Hometown hero Justin Herbert leads Rose Bowl comeback for Oregon vs. Wisconsin

Justin Herbert carries the Oregon Ducks offense to a thrilling one-point victory over the Wisconsin Badgers in the Rose Bowl. Here are three big takeaways.

Justin Herbert is the hometown boy who made good. The Eugene native was clutch to lead Oregon to a comeback win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

There is no such thing as a normal Rose Bowl. It was a back-and-forth affair but Herbert made the biggest play to swing the game in Oregon’s favor. Despite a shaky day as a passer, Herbert carried the Ducks offense to an unforgettable one-point victory over Wisconsin, 28-27. He goes out smelling the roses.

It was a game that certainly lived up to the hype, as both Power 5 teams had their opportunities to win this one in dramatic fashion. Wisconsin outgained Oregon 322 yards to 204 on the evening, but four bad turnovers and nine costly penalties proved too much for Paul Chryst‘s team to overcome.

Moving the sticks aerially was a bit challenging for Herbert and the Oregon offense, but the senior signal-caller did just enough with his arm to lift his team to one final victory. But what we will remember the most about this game in the annals of the Rose Bowl is how the first-round NFL Draft prospect used his legs and his heart to had Wisconsin its fourth loss on the year.

Here are the three big takeaways from the 2020 Rose Bowl.

Justin Herbert’s legs lift Oregon past feisty Badgers defense

Herbert entered play as a sure-fire first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He’ll be one of the first quarterbacks taken this upcoming spring with the likes of the LSU Tigers’ Joe Burrow and the Alabama Crimson Tide’s Tua Tagovailoa, should he leave school early. It is Herbert’s size and arm talent that will make him a franchise quarterback, but he won the Rose Bowl with his rushing.

Herbert only completed 14-of-20 passes for 138 yards and an interception, struggling all game to dissect this Wisconsin defense with his powerful right arm. That said, when the Ducks needed him most to make a big play, Herbert always delivered, usually with his legs.

Herbert isn’t a statue back there, but we don’t think of him as a dual-threat quarterback. He had three career rushing touchdowns entering his final college game. What he did on the ground in clutch situations cannot be overstated. He had nine carries for 29 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner from 30 yards out. He is the first quarterback with three rushing touchdowns in the Rose Bowl since Vince Young in 2006.

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Wisconsin’s penalties and turnovers were devastating

Usually, the Badgers are one of the better-coached teams in the Power 5 under Chryst. However, Wisconsin turned the ball over four times, resulting in 21 of Oregon’s 28 points in the game. The Anthony Lotti fumble on a punt yielded a Brady Breeze 31-yard trip to pay dirt. It was that kind of day for the Badgers, as they couldn’t get out of their own way.

In the first half, a Jack Coan interception by Isaac Guerendo led to a Hebert five-yard touchdown. A Danny Davis fumble recovered by Bryson Young eventually led to Herbert’s game-winning scamper for six. Oregon had another touchdown on the day, but it was these turnovers and nine penalties that did the Badgers in.

No penalty was worse than the offensive pass interference call on Davis, which came on Wisconsin’s last drive of the game. A third-and-6 for the Badgers turned into a third-and-20. Until that PI call, Wisconsin still had a chance to win this ball game. The Badgers just didn’t play well enough above the shoulders to deny Herbert from going out as a Rose Bowl champion.

We’ll miss watching Jonathan Taylor pound the rock on Saturday

What will get lost in Wisconsin’s 10-4 2019 NCAA season was how spectacular junior running back Jonathan Taylor has been to watch go to work. The back-to-back Doak Walker Award winner had 21 carries for 94 yards in what should be his last game in college. He got just enough to surpass the 2,000-yard threshold for the second straight year. He is the first to pull off that feat since Iowa State’s Troy Davis in 1995-96.

Despite being the best running back of the 2010s, Taylor never reached the College Football Playoff or even was invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony. He likely finishes his college career as a top-five rusher of all time, passing the legendary Tony Dorsett earlier in this game.

Wisconsin has had plenty of terrific running backs over the years, from Ron Dayne to Melvin Gordon in the last few decades. But Taylor may never get his due for how dominant of a running back he was. Going out a Rose Bowl champion would have been great, but he more than did enough to earn a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.

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