| Game Name: | Holiday Bowl |
| Subheader: | 41st Holiday Bowl |
| Title Sponsor: | San Diego County Credit Union |
| Date Game Played: | December 31 |
| Year Game Played: | 2018 |
| Football Season: | 2018 |
| Stadium: | SDCCU Stadium |
| City: | San Diego, California |
| Visitor School: | Northwestern University |
| Visitor Name Short: | Northwestern |
| Visitor Nickname: | Wildcats |
| Visitor Record: | 8–5 |
| Visitor Conference: | Big Ten |
| Visitor Rank Coaches: | 22 |
| Visitor Rank Cfp: | 22 |
| Visitor Coach: | Pat Fitzgerald |
| Visitor 1Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 3 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 28 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home School: | University of Utah |
| Home Name Short: | Utah |
| Home Nickname: | Utes |
| Home Record: | 9–4 |
| Home Conference: | Pac-12 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 20 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 19 |
| Home Rank Cfp: | 17 |
| Home Coach: | Kyle Whittingham |
| Home 1Q: | 14 |
| Home 2Q: | 6 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 0 |
| Mvp: | Clayton Thorson (QB, Northwestern)[1] & JR Pace (S, Northwestern)[2] |
| Odds: | Utah by 7[3] |
| Anthem: | Haley Reinhart |
| Referee: | Brandon Cruse (Big XII) |
| Attendance: | 47,007[4] |
| Payout: | 6,326,000 [5] |
| Us Network: | FS1 |
| Us Announcers: | Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft |
The 2018 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 31, 2018.[6] It was the 41st edition of the Holiday Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. This was the second season in which the Holiday Bowl was held at SDCCU Stadium. Sponsored by San Diego County Credit Union, the game was officially known as the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl.
The game featured the Northwestern Wildcats, champions of the Big Ten West Division, and the Utah Utes, champions of the Pac-12 South Division.[7] The programs had previously met twice, with Northwestern winning in 1927 and Utah winning in 1981.[8]
See main article: 2018 Northwestern Wildcats football team. Northwestern was defeated in the 2018 Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 1 by Ohio State, then received and accepted a bid to the Holiday Bowl on December 2.[7] The Wildcats entered the bowl with an 8–5 record (8–1 in conference).
See main article: 2018 Utah Utes football team. Utah was defeated in the 2018 Pac-12 Football Championship Game on November 30 by Washington, then received and accepted a bid to the Holiday Bowl on December 2.[7] The Utes entered the bowl with a 9–4 record (6–3 in conference).