Tag: Rose Bowl

Jan 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Harrison Wallace III (6) makes a catch against Utah Utes safety R.J. Hubert (11) in the second half of the 109th Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

No. 11 Penn State pulls away from No. 8 Utah to win Rose Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Sean Clifford passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns, Nicholas Singleton rushed for 120 yards and two scores and No. 11 Penn State dominated the second half while defeating No. 8 Utah 35-21 in the Rose Bowl on Monday at Pasadena, Calif.

The Nittany Lions (11-2) became the first team in Rose Bowl history to have multiple touchdown plays from scrimmage of more than 80 yards in the same game. Singleton rushed 87 yards for a TD in the third quarter, and Clifford teamed up with KeAndre Lambert-Smith on an 88-yard scoring pass in the fourth.

Kaytron Allen added a rushing touchdown and Mitchell Tinsley caught a scoring reception for Penn State, which scored the first 21 points of a rainy second half.

Quarterback Cameron Rising departed for the Utes (10-4) due to a left knee injury in the third quarter and didn’t return. He completed 8 of 21 passes for 95 yards, one touchdown and one interception and rushed for 47 yards on 10 attempts.

It marked the second straight Rose Bowl in which Rising was knocked out of the contest with an injury. He sustained a head injury in the fourth quarter of the Utes’ 48-45 loss to Ohio State in last year’s game.

Bryson Barnes replaced Rising and completed 10 of 19 passes for 112 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Utah’s Ja’Quinden Jackson rushed for a touchdown, and Thomas Yassmin and Jaylen Dixon had scoring receptions.

Penn State was backed up in its own end in a tie game when Singleton broke free on a third-and-2 play for his 87-yard run, the third-longest in Rose Bowl history. Singleton was in the clear by his own 30-yard line en route to giving his team a 21-14 lead with 9:25 left in the third quarter.

Rising was injured on Utah’s next drive after scrambling 9 yards for a first down with 8:31 left.

The Nittany Lions went for the other big strike on the first play of the final stanza to take a 14-point lead. Lambert-Smith managed to get wide open in the Utah secondary and Clifford hit him for the 88-yard score that was the longest pass play in Rose Bowl history.

Penn State increased the lead to 35-14 when Allen scored from the 1 with 10:36 left in the game. Barnes and Dixon teamed up on a late 5-yard touchdown pass for the Utes.

Earlier, Singleton scored the game’s first points on a 5-yard run with seven seconds left in the first quarter.

Utah tied the game when Rising hit Yassmin on a 1-yard touchdown pass with 7:55 left in the first half. Clifford tossed a 10-yard scoring pass to Tinsley to give Penn State a 14-7 lead with 4:47 remaining until the break before Jackson scored on a 19-yard run to tie it at 14 with 2:38 left.

–Field Level Media

Jan 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) walks with assistance off the field in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions of the 109th Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Utah’s Cameron Rising exits 2nd straight Rose Bowl due to injury

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Utah quarterback Cameron Rising departed the Rose Bowl game on Monday with a left knee injury sustained in the third quarter at Pasadena, Calif.

Rising was injured while scrambling 9 yards for a first down against Penn State with 8:31 left in the period. He was examined in the tent and then headed to the locker room for treatment.

Rising returned to the sideline out of uniform with about eight minutes to play in the game. He was wearing a bulky knee brace under his sweatpants.

Rising completed 8 of 21 passes for 95 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He rushed for 56 yards on 9 attempts.

It marked the second straight Rose Bowl in which Rising was knocked out of the contest with an injury. He sustained a head injury in the fourth quarter of the Utes’ 48-45 loss to Ohio State in last year’s game.

Bryson Barnes replaced Rising, just as he did in last year’s Rose Bowl.

–Field Level Media

Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) celebrates after being named MVP in the victory against the Southern California Trojans in the PAC-12 Football Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Cameron Rising, Utah relish Rose Bowl return to face Penn St.

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Utah enjoyed its first-ever Rose Bowl appearance for most of last year’s game but arrives back in Pasadena, Calif., adorned with the unfinished-business label.

The Utes fell to Ohio State on a late field goal last year, and now No. 8 Utah will compete against another Big Ten powerhouse program on Monday when it faces No. 11 Penn State at the famed stadium below the San Gabriel Mountains.

It has been a recurring theme for the Utes (10-3) when they discuss being in the Rose Bowl for the second straight season.

