With 55 seconds left in regulation, Nick Chubb crossed the goal line for the Georgia Bulldogs. An extra point down the middle of the uprights effectively tied the game at 45-45. Despite the time left on the clock, Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners failed to find success on the offensive side of the ball. Forced to punt the ball away, the Rose Bowl would be decided by overtime — a first for the venue as well as the College Football Playoff.
Winning the coin toss, the Sooners took the defensive side of the ball as overtime commenced. Playing stout at the line of scrimmage, OU shutdown the rushing attack. Forcing Georgia to kick a field goal, the Bulldogs took a slim three point lead. Matching the production, Austin Seibert evened the score once again at 48-48 as the two programs headed to a second overtime.
Playing offense first, Rodney Anderson and the rest of the crew mustered five yards of offense. Then, putting the ball in Mayfield’s hands, the first pass fell incomplete. Trying a different tactic, the Heisman quarterback threw an interception but was bailed out by on offsides call. With a fresh set of downs and one step closer to the end zone, OU went back to work. This time, Coach Riley failed to put the ball in the best player’s hands. Once again looking to kick a field goal, the distance seemed manageable. Unfortunately, a blocked kicked put all of the pressure on the Sooner defense.
As Sony Michel lined up for the Bulldogs in the wildcat formation, the running back showed a burst at the line of scrimmage. Pushing through untouched, Georgia ended the game with a touchdown. At 54-48, UGA completed the largest comeback in Rose Bowl history. On the other end of the equation, the Sooners were sent packing with hopes of a national championship dashed.
Throughout the duration of the evening, the Sooners remained balanced offensively. Throwing 35 times, Mayfield completed 23 attempts for 287 yards and two scores. Yet, the senior also had one blemish with a single interception during their outing.
On the ground, Rodney Anderson collected 201 yards on 26 carries for an average of 7.7 yards per touch. As a team, OU racked up 245 rushing yards on 45 attempts. But, it was Anderson who crossed the goal line two times while no other back matched the effort.
Defensively, the Sooners surrendered 527 total yards. Those kinds of numbers are not unheard of in the Big 12 Conference. The most glaring issue was yards after contact. Making initial contact in the back field or near the line of scrimmage, the ball carriers for the opponent racked up a majority of their yards on a second effort.
Clearly, the Sooners are going back to the drawing board for the upcoming season as roles shift. Check back as we continue to break down the game throughout the week.