WATCH: Utah pays tribute to fallen teammates at Rose Bowl
Utah didn’t get the result they wanted at their first Rose Bowl, but they ended the game against Ohio State on a touching high note.
At the conclusion of the game, fans of both teams paid tribute to Aaron Lowe and Ty Jordan, Utah teammates who have died in the last 13 months. Utah graduate Holly Rowe shared the video on Twitter.
The Utes also paid tribute to their teammates with the uniforms they wore. Their helmets had a small “22” on the side. Lowe switched his number to 22 after Jordan’s death, and he became the last player to wear it. The program retired the number earlier this season.
Buckeyes mount comeback win in Pasadena
The Utes fell to the Buckeyes 48-45 in an exciting shootout game. Utah had a multiple-touchdown lead at several points during the game, and they took a 38-31 lead into the fourth quarter before Ohio State came back.
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising went 17-for-22 with 214 yards and two touchdowns. He left in the fourth quarter with a head injury. No. 2 quarterback Bryson Barnes came in in relief of Rising and went 2-for-2 with 23 yards and a touchdown pass.
The Utes’ leading receiver was Brant Kuithe with 77 yards, but he was overshadowed by Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba who set an FBS bowl record with 347 receiving yards. He had 15 receptions and three touchdowns.
Utah’s most exciting play of the game was a 97-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown by 24-year-old wide receiver Britain Covey. Rising had the longest play of the day from scrimmage, a 62-yard touchdown run.
The Utah finished 10-4, their second consecutive season with double-digit wins in three years. They played just five games last season. The Buckeyes moved to 11-2; their only two losses of the season came to Pac-12 Oregon and rival Michigan.
Utah will now turn their attention toward 2022, and they open with Florida in September.