The old adage of, "If you don't hold the game on a Sunday, it won't rain on your parade," didn't hold up at the 109^th Rose Bowl Game as the skies opened up and rain fell during The Granddaddy of Them All for the first time in more than a quarter century.
 
But the rain and the fifth-coldest temperature in history at kickoff didn't put a damper on the festivities, with 94,873 fans in attendance to see the Penn State Nittany Lions take on the Utah Utes on January 2, 2023.
 
Big plays ruled the day as the Nittany Lions became the first team in Rose Bowl Game history with two touchdowns of more than 80 yards in one game. Penn State freshman running back Nicholas Singleton broke a 14-14 tie early in the third quarter with an 87-yard touchdown run, the third longest scoring run in Rose Bowl Game history. Then, on the first play of the fourth quarter, PSU quarterback Sean Clifford found wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith wide open down field for an 88-yard touchdown pass, the longest touchdown pass in the history of The Granddaddy of Them All, to push the Nittany Lion lead to 28-14.
 
The Utes held their own in the first half against the Nittany Lions but in the series after the long Singleton touchdown run in the third quarter, Utes quarterback Cameron Rising suffered a leg injury that forced him out of the game. It marked the second consecutive Rose Bowl Game that saw Rising leave due to an injury.
 
He was replaced by Bryson Barnes, who nearly rallied the Utes to a victory over Ohio State the year prior, but Barnes was intercepted by Penn State safety Ji'Ayir Brown on his third throw of the game. Utah was forced to punt on their next four possessions as they struggled to move the ball without Rising.
 
Brown led the Penn State defense with eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception, which earned him Defensive Player of the Game honors. Clifford closed out his Penn State career by completing 16-of-21 passes for 279 yards and two passing touchdowns on his way to earning Offensive Player of the Game.
 
Penn State came out on top with a 35-21 victory over Utah in the 2023 Rose Bowl Game, earning the school its second Rose Bowl Game win in school history. Penn State's last triumph at The Granddaddy of Them All was on January 2, 1995.