Quick Buzz Feed
With the Las Vegas Bowl game between Nebraska and Utah on the horizon, let's look at the key opt-outs and injuries.
Nebraska will be without star running back Emmett Johnson in the Utah game. He amassed 1,821 yards from scrimmage this season, including 1,451 rushing yards at 5.8 yards per carry. The Cornhuskers’ offense has heavily leaned on Johnson, who holds the No. 1 spot in the PFSN College Football RB Impact rankings with a 95.9 rating. He earned Big Ten Running Back of the Year and first-team all-conference accolades this season. Offensive lineman Rocco Spindler will also be absent, having declared for the NFL Draft while taking time to recover from a hand injury. Defensive back DeShon Singleton underwent surgery and is out for the game. Nebraska is also heading to the game without Dylan Raiola, who suffered a season-ending broken fibula against USC on Nov. 1 and plans to enter the transfer portal. True freshman TJ Lateef replaced Raiola but injured his hamstring during the 40-16 loss to Iowa on Nov. 28. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said at a Las Vegas press conference Saturday that Lateef is fully practicing, but the team will face challenges without Johnson.
Utah will be missing top defender John Henry Daley for the bowl game, following his season-ending injury in the Utes’ 51-47 win over Kansas State on Nov. 22. Several NFL-bound players have opted out to prepare for the draft. Left tackle Caleb Lomu leads the group, having allowed only two sacks over 807 career pass-blocking snaps in the last two seasons. Defensive end Logan Fano also opted out, finishing his Utah career with 93 tackles, 10.5 sacks, four pass deflections, and three forced fumbles. His brother, offensive tackle Spencer Fano, also opted out after starting 35 games in three seasons and earning unanimous All-American honors.
The Las Vegas Bowl will be shown on ESPN. Date: Wednesday, Dec. 31. Time: 3:30 p.m. ET. Place: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada. TV: ESPN. The game will be called by Dave Flemming on play-by-play, with Brock Osweiler as analyst and Dawn Davenport reporting from the sidelines.