PASADENA, Calif. — Penn State football came into this season with few expectations from the outside. Now, they are ending the campaign as a Top 10 team and champions of the Rose Bowl.
It's a kiss they've waited for since 1995. No. 9 Penn State is celebrating its 2nd Rose Bowl win in school history, 35-21, over No. 7 Utah. The offense scored on an 87-yard Nick Singleton touchdown to take the lead in the 3rd quarter, and then Sean Clifford connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith for 88 yards to pull away.
It's the longest pass play in Rose Bowl history.
"Playing a defense like that where it's hard to get yards. You are going to have a difficult time going on a 16-play 80-yard drive," said Penn State Head Coach James Franklin. "We were in a bare front, but once you create them, you are able to make a huge play and swing the momentum in the game."
"Just getting the feel the first drive and second drive, we understood once we understood that defense, it was easy to hone into specific parts of the game plan," said Clifford.
The game with six sacks and two interceptions. They held Utah's offense to just seven points in the second half.
This was the 109th Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and Penn State's first Rose Bowl triumph since Jan. 2, 1995.
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