No. 11 Penn State capitalized on a strong second half and used a key injury in Utah to overtake eighth-seeded Utes 35-21 to win only the second Rose Bowl in program history and first since 1995. That push was spearheaded by Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford, who capped a long and successful career with one of his best games. The senior passed 16 of 22 for 279 yards and a couple of touchdowns while firing accurate throws all evening.
While Clifford was the highlight of the evening, Utah’s quarterback situation also marked a key story of the game. Utes quarterback Cameron Rising retired in the third quarter with a left leg injury, his team trailing 21-14. Backup quarterback Bryson Barnes fought with relief, throwing an interception on his first drive and failing to get Utah on the scoreboard until garbage time. Running backs Ja’Quinden Jackson and Micah Bernard came together for 140 yards and a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough.
After Rising went out, Penn State scored two touchdowns to end the game, including an 88-yard touchdown pass by Clifford to KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Penn State’s ground play was also effective. Running back Nicholas Singleton opened the game with an 87-yard touchdown scamper, one of two that day as he overcame the 100-yard rushing plateau for the fourth time this season.
Let’s recap the key takeaways from Penn State’s win over Utah in the Rose Bowl.
Appropriate farewell
Clifford had a few extra opportunities thanks to his six-year Happy Valley career, but he’s making the all-time move to the Nittany Lions after a fantastic Rose Bowl. The senior completed 73% of his passes in one of the most productive and efficient games of his long career.
The win joins Clifford Kerry Collins as the only quarterback to lead Penn State to a Rose Bowl victory. Clifford, who has led the program in career passing yards and passing touchdowns, also passed Trace McSorley for the longest cumulative mileage in program history. He walks away as the program leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage, completions and passing attempts, and is tied for the most successful quarterback in program history with 31 wins.
Penn State fans are excited for the start of the Drew Allar era in 2023, but Clifford will forever be a legend at State College for his efforts.
Disappointing ending for Utah
Utah has put together one of the best two-year runs in program history with back-to-back seasons of 10 wins and Pac-12 championships. However, the Utes again missed the “grandfather of them all” to end the year on a sour note.
The Utes were in a great position to fight for the win until Rising went down with his leg injury. While he only completed 8 of 21 of his passes, Rising’s rushing ability was crucial in keeping Utah on schedule. The injury was reminiscent of Rising’s exit from last year’s Rose Bowl against Ohio State when he sustained a head injury in the fourth quarter, and another early exit in Utah’s bowl game is a disappointing end to an otherwise good season.
Rising has yet to enter the NFL Draft, but if this is the end of his career, he deserves a better finish than this.
There were a few bright spots. Running backs Jackson and Bernard looked set for the moment, and receiver Devaughn Vele put on his first 100-yard reception performance. However, the Utes will lose a boatload of talent. Coach Kyle Whittingham’s program will be put to the test this off-season after two successful years.
Penn State finds rapid success
Penn State leaned on its freshman running backs to win an 11-win season. However, the Rose Bowl gave an even better view of the outstanding future around the corner. Singleton changed the game with his long touchdown run, and the Nittany Lions found success with unique looks that gave both him and Kaytron Allen the ability to score.
In 2021, Penn State ranked 118th nationwide for rushing offense. This season, the Nittany Lions jumped to 43rd behind the freshmen running backs. With Singleton and Allen back — along with tackles Olu Fashanu and Caedan Wallace spurning the NFL draft — Penn State should be one of the best running teams in America in 2023. That would mark a massive improvement over what has been one of the teams weaknesses of recent years.