Compare Penn State and Utah

Utah and Penn State are two teams that will be heading to the Rose Bowl together with similar stories and traits. Penn State came in third in its division and Utah will be the Pac-12 champion. Utah will now enter the game. However, both teams have managed to accumulate 10 wins this year. Some more impressive than others. Each team will be missing key players from both sides of football in the Rose Bowl.

Who has the edge? Although Utah is considered the slight favorite in Pasadena most would agree that this is a balanced matchup. Here is a look at how the Nittany Lions and Utes compare based on this season’s developments.

We refer to stats provided by for statistical purposes CFBStats.com.

Sean Clifford Vs. Cameron Rising

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Let’s start with a look at this week’s starting quarterback comparison.

Utah’s Edge

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Although Utah has a slight advantage in quarterback comparisons, this is an almost even comparison. Utah’s Cam Rising is no doubt a tough player who can take a hit and won’t back down. In the Pac-12 championship game, this was proved to be true. Rising has a higher passing total than Penn State’s [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] The same number of games were played by Utah (13 games with Pac-12 championship games, but Rising was unable to play during regular season so only 12 games were played).

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 have an advantage on the ground?

Edge: Penn State

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Tavion Austin, Utah’s leading rusher, will not be there for the Rose Bowl. So Penn State’s leading rusher gets the edge almost by default. [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] He was named the Big Ten freshman football player of the year. He is already looking to improve on his Penn State freshman record of 10 rushing touchdowns. Singleton is also poised to lead the way in the ground in 2023. Singleton will likely split snaps with other 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 Vee

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Who is the No. Who are the No.

Edge: Toss-up

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Utah and Penn State are both without their top receivers for the Rose Bowl. Penn State will be without [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag]Who was the victim of a season-ending injury It was played in the late part of the regular season, and has been since declared for the NFL draft. Utah won’t have to start tight Dalton Kincaid. who opted out to focus on the NFL draft. So, who will be the next men up in this fight?

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 an excellent 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. Although Vele’s stats are slightly better than Tinsley’s, this is still a solid comparison of top active receivers.

Penn State is the one who has the ball

Ranking Comparison (FBS Ranking).

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Penn State offense vs. Utah 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. If Sean Clifford has time to find an open receiver, Penn State might be able to find cracks in its pass defense. 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.

Utah’s Ball is Here

Ranking Comparison (FBS Ranking).

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Utah offense vs. Penn State 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. The Nittany Lions may have some difficult moments against the pass. Penn State’s individual talent is impressive, but they give up yards through the air. Their Rose Bowl history against the pass is not kind.

James Franklin vs. Kyle Whittingham

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What does it take to be a head coach?

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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.

James Franklin has two New Years Six bowl wins at Penn State, with wins in the Fiesta Bowl against another Pac-12 team in Washington and Cotton Bowl. He could also add a Rose Bowl. He was close to winning the Rose Bowl against USC the last time he played. After Whittingham’s loss, both coaches are now 0-1 in Rose Bowl. Ohio State Last season.

Who has the edge in this game?

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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.

Although Utah is able to make key comparisons, Penn State may also have the advantage. It is difficult to say which team has the edge, but it can be hard to tell who. This is a fair matchup with neither team having a clear advantage.

It’s a bit of a toss-up in the Rose Bowl, which should make for a good game.

Story originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire