Buckeyes complete second-half comeback in 48-45 Rose Bowl win over Utah
1/1/2022 9:09:10 PM | Football
PASADENA, Calif. – The 108th edition of the Rose Bowl showcased why they call it “The Grandaddy of Them All.”
The No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the No. 11 Utah Utes in a 48-45 shootout Saturday night in Pasadena, Calif. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for a school-record 573 yards for six touchdowns, while wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba claimed 15 receptions with three touchdowns for a school-record 347 yards. The 347 receiving yards was also a bowl record in FBS history. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had three touchdown receptions on six catches for 71 yards. Running back TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 84 yards on 17 carries. The OSU offense finished with 683 total yards in the team’s ninth Rose Bowl win.
HIGHLIGHTS: Every Buckeyes touchdown from 2022 Rose Bowl win
The Utes struck the scoreboard first midway through the opening quarter following a five-play, 56-yard drive. Cameron Rising connected with Britain Covey for a 19-yard touchdown pass at 9:29. The drive took 1:37.
Utah kept the early momentum going when Micah Bernard caught a diving 12-yard touchdown reception inside the back pylon at 4:47. The drive took eight plays for 67 yards to make it 14-0.
1st quarter in the #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/hqpLPCupg6
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 1, 2022
The second quarter was chaotic as the Rose Bowl became a scoring show. The two teams combined for 42 points and 443 total yards in the 15-minute duration.
Ohio State answered on the following drive to cut the Utah lead in half to begin the quarter. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud dropped in a 25-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. at 14:17. The Buckeyes went 10 plays for 76 yards in 4:05 span. The catch was Harrison Jr.’s first career touchdown reception.
Harrison Jr. with the 4th-down TOUCHDOWN
C.J. Stroud dropped a dime to Marvin Harrison Jr. pic.twitter.com/j6uxSJljfU
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 1, 2022
The Utes struck right back to go up two scores. Tavion Thomas ran in from six yards out through the left side at 9:07. A targeting call against Jack Sawyer set up the scoring play for the Utes. Utah went nine plays for 79 yards in 5:04 to make it 21-7.
But in a blink of an eye, the Buckeyes made it a one-score game. Stroud found Jaxon Smith-Njigba open down the left sideline for a 50-yard touchdown strike at 8:32.
ALL IN: Sideline celebration following Smith-Njigba’s 50-yard score
The shootout was just getting started. Utah punched right back on the following kickoff when Covey weaved through traffic and took it all the way for 97 yards to make it 28-14.
Just 15 seconds later, Ohio State answered on another big play by Smith-Njigba from Stroud to put the Buckeyes back within one score. Smith-Njigba sprinted past the Utah defense for a 52-yard touchdown reception at 8:02.
2 Back-to-back 50-yard touchdowns by JSN
Jaxon Smith-Njigba hit the BURNERS to score pic.twitter.com/TatHql3xZ6
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 1, 2022
Four plays later, Utah found the endzone again when Rislng broke off a tackle into a spin move with space and ran for a 62-yard touchdown at 6:24.
On the next OSU drive, Smith-Njigba was headed into the end zone, but Utah cornerback Clark Phillips punched away the ball and the Utes recovered the fumble in their endzone for the touchback. It marked the game’s first turnover.
At the half, Ohio State trailed, 35-21. In the first half, the Buckeyes collected 326 total yards, while Utah was just behind with 324 yards.
A promising OSU drive to begin the second half ended with a Utah interception in the end zone at 13:43. Smith-Njigba caught his eighth reception that went for 48 yards to set up the scoring chance.
Following a stop by the OSU defense, Utah coughed up the football on a punt attempt to set up the Buckeye offense at the Utes’ 11-yard line. An easy pitch-and-catch from Stroud to Harrison Jr. from eight yards out pushed the Scarlet and Gray closer, 35-28, at 11:20.