Utah never trailed over the first 55-plus minutes of the 48-45 loss to the Buckeyes and sustained a tough blow when standout quarterback Cam Rising exited due to a head injury early in the fourth quarter.

Rising, who played high school football 50 miles to the west in Newbury Park, Calif., is excited about having a second opportunity to play in “The Granddaddy of Them All.”

“It just means the world,” said Rising, who has passed for 2,939 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. “To go back to the Rose Bowl again, it just means there’s unfinished business that we want to go out there and finish.”

Despite last year’s loss, the Utes have an 11-4 bowl record under coach Kyle Whittingham.

And Whittingham sees returning to the scene and knowing the pageantry and buildup to game day being something that is immensely valuable.

“I think that’s always a positive thing,” Whittingham said. “It doesn’t guarantee anything. It doesn’t mean you’re going to play great or anything like that. But it does give you a reference point and some opportunity to learn from what you did well or didn’t do so well in last year’s preparation and apply it this year for the better.”

The Utes have won six of their past seven games, including two victories over Southern California. The second one was a 47-24 whipping in the Pac-12 title game at Las Vegas.

Utah All-America cornerback Clark Phillips entered the bowl season tied for second nationally with six interceptions.

Penn State (10-2) enters with four straight victories, and its losses were to two of the four College Football Playoff participants: No. 2 Michigan and No. 4 Ohio State.

Nittany Lions coach James Franklin is preparing for a tough task, as he is having trouble identifying weaknesses in the Utes.

“If you’re a true football guy, if you watch them, that’s what a true football team is supposed to be like,” Franklin said ahead of the first-ever meeting between the programs.

The contest is the final one for Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford, who is in his sixth season with the program. Clifford passed for 2,543 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions in the 2022 regular season.

The Nittany Lions saw star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. opt out of the Rose Bowl and declare for the draft. Receiver Parker Washington, who would have missed the Rose Bowl due to a leg injury, also declared for the draft.

Star left tackle Olu Fashanu is bypassing the draft and returning for the 2023 season, but he hadn’t decided whether he would play in the Rose Bowl. Center Juice Scruggs and defensive end Nick Tarburton both declared for the draft but will play in the game.

Defensive tackle PJ Mustipher was one of the Penn State players who elected not to opt out of the Rose Bowl.

“We don’t have a lot of opt-outs, and I think it’s just the magnitude of the game,” Mustipher said. “We haven’t been to the Rose Bowl since 2016, so it’s not easy to do, and I think guys want to experience what it’s like to go to a Rose Bowl, what it’s like to win a Rose Bowl and all that kind of stuff.”

Penn State, which has lost three of four previous Rose Bowls, has just two wins in its past six bowl games.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A general view of the Rose Bowl game logo at midfield during the Rose Bowl between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Rose Bowl agrees to CFP expansion beginning in ’24

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An expanded College Football Playoff for the 2024 and ’25 seasons reportedly took a major step toward becoming reality on Wednesday.

Multiple media outlets reported Wednesday night that the Rose Bowl agreed to terms with the CFP that would allow the current four-team playoff format to expand to 12 teams as early as the 2024 season.

The CFP’s current TV contract with ESPN expires following the 2025 season and the group’s Board of Managers in September agreed to an expanded playoff format beginning in the 2026 season. But soon after, the CFP began working to expand the 2024 and ’25 seasons, as well — a move that could bring in an estimated $450 million in revenue.

While most parties — particularly the other five CFP bowls — agreed to amend the current contract to accommodate the early expanded format, the Rose Bowl in November announced publicly it was not yet ready to agree to the change. Much of the reluctancy was over potentially surrendering the coveted 5 p.m. ET time slot on New Year’s Day that the Rose Bowl enjoys.

“As the only New Year’s Six bowl with an independent contract, we’re working to navigate our existing agreement,” Rose Bowl Management Committee chair Laura Farber told ESPN at the time. “While we’re willing to work through certain areas, we’ve maintained that an exclusive broadcast window on Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. PT is important to the Rose Bowl Game.”

Multiple outlets reported the CFP gave the Rose Bowl to the end of this week to agree to terms of the early expansion or risk being left out of the new CFP contract beginning in 2026.

While terms of the deal — including potential game times for future Rose Bowls — have not yet been made public, reports stated that with this agreement in hand, any remaining obstacles to announcing the early expansion are formalities and that an announcement of the early expansion could be made this week.

The other five bowl games under the CFP contract that previously agreed to the early expansion are the Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Peach and Cotton.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; Utah Utes wide receiver Britain Covey (18) scores a touchdown past Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Cameron Brown (26) during the first quarter of the 2022 Rose Bowl at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

C.J. Stroud (6 TDs) rallies No. 6 Ohio St. past No. 11 Utah in Rose Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba shined with record-setting performances as No. 6 Ohio State rallied for a memorable 48-45 victory over No. 11 Utah in the Rose Bowl on Saturday at Pasadena, Calif.

Noah Ruggles kicked the winning 19-yard field goal with nine seconds left.

Stroud completed 37 of 46 passes and set Rose Bowl records with 573 yards and six touchdowns while being intercepted once. Smith-Njigba set school and Rose Bowl records with 347 receiving yards while making 15 catches, three for touchdowns.

Marvin Harrison Jr. caught three touchdown passes for the Buckeyes (11-2), who overcame a 14-point halftime deficit and drove down the field late for Ruggles’ decisive kick.

Utah’s Cameron Rising completed 17 of 22 passes for 214 yards and rushed for 92 yards and one score before leaving with a head injury in the fourth quarter.

Britain Covey caught a touchdown pass and scored another on a kickoff return for the Utes (10-4). Micah Bernard and Dalton Kincaid had scoring catches, and Tavion Thomas rushed for a score.

The teams combined for 1,146 yards — Ohio State had a 683-463 edge — in an epic shootout that included a second-quarter stretch in which five touchdowns were scored in a span of 2:43.

Ohio State never led until Stroud drilled a 30-yard touchdown pass to Smith-Njigba with 4:22 left to take a 45-38 lead. With Rising out, Bryson Barnes, who had never thrown a college pass entering the game, tossed a tying 15-yard scoring pass to Kincaid with 1:54 left.

The Buckeyes trailed throughout the game but caught the Utes at 38 on Stroud’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Harrison with 10:12 left.

Rising was sacked by Ohio State’s Kourt Williams on Utah’s next play from scrimmage and his head hit the turf hard. He exited and didn’t return.

Rising threw first-quarter touchdowns of 19 yards to Covey and 12 to Bernard before Ohio State got on the board with Stroud’s 25-yard scoring pass to Harrison 43 seconds into the second quarter.

The Utes started the touchdown frenzy on Thomas’ 6-yard run with 9:07 left in the second quarter. Just 35 seconds later, Smith-Njigba caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to pull the Buckeyes within 21-14.

Covey returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, but Ohio State answered on its next offensive play as Stroud connected with Smith-Njigba on a 52-yard scoring pass with 8:02 left. That made it four touchdowns in 65 seconds.

On their next drive, the Utes decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 38-yard line. Rising kept the ball and got the first down and then broke through a tackle attempt and lumbered 62 yards down the left sideline to make it 35-21 with 6:24 remaining in the half.

Ohio State moved within 35-28 on Stroud’s 8-yard scoring pass to Harrison with 11:20 left in the third quarter. Utah’s Jadon Redding and Ruggles traded field goals later in the stanza.

Oregon’s Danny O’Neil held the Rose Bowl passing yardage record of 456, set against Penn State on Jan. 2, 1995. USC’s Sam Darnold held the TD mark of five, also set against Penn State, on Jan. 2, 2017.

USC’s Keyshawn Johnson held the Rose Bowl mark of 216 receiving yards vs. Northwestern on Jan. 1, 1996, while the late Terry Glenn set the Ohio State record of 253 in 1995.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receivers Garrett Wilson (5), Chris Olave (2) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) take the the field for the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. Ohio State Buckeyes At Michigan Wolverines

WRs Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave among Ohio State’s Rose Bowl opt-outs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ohio State will play without a pair of top-tier wide receivers in the Rose Bowl, as Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave opted out of the game, coach Ryan Day announced Monday.

Offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive lineman Haskell Garrett also opted out for the Buckeyes’ bowl game against Utah.

Wilson, a junior, declared early for the NFL Draft. He and Olave are both projected to be early-round selections.

Wilson caught 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final season at Ohio State, while Olave had 65 catches for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Buckeyes still will have leading receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has hauled in 80 catches for 1,259 yards and six touchdowns in his sophomore season.

–Field Level Media

Dec 19, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban walks on the field before playing the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama, Notre Dame matched in unique Rose Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

It’s a huge mismatch on paper and No. 4 Notre Dame can only hope it doesn’t lead to another bad memory when it takes on No. 1 Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal on Jan. 1 at Arlington, Texas.

