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Sean Clifford, KeAndre Lambert-Smith connect for longest touchdown pass in Rose Bowl history

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•01/02/23•

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Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

When you are making Rose Bowl history, something special is happening. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford and wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith now find themselves in the historic bowl game’s record books, connecting for a touchdown to open the fourth quarter.

Needing to convert on a crucial third down, Clifford decided to pull the ball and drop back to pass. And it’s for good reason as Lambert-Smith is wide open down the field. The wide receiver caught the pass with no problems and went into the endzone untouched 88 yards.

Where history comes into play — the 88-yard score is the longest touchdown pass in the history of the Rose Bowl. It’s an important one as well for the Nittany Lions, extending their lead over Utah to two touchdowns.

It’s a special moment for everyone involved but especially Clifford. He has been the long-time starting quarterback for Penn State and is looking to cap off his career on a positive note. At the very least, he will always have this moment alongside Lambert-Smith, making history in a game many believe is the pinnacle of college football.

Penn State running back Nick Singleton makes history of his own

Penn State got a huge boost in the second half of the Rose Bowl as running back Nick Singleton broke a highlight-reel 87-yard touchdown run. With the game tied at 14-14 in the third quarter, the freshman from Reading took a run up the left side before cutting back across the middle — leaving everyone on the field in his dust as he broke the length of the field.

The monster run was Singleton’s second rushing touchdown of the game, racking up 120 yards and the pair of scores on just six rushes through that point. The Nittany Lions’ faithful are no stranger to seeing Singleton break home run plays open this season either. The 87-yard score was his seventh rush for over 40 yards or more on the season, and his second for over 70 yards.

Additionally, the rush was one for the record books of the historic 109th Rose Bowl — as Singleton’s rush became the third-longest rushing touchdown in the history of the game.