Rose Bowl Tale of the Tape: Comparing Penn State and Utah
Penn State and Utah are two teams heading to the Rose Bowl with some similar storylines and traits. Utah will enter the game as the Pac-12 champion while Penn State finished in third place in its division. But both teams have accumulated 10 wins this season, some certainly more noteworthy than others. And both teams will be missing some key players on both sides of the football for the Rose Bowl.
Who has the edge? Utah is considered a slight favorite in Pasadena, but most would tell you this is a fairly balanced matchup. Here is a look at how the Nittany Lions and Utes compare based on this season’s developments.
For statistical purposes, we are referencing stats as provided by CFBStats.com.
Sean Clifford vs. Cameron Rising
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s start with a look at this week’s starting quarterback comparison.
Clifford | vs | Rising |
6-2 | Height | 6-2 |
219 | Weight | 6-2 |
Senior+ | Class | Junior |
210 | Completions | 241 |
330 | Attempts | 364 |
63.6 | Comp. % | 66.2 |
2,543 | Yards | 2,939 |
7.7 | YPA | 8.1 |
22-7 | TD-INT | 25-7 |
Edge: Utah
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Utah gets a slight edge in the quarterback comparisons, but this is a pretty even comparison. Utah’s Cam Rising is no doubt a tough player who can take a hit and won’t back down. That much was proven in the Pac-12 championship game. Rising has a higher passing total than Penn State’s [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] in the same number of games played (Utah played 13 games with the Pac-12 championship game but Rising missed a game during the regular season so still only appeared in 12 games).
It’s a pretty even quarterback matchup, but Rising has a slight edge.
Nick Singleton vs. Micah Bernard
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Can Penn State gain an edge on the ground?
Singleton | vs | Bernard |
6-0 | Height | 6-0 |
219 | Weight | 202 |
Freshman | Class | Sophomore |
149 | Attempts | 95 |
941 | Yards | 474 |
6.32 | YPC | 4.99 |
10 | TDs | 4 |
3 | 100-yard games | 0 |
Edge: Penn State
Syndication: York Daily Record
Utah will be playing the Rose Bowl without its leading rusher with Tavion Austin opting out of the bowl game. So Penn State’s leading rusher gets the edge almost by default. [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] was named the Big Ten freshman of the year and he is closing in on a 1,000-yard season. He already is looking to build on the Penn State freshman record with 10 rushing touchdowns and he is primed to continue leading the way on the ground in 2023. Still, expect Singleton to split snaps with fellow freshman [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag].
Micah Bernard had his two biggest single-game rushing totals in each of Utah’s last two games played, and he should be more than capable of leading the running game for the Utes.
Mitchell Tinsley vs. Devaughn Vele
Syndication: Journal-Courier
Who are the No. 1 receivers for the Nittany Lions and Utes?
Tinsley | vs | Vele |
6-1 | Height | 6-5 |
205 | Weight | 205 |
Senior | Class | Sophomore |
45 | Receptions | 50 |
528 | Yards | 595 |
11.73 | YPR | 11.90 |
4 | TDs | 5 |
Edge: Toss-up
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Penn State and Utah are each without their leading receiver for the Rose Bowl. Penn State will be without [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag], who suffered a season-ending injury late in the regular season and has since declared for the NFL draft. Utah will be without starting tight end Dalton Kincaid, who opted out to focus on the NFL draft. So who are the next men up?
Penn State’s graduate senior transfer Mitchell Tinsley is the top wide receiver and should be the main go-to receiver for the Nittany Lions, although the tight ends should play a factor as well. Tinsley is a good red-zone threat.
Utah’s second-leading receiver was Devaughn Vele, who should be the top target for Cam Rising in the Rose Bowl as well. Vele has slightly better stats compared to Tinsley, but this is a solid comparison between top active receivers.
When Penn State has the ball
Ranking Comparison (FBS Ranking)
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Penn State offense vs. Utah defense
Passing Offense | 250.3 ypg (48th) | 218.3 ypg (56th) | Passing Defense |
Rushing Offense | 182.08 ypg (43rd) | 107.00 ypg (16th) | Rushing Defense |
Total Offense | 432.4 ypg (33rd) | 325.3 ypg (19th) | Total Defense |
Scoring Offense | 35.8 ppg (19th) | 20.4 ppg (23rd) | Scoring Defense |
Penn State will be facing a pretty stiff challenge from Utah’s defense, especially on the ground and when it comes to putting points on the scoreboard. But Penn State may be able to find some cracks in the pass defense if it can give Sean Clifford time to find an open receiver. Utah’s pass defense is vulnerable and should be an area where Penn State can pick up some yards. Penn State’s offensive numbers are not the most encouraging on paper, but they do find ways to score points.
When Utah Has the Ball
Ranking Comparison (FBS Ranking)
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Utah offense vs. Penn State defense
Passing Offense | 252.5 ypg (45th) | 212.8 ypg (47th) | Passing Defense |
Rushing Offense | 220.83 ypg (10th) | 105.17 ypg (14th) | Rushing Defense |
Total Offense | 472.7 ypg (17th) | 317.9 ypg (15th) | Total Defense |
Scoring Offense | 40.0 ppg (8th) | 18.0 ppg (9th) | Scoring Defense |
Penn State’s game plan on defense will have to focus on taking away the run, because that has been the signature for Utah’s offense over the years with its hard-nosed physical style. Utah has a top-10 rushing offense and Penn State’s run defense has been pretty good this season. But the Nittany Lions could be in for some tough moments against the pass. Despite the individual talent that comes up with some big plays when needed, Penn State gives up yards through the air, and their history against the pass in the Rose Bowl is not forgiving.
James Franklin vs. Kyle Whittingham
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How do the head coaches measure up?
James Franklin | vs. | Kyle Whittingham |
101-51 | All-time record | 154-73 |
77-36 | Record at current school | 154-73 |
Bowl record | 11-4 | |
N/A | Head-to-head record | N/A |
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Feel free to give the edge to Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, who has a substantially better bowl record and two straight Pac-12 titles to his name compared to [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]. Whittingham is legitimately a top-10 coach, and that should not be in any doubt at this point, and Utah’s success is all because of the work done by Whittingham.
But James Franklin does have two New Years Six bowl games under his belt at Penn State with wins in the Fiesta Bowl (against another Pac-12 team in Washington) and Cotton Bowl, and he could add a Rose Bowl to the list of his accomplishments. He came close the last time he was here against USC in the 2016 season. Both coaches are 0-1 in the Rose Bowl after Whittingham lost to Ohio State last season.
Who has the edge?
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It’s a fairly even matchup after sorting through various comparisons, but there is probably a reason why Utah is considered the favorite going into this game. Utah smashed USC in the Pac-12 championship and went 2-0 against the Trojans this season to highlight its regular season, while Penn State couldn’t keep pace with the two best teams on its schedule.
Utah has a couple of key comparisons that swing their way, but Penn State has some reasons to believe it has the edge as well. When it comes to figuring out who the team with the edge is, it may be impossible to definitively say who has the upper hand. This is a fair and balanced matchup, with neither team really having a decided advantage.
It’s a bit of a toss-up in the Rose Bowl, which should make for a good game.