Harrison Jr. scores his second touchdown of the game
The Buckeye defense held Utah to the game’s first field goal at 7:10 when Jadon Redding knocked it through the uprights from 24 yards out to make it 38-28. Noah Ruggles answered with a 31-yard field goal to keep the Buckeyes within one score at the end of the third.
At the start of the fourth, Ronnie Hickman came up with a huge fourth-down stop when he dropped Utah tight end Brant Kuithe a yard shot of the first down marker to get the Buckeye offense back on the field.
Stroud continued to throw the hot hand and led the Scarlet and Gray down the field to tie it at 38-all. He found Harrison Jr. for the third time on a five-yard touchdown pass at 10:12.
TIE GAME! Harrison Jr. scores his THIRD TD
TOUCHDOWN OHIO STATE! WE’RE ALL TIED UP IN PASADENA!@rosebowlgame pic.twitter.com/6zDzVfo2SO
— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2022
Smith-Njigba went over the 300-yard receiving mark when he gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the game at 4:22 to go in the fourth. Stroud tossed a 30-yard strike to the back of the endzone to Smith-Njigba for the 45-38 lead.
BUCKEYES TAKE THE LEAD! SMITH-NJIGBA YET AGAIN
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA FOR THE LEAD!!
THIS MAN CAN’T BE STOPPED pic.twitter.com/AgDWhFSas6
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 2, 2022
JSN CELEBRATION
REACTION: WHAT A DAY, C.J. STROUD
But backup Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes drove the Utes down the field in 2:20 to tie the game at 45-all. He found Kincaid for a 15-yard touchdown reception with 1:54 to play.
Stroud and the Buckeye offense didn’t miss a beat and once again drove down the field in the final two minutes of the game to set up Ruggles with the game-winning field goal. Ruggles hit a 19-yard field goal to give Ohio State the 48-45 win.
FOR THE WIN
Post-Game Reactions
It’s THEEEE OHIO STATE!!!! @OhioStateFB OH…….. IO
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 2, 2022
W. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/SnxkZkngv8
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 2, 2022
A RECORD DAY FOR C.J. STROUD
37/46 Comp/Att
572 Pass Yds
6 TDs pic.twitter.com/duEQKLY6qp— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 2, 2022
Jaxon Smith-Njigba finished the Rose Bowl with 347 Rec yds, a new bowl record and the 5th most in a game in FBS history.
The Buckeyes prevail in a thriller, 48-45 over No. 11 Utah. pic.twitter.com/iMHXE3oMm2
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 2, 2022
Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 346 receiving yards in Ohio State's Rose Bowl win over Utah tonight.
That's the most receiving yards in a bowl game in the history of college football. pic.twitter.com/zXmZlllVL4
— SB Nation (@SBNation) January 2, 2022
AN UNFORGETTABLE @rosebowlgame? @OhioStateFB wins a thriller against Utah pic.twitter.com/0bF55KhirX
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 2, 2022
Take a bow @jaxon_smith1
15 catches
347 yards
3 touchdowns
W#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/cbHTRGKmg5— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 2, 2022
Thank you @rosebowlgame for another special chapter-Congratulations to @OhioStateFB on so many levels-What incredible resolve down 14-0 against a very good Utah team-LEGENDARY performances by @CJ7STROUD & @jaxon_smith1
Just an epic scene and battle on the field-Memorable day! pic.twitter.com/B17FqcQYZX— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) January 2, 2022
"When you make up your mind you're going to do something like that, then you can impose your will. You have to believe the guy next to you is going to do their job & count on 11 guys to do that – I think we did that in the 2nd half." @ryandaytime #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/ScByAONP3I
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) January 2, 2022
“I have respect for (the Utah) defense, but when my guys are running, i think were pretty much unstoppable. We’ve just got to go out there and prove it.” – @CJ7STROUD #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/rfrzri70h0
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) January 2, 2022
Insane sniper @jaxon_smith1 wow. You went campus legend mode ! https://t.co/fOhgOMTpFs
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) January 2, 2022
