Watch every touchdown play from high-octane 1st half of the Rose Bowl
In a fast-paced beginning to the Rose Bowl, the Oklahoma Sooners jumped out to a 31-17 lead over the Georgia Bulldogs.
What was billed as a match-up between the Sooners’ unstoppable offense versus the Bulldogs’ immovable defense quickly turned into a shootout.
Mayfield, the Heisman Trophy winner, certainly had his work cut out for him going head-to-head with Georgia’s top-10 defense.
Only one Heisman winner has ever won a bowl game against a top-10 defense before. That was USC’s Matt Leinart, who eviscerated Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl.
In fairness to Mayfield, no walk-on has ever won the Heisman either. He was more than ready to meet that challenge.
On Mayfield’s very first possession, he marched down the field and found Marquise Brown for a 13-yard touchdown to take the early lead.
RT CFBonESPNRadio: .OU_Football kicks off the rosebowlgame scoring…Baker Mayfield finds Marquise Brown in the corner of the endzone for a TD! espnSteveLevy with the call on ESPNRadio. #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/mBIUfma3n9
— ESPN 106.7 & 1490 (@1490WSWW) January 1, 2018
Georgia promptly responded with a touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Jake Fromm to Sony Michel.
#GoDawgs answer right back as Jake Fromm finds Sony Michel #RoseBowl #UGAvsOU #CFBplayoffs
— Fantasy Sports Degens (@FantasyDegens) January 1, 2018
After trading early touchdowns, Oklahoma’s Rodney Anderson scored two touchdowns on the next two drives.
Rodeny Anderson with a huge drive, capped off by the touchdown run, #BoomerSooner back up 14-7 #RoseBowl #UGAvsOU #CFBPlayoff
— Fantasy Sports Degens (@FantasyDegens) January 1, 2018
Rodney Anderson @24RAnderson with the 41 yard #TouchDown now has 107 yards and 2 #TDs in the #RoseBowl #Oklahoma #Sooners #SoonerNation pic.twitter.com/hTwSKjLQre
— @540Jason© (@540Jason) January 1, 2018
After Oklahoma jumped up 21-7, it took Georgia all of one play to cut the lead in half with a 75-yard touchdown run from Sony Michel.
Sony Michel says NOT SO FAST!!!!! #GoDawgs makes it 21-14 #BoomerSooner #RoseBowl #UGAvsOU #CFBPlayoff
— Fantasy Sports Degens (@FantasyDegens) January 1, 2018
After a field goal pushed the Oklahoma lead back to 10, both teams actually played something resembling defense.
That is until Oklahoma ran a perfect gadget play with just seconds left in the first half. Mayfield went from quarterback to receiver, and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from CeeDee Lamb.
Now Baker Mayfield is out here catching TDs too pic.twitter.com/S3esgz4L9s
— 2024 NFL Draