Nittany Lions prep for Jan. 2 Rose Bowl
PASADENA, Calif. – No. 11 Penn State is set to play in the 109th Rose Bowl Game against No. 8 Utah on Monday, Jan. 2. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN. Heading into “The Granddaddy of Them All”, let’s take a look at some of the key numbers.
1 – Penn State meets Utah for the first time in program history. It’s the third consecutive bowl game in which Penn State is facing a new opponent.
3 – The Rose Bowl is Penn State’s third most frequented bowl game. It is one of six bowl games that the Nittany Lions have appeared in at least five times. Penn State’s seven trips to the Fiesta Bowl rank first and six visits to the Citrus / Captial One Bowl are second on the list.
5 – Penn State is making its fifth all-time Rose Bowl appearance. The Nittany Lions previously played in the Rose Bowl in 1923, 1995, 2009, and 2017. Penn State is 1-3 all-time in “The Grandaddy of Them All.” The program completed an undefeated 1994 season with a memorable 38-20 victory over Oregon in the 1995 Rose Bowl. This season’s Rose Bowl game takes place 100 years after Penn State’s first appearance in 1923.
6 – Combined total sacks per game averaged by both Penn State and Utah. The Nittany Lions led the Big Ten and ranked 9th nationally during the regular season with 3.1 sacks per game. Meanwhile, Utah topped the Pac-12 and finished 17th among all FBS schools with 2.9 sacks per contest.
8 – Penn State went plus-eight in turnover differential during its final four regular season contests, forcing three turnovers in games against Indiana, Rutgers, and Michigan State.
10 – Regular season wins for Penn State in 2022. The fourth season with double-digit wins under head coach James Franklin.
13 – Runs of 30 yards or greater this season by Penn State’s explosive ground attack. Freshman Nicholas Singleton amassed three carries of at least 50 yards this season and fellow freshman Kaytron Allen broke a 59-yard run against Rutgers on November 19th.
15 – This year marks the 15th time the Rose Bowl game will be played on a Monday. In fact, Penn State’s lone Rose Bowl victory in 1995 against Oregon took place on a Monday and three of the program’s five Rose Bowl appearances have been on a Monday.
19 – Combined rushing touchdowns this season by freshmen running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Singleton’s 10 rushing touchdowns set a program record for rushing touchdowns by a freshman.
20 – Sacks by Penn State’s defense in its final four regular-season games. Linebacker Abdul Carter paced the team with four sacks during that span. Meanwhile, defensive ends Adisa Isaac and Chop Robinson each tallied three sacks during the month of November to close the regular season.
40 – The Rose Bowl marks Penn State’s 40th all-time matchup against a current member of the Pac-12. The Nittany Lions hold a 25-14 record against Pac-12 schools, winning 7 of the last 10 games.
52 – Penn State is making its 52nd bowl appearance, which ranks 10th all-time among college football programs.
104 – Points off turnovers this season by Penn State.
109 – Penn State and Utah are meeting in the 109th Rose Bowl Game.
125 – Scoring margin in Penn State’s four November victories to conclude the regular season, outscoring opponents 165-40.
194 – Rushing yards by Penn State running back Saquon Barkley in the 2017 Rose Bowl. Barkley accumulated 306 all-purpose yards and 3 touchdowns in the game, highlighted by a mesmerizing 79-yard run early in the third quarter to give Penn State the lead. Penn State ultimately fell to USC 52-49. At the time, it was the highest-scoring Rose Bowl Game ever played with 101 total points.
