Live updates: Utah’s season ends with a second-straight Rose Bowl defeat

Pasadena, Calif. • The Utes overcame plenty to get back to the Rose Bowl.

But they couldn’t overcome the obstacles they faced Monday night.

Already missing key players, with Clark Phillips III headed to the NFL and tight ends Brant Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid injured, Utah lost starting quarterback Cam Rising to a leg injury in the third quarter and never recovered in a 35-21 loss to Penn State.

This was Utah’s second straight trip to the esteemed bowl game. Last year, the Utes suffered a 48-45 loss to Ohio State.

The Utes got here via their second Pac-12 championship game win, a 47-24 win over USC back on Dec. 2 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Utah’s defensive struggles

The Utes are certainly missing Clark Phillips III, the projected first-round NFL draft pick who opted out of this game as he turns his focus on the pros.

But even Phillips’ presence might not have been enough to overcome some of the mistakes Utah’s secondary has made today.

Clifford now has 279 yards passing and two TDs.

After some defensive breakdowns, the Lions were set up for a 1-yard run by Kaytron Allen.

It’s 35-14 in favor of Penn State.

Backs against the wall

On fourth-and-4 deep in their own territory, Penn State hits on another huge play. Clifford finds KeAndre Lambert-Smith for 88 yards and the score. Penn State now leads 28-14 ... and Cam Rising hasn’t returned from the locker room yet.

Cam Rising leaves game with injury

Cam Rising’s running ability has kept so many Utah drives — and hopes — alive this season.

Right now, the quarterback’s left leg is the concern of Ute fans everywhere. Rising was hit on a run early in the third quarter and appears to have been injured.

If Rising is hurt, walk-on Bryson Barnes will be Utah’s quarterback. Barnes, who played in last year’s Rose Bowl after Rising left with an injury, led the Utes to a win at Washington State this season.

Singleton breaks one

Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton takes it 87 yards to the house.

Nittany Lions are back on top.

Even at the half

It’s 14-14 at intermission.

Cam Rising is 7-for-15 for 81 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception.

Micah Bernard leads Utah with 43 yards on seven carries.

Devaughn Vele has 68 receiving yards.

First downs: Utah 12, PSU 8

Third downs: Utah 4-7, PSU 5-8

Total yards: Utah 200, PSU 191

Passing yards: Utah 81, PSU 146

Rushing yards: Utah 119, PSU 45

Strike back

Ja’Quinden Jackson started the year as a backup quarterback. He’ll start next year as a running back.

And, in between, he’ll have a Rose Bowl TD on his resume.

Jackson spun in the backfield, broke tackles and raced into the endzone for a 19-yard score to make it 14-14.

Quick strike

After some methodical drives, the Nittany Lions picked up the tempo and were rewarded for it.

At the end of a 3-minute drive, quarterback Sean Clifford found Mitchell Tinsley on a slant for a 10-yard TD.

It’s 14-7 with 4:47 left in the second quarter.

Utes get even

Brant Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid are watching from the sidelines. But despite losing two of the country’s top tight ends to injuries this season, the Utes still have talent at the position.

Thomas Yassmin, the former rugby player from Australia, just hauled in Utah’s first touchdown of the game.

The Utes went 75 yards in 13 plays — and used up 7:12 of game clock — capped by that 1-yard score.

It’s 7-7 with 7:55 to play in the first half.

Penn State 7, Utah 0

Last year’s Rose Bowl was a shootout.

This year has been a slugfest.

It took until there were just 7 seconds left on the first-quarter clock for the game’s first score. Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton bowled across the goalline on a 5-yard run to put the Lions up 7-0.

You had to expect that coming in: the Nittany Lions ranked 16th in the country in yards allowed per game this season; Utah ranked 19th.

Penn State has 102 yards of offense to Utah’s 47 so far.

The game’s lone turnover has come on a Cam Rising interception.

Utes fans at the Rose Bowl

Flight cancelations and winter weather haven’t kept Utah fans away from Pasadena — many of whom said they wouldn’t miss the game for anything. With about an hour until kickoff, we’d estimate the crowd at the Rose Bowl is about 70-30 in favor of the Utes.

Rose Parade stays dry

Flower-covered floats, marching bands and equestrian units celebrated the New Year on a chilly but dry Monday as the 134th Rose Parade slipped through a gap in California’s siege of drenching storms.

Pasadena’s annual floral spectacle offered the optimistic theme of “Turning the Corner” for 2023, and former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona, who survived a 2011 shooting, served as grand marshal.

Rain has rarely fallen on the parade, but this year it came close. Downpours pounded Southern California over the weekend and rain was expected to return by Monday evening, possibly affecting the Rose Bowl college football game between Utah and Penn State.

But in the meantime, thousands of spectators and the parade participants avoided a soaking.

— The Associated Press

Pregame storylines

After last year’s Rose Bowl week was limited due to COVID-19 concerns, Utah got the full Rose Bowl treatment this time around, including the Beef Bowl at famous Beverly Hills chophouse Lawry’s The Prime Rib.

As anticipated, the Beef Bowl on Thursday night was quite the spectacle, complete with Bryson Barnes participating in the “first cut” with a chef’s hat, chef’s jacket, and a large carving knife.

Longtime ESPN color analyst Kirk Herbstreit has been a fan of Kyle Whittingham and the Utes going back 20 years when the program was still a member of the Mountain West. Here’s why.

If certain NFL Draft decisions go Utah’s way, including that of Cam Rising, it is not impossible that the Utes are back at the Rose Bowl next season, at which time the game will act as a College Football Playoff semifinal.

There are plenty of Utes with the experience of last year’s Rose Bowl, but this Utah team features a handful of freshmen playing big roles this season and experiencing the game for the first time.

Utah will miss All-American cornerback Clark Phillips III at the Rose Bowl, but defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley is happy to see Phillips III go. The third-year sophomore opted out of the game and is instead beginning preparations for the NFL Draft in April.

If there were any lingering questions as to whether or not quarterback-turned-running back Ja’Quinden Jackson would return to quarterback in 2023, Utes offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig put those to rest.

This Rose Bowl run proves that last year’s Rose Bowl run was no fluke. Columnist Gordon Monson argues that Utah’s credibility is no longer up for discussion with every outcome.

After seeking a fan’s perspective on Rising, it seems clear that he has been nothing short of a transformative player for Whittingham and his program.

After Brant Kuithe was lost for the season to a torn ACL on Sept. 25, the assumption was the fifth-year senior tight end’s college career was over, but that assumption was shortsighted.

If you’re an Utah fan, you know a ton about the Utes, but how much do you know about Penn State? I reached out to a few Pennsylvania journalists for some insight on Utah’s opponent.

‘Unwavering belief’ has been the rallying cry down the stretch for this Utah team, which is apt because there have been plenty of ups and downs for the Utes to get back to this point.

Where is the Rose Bowl’s tribute to Ty Jordan, Aaron Lowe?

The Rose Bowl honored the two late Utes with commemorative bricks outside the stadium If you’re searching for them in Pasadena today, look just outside Gate A.