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Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes<\/p>\n
PASADENA, Calif. \u2014 For the second straight season, No. 8 Utah finished the Rose Bowl without its starting quarterback; and for the second year, Utah lost the Grandaddy of Them All.<\/p>\n
Rising sustained an undisclosed injury with 6:31 remaining in the third quarter and left the game, only to return later in street clothes to watch the Nittany Lions’ 35-21 win.<\/p>\n
From there, No. 11 Penn State smelled blood in the water and attacked. The Nittany Lions wasted no time and built up a 14-point lead on an 88-yard strike from quarterback Sean Clifford to KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who blew by safety RJ Hubert for the easy score.<\/p>\n
Lambert-Smith’s play followed an 87-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter by running back Nick Singleton to give the Big Ten team a 7-point lead in a game that was locked 14-14 at the halftime break.<\/p>\n
Penn State added to their lead in the fourth quarter and finished with a 14-point win over the two-time Pac-12 champions.<\/p>\n
In the end, it was another Rose Bowl game where Utah’s secondary couldn’t keep up with the opposing team’s offense in a loss. But it was also an offense that struggled to capitalize in moments.<\/p>\n
Utah’s defense started out strong and held Penn State’s offense to a three-and-out series, but the Nittany Lions answered later in the first quarter after Rising threw an interception. Penn State went 82 yards in 12 plays and capped off the drive with a 5-yard rushing touchdown off the T-formation.<\/p>\n
The Utes answered with a 1-yard passing touchdown from Rising to tight end Thomas Yassmin, and then later added another score when Ja’Quinden Jackson equalized after another Penn State score, thanks to a spin move while receiving a pass from Rising that broke a few tackles before he found the end zone for Utah’s second touchdown of the game.<\/p>\n
But it was all Utah could get in the game after Rising went out of the game after throwing for 95 yards on 8-of-21 passing. Barnes struggled to handle Penn State’s physical defense that broke through the offensive line and quickly got into the back field. At that point, it was as if Utah raised the white flag and conceded.<\/p>\n
Clifford finished a six-year career at Penn State throwing for 279 yards on 16-of-22 passing on Monday. He was subbed out of the game with just under three minutes left to play to an emotional crowd that gave him a standing ovation in a final performance for Penn State.<\/p>\n
Singleton led Penn State with 120 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries on a night the Nittany Lions rushed for one<\/strong>69 total yards.<\/p>\n Rising completed 8-of-21 passes for 95 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and ran for 47 more yards. Ja’Quinden Jackson added 81 yards and a touchdown on the ground for Utah, and Devaughn Vele caught five passes for 100 yards.<\/p>\n Backup quarterback Bryson Barnes threw for 112 yards with an interception for the Utes (10-4).<\/p>\n This story will be updated.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n