The powerful Crimson Tide, who have topped 50 points in each of the past three games, are overwhelming 19 1/2-point favorites in the contest, also known as the Rose Bowl after the game was moved from Pasadena to the Dallas area due to California’s COVID-19 protocols.

When the teams last met eight seasons ago in the BCS title game, Alabama trampled the Fighting Irish by scoring the first 35 points of a 42-14 romp. The Crimson Tide pummeled Notre Dame in the trenches, leading to a 265-32 edge in rushing yardage.

“We’re much better prepared than we were in 2012 in terms of the physicality on both lines,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said on a video call. “I think we have the ability to move the football, certainly.”

Notre Dame (10-1) doesn’t want to get into a shootout with the Crimson Tide, but it did top 40 points six times this season.

Its defense, which ranks 14th in scoring defense (18.6 points per game), was superb early in the season by limiting five of the first six opponents to 13 or fewer points. But it sprung many leaks down the stretch by allowing more than 30 in three of the last five games, including a 34-10 whipping at the hands of Clemson in last Saturday’s ACC title game.

“We’ve been humbled about the way we play,” said Kelly, “and this team has always come back with a resilience and an edge about them, and they will against Alabama.”

The Crimson Tide (11-0) topped 50 six times and averaged 49.7 points — second-best nationally — while being led by a trio of big-time performers.

DeVonta Smith has the opportunity to be first receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since Michigan’s Desmond Howard in 1991. He has 98 receptions for 1,511 yards and 17 touchdowns. During last Saturday’s 52-46 win over Florida in the SEC title game, Smith (3,620 yards) passed Amari Cooper (3,463 from 2012-14) as Alabama’s all-time leader in receiving yardage.

Quarterback Mac Jones also is in the Heisman mix and has thrown for 3,739 yards and 32 touchdowns against four interceptions. Najee Harris has rushed for 1,262 yards and 24 touchdowns and also has three receiving scores.

“We’ve certainly been very productive on offense,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said on a video call. “This has been an unusual year for a lot of teams but I think our players have stayed focus on the right things amid a lot of abnormal things.”

The offensive fireworks aren’t just limited to the current season. Alabama has scored 35 or more points in a major-college record 24 consecutive games since losing to Clemson 44-16 in the CFP title game to end the 2018 season.

The Crimson Tide are 22-2 during the stretch but Saban isn’t much interested in hearing about how the semifinal matchup with Notre Dame is going to be some type of easy stroll in the park.

“I know they have a really good team,” Saban said on ESPN. “I know have a really good quarterback. They have a tough defense. They have some skill guys who can make plays.

“You don’t win 10 games in a season without having really good players.”

Quarterback Ian Book has a 30-4 record as a starter for the Irish. He has passed for 2,601 yards and 15 touchdowns with only two interceptions in 314 attempts.

Book ranks second in school history with 8,719 yards and 72 touchdowns. Brady Quinn (2003-06) is the leader in both categories (11,762 yards, 95 TD passes).

Kyren Williams has excelled on the ground with 1,061 yards and 12 touchdowns for an offense averaging 35.2 points, which rates 22nd nationally.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had a team-best 11 tackles for loss and he was named winner of the Butkus Award on Monday as the nation’s top linebacker.

Malachi Moore has three interceptions for the Crimson Tide, who are 20th nationally in scoring defense (19.5).

The winner of this game will face either No. 2 Clemson or No. 3 Ohio State in the national championship game.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2019; Pasadena, CA, USA; A general view of the Rose Bowl logo at midfield prior to the 2019 Rose Bowl between the Washington Huskies and the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Rose Bowl denied fan exemption, will likely move

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The state of California denied the Rose Bowl a special exemption to allow a few hundred fans to attend the game, likely spurring a venue change for the College Football Playoff semifinal, Yahoo Sports reported Saturday.

The Tournament of Roses appealed to the state to allow players’ family members to attend the game in Pasadena, but that was denied.

The game is scheduled for Jan. 1.

If the game is moved, the likely destination would be AT&T Stadium in Dallas, home of the Cowboys and where the CFP offices are located. If moved, it’s unclear if the game would still be called the Rose Bowl. The last time the Rose Bowl was played outside Pasadena was 1942 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

A decision on venue is expected Sunday ahead of the selections of the teams.

–Field Level Media