Heart Of Dallas Bowl

Utah played West Virginia in the Heart of Dallas Bowl after they finished the regular season with a 6-6 record and 3-6 conference record. They beat North Dakota, BYU, San Jose State, Arizona, UCLA and Colorado while losing to Stanford, USC, Arizona State, Oregon, Washington State and Washington.

Utes running back Zack Moss started the game off with a 58-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. After a West Virginia field goal, Utah scored 10 points in the second quarter on a two-yard run by quarterback Tyler Huntley and a field goal by Matt Gay. Utes held a 17-3 halftime lead.

Tyler Huntley #1 of the Utah Utes runs for a touchdown while Harrison Handley #88 of the Utah Utes makes a block on Hakeem Bailey #24 of the West Virginia Mountaineers during Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl on December 26, 2017 at Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Only three points were scored in the third quarter on a Mountaineers field goal to cut the Utah lead to 17-6. Huntley scored the final touchdown for the Utes in the fourth quarter with a two-yard run.

Gay hit two more field goals and West Virginia scored their only touchdown with 1:58 left in the game. Utah beat the Mountaineers 30-14.

Utes cornerback Julian Blackmon was named MVP of the bowl game with two tackles and two interceptions.

Huntley finished with 165 passing yards and 57 rushing with two touchdowns on the ground. Moss ended the game with 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Both Utah and West Virginia finished the season with a 7-6 record.