Utah, Texas hope to shake disappointment at Alamo Bowl

Alamo Bowl: No. 12 Utah (11-2) vs. Texas (7-5) in San Antonio, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. EST (ESPN).

Line: Utah by 7.

Series record: Texas leads 1-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: Utah wants to wipe out the bitter taste of losing the Pac-12 championship game in a rout by Oregon, a defeat that knocked it out of the College Football Playoff. Texas is looking for a positive end to a disappointing season in which it expected to contend for the Big 12 title and finished well short.

KEY MATCHUP

Texas defensive front against Utah running back Zack Moss. Despite its defensive struggles, Texas has been pretty solid against the run. But with 1,300-yards rushing, Moss is the most prolific back Texas has faced since Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard in September.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Texas: Senior slot receiver Devin Duvernay has been Texas’ best, most consistent player all season, with 103 catches for 1,294 yards and eight touchdowns. He could have easily skipped this game as he prepares for the NFL draft but wanted to play for Texas one last time.

Utah: Quarterback Tyler Huntley will want to shrug off his subpar game against Oregon in which he threw two interceptions. He’ll have a chance against a porous Texas pass defense playing under an interim coordinator.

FACTS & FIGURES

Utah has the No. 1 rush defense in the country, holding 10 opponents under 70 yards … Texas’ 56 bowl appearances rank second in college football history … Texas coach Tom Herman fired his defensive coordinator and demoted his offensive coordinator after the regular season. Their replacements won’t join the team until after the bowl game … Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is 11-2 in bowl games, Herman is 3-0 … A victory would give Utah 12 wins for the third time in school history.