Rose Bowl Preview, Prediction: Penn State’s Legacy Game

PASADENA, Calif. | Penn State and Utah have spent their week on the Rose Bowl exchanging greeting playing cards about their similarities. They’re “old-school” and “fundamentalist,” in accordance with Penn State coach James Franklin, that attempt to play powerful and sound and with a particular regard for particular groups.

That is all effective and possibly true. However this recreation will hinge on the quarterbacks. Who has the sting? Let’s break it down.

The 109th Rose Bowl

No. 11 Penn State (10-2) vs. No. 8 Utah (10-3)

• When: 5 p.m. EST Monday
• The place: Rose Bowl Stadium
• TV: ESPN
• Streaming: fuboTV (Begin your free trial)
• Betting Line: utah is a 1.5-point favourite per SI Sportsbook
• Sequence Historical past: First assembly

The Story Line

Sure, it is a compelling assemble that Penn State and Utah have constructed their applications equally. Franklin and Utah coach Kyle Whittingham are spirit animals who share a program-building ethos that values toughness and consistency over time. They have been exceptionally complimentary, and complementary, all week.

As have the quarterbacks. Penn State’s Sean Clifford is beginning his forty sixth profession recreation; Utah’s Cameron Rising is making his twenty fifth begin. Each have made huge performs and thrown their share of interceptions (seven every). In the end, the quarterbacks will outline this Rose Bowl, probably by way of their lapses.

Clifford has been an interesting quarterback to look at early in video games, which his adrenaline runs sizzling and his passes sail excessive. Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich should discover a strategy to decrease Clifford’s temperature by giving him sequence-building performs that prohibit his freelancing tendencies. If Clifford is hitting throws early, and getting assist from his receivers to corral powerful early passes, he’ll cap his profession with a win.

Conversely, Rising is calloused as nicely, having gained a pair of Pac-12 title video games and having overwhelmed USC twice this season. Rising ranked ninth within the nation in quarterback score in accordance with ESPN and led the Utes to 110 factors over their previous two video games.

In response to DraftKings analyst Mike Golic Jr., Utah has a aggressive edge at quarterback, which provides them an edge on this recreation.

“Sean Clifford is at all times an advanced dialog to have round Penn State,” Golic stated. “He is excellent faculty quarterback. I believe that what Utah has in Cam Rising is healthier. Between mobility, decisiveness, and general simply the way in which he instructions that offense, I see just a little bit extra there and proper now coming off successful the Pac-12 championship.”

Penn State Gamers to Watch

KeAndre Lambert-Smith: The receiver had an enormous recreation towards Michigan State, establishing himself as a possible No. 1. The Lions will want one with out Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley subsequent season. With a powerful Rose Bowl efficiency, Lambert-Smith can big-play himself right into a 2023 springboard.

Drew Shelton: Penn State most certainly will not play left sort out Olu Fashanu, giving Shelton, a real freshman, another alternative this season. Shelton, the group’s potential proper sort out subsequent yr, wants another huge recreation defending Clifford’s blind facet.

Abdul Carter: Utah has praised no Penn State participant greater than the freshman linebacker. Rising stated Carter has “crimson lights round him,” and Whittingham stated Carter leads the “greatest linebacker crew that we have seen all season.”

Utah Gamers to Watch

Devaughn Vele: Utah’s big-play receiver (50 catches, 5 for TDs) turns into much more essential to the offense with out tight finish Dalton Kincaid. And he is assured of a win. “That is the one end result I see in my head,” Vele stated.

Zemaiah Vaughn: The cornerback is anticipated to exchange Clark Phillips, Utah’s All-American who declared for the draft. Requested about this, Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich stated, “You have to guarantee that, if there may be anyplace on the sector that you just really feel you’ve gotten a bonus, you’d higher just be sure you goal that.”

Lander Barton: Utah has a fairly good younger linebacker as nicely. Barton, the Pac-12 freshman defensive participant of the yr, made 3.5 sacks and 5 tackles for loss. He will get good bounce behind defensive sort out Junior Tafuna.

The Prediction

The Rose Bowl represents a transition second for Penn State, between the tumultuous post-Huge Ten title stretch and a possible playoff future. It additionally carries gravity for each side of that inflection level.

It is a legacy recreation for thus many Penn State gamers: Clifford, Ji’Ayir Brown, PJ Mustipher, Brenton Unusual, Juice Scruggs, and others have run a wild profession arc that included two 10-win seasons, the COVID-season meltdown and the unmet expectations of 2021. It additionally may very well be the blueprint of Penn State’s future with its monumental assortment of younger expertise: Carter, Shelton, Kalen King, Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen and Drew Allar.

So many departing Lions have expressed perception that Penn State might compete for a playoff spot subsequent season. In reality, had they held the lead over Ohio State for one more 9 minutes and 30 seconds, the Lions would have been in Saturday’s semifinals.

Penn State had a terrific season and seems headed in the proper path. Nonetheless, Utah could be the higher group this yr, with the higher quarterback. Greater than anybody, Clifford must be nice, or at the least higher than Rising. Will it occur?

Penn State 31, Utah 28

PENN STATE FANS: Searching for Rose Bowl tickets? SI Tickets is your one-stop store for tickets to a wide range of Penn State sporting occasions, from soccer to basketball, hockey to volleyball. Want tickets to the Penn State recreation? Take a look at SI Tickets.

Learn Extra

The nation will meet Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter within the Rose Bowl

What we discovered forward of the Rose Bowl

Ticket demand stays excessive for the Rose Bowl

After the Rose Bowl, Sean Clifford will flip his consideration to the NFL

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit says Penn State is ‘proper there’ and able to contend for a playoff spot

The outstanding story of Penn State’s first Rose Bowl

Penn State begins Rose Bowl prep in Los Angeles

Analyst Mike Golic Jr. scouts the Rose Bowl

AllPennState is the place for Penn State information, opinion and perspective on the SI.com community. Writer Mark Wogenrich has lined Penn State for greater than 20 years, monitoring three teaching staffs, three Huge Ten titles and a catalog of nice tales. Comply with him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And think about subscribing (button’s on the house web page) for extra nice content material throughout the SI.com community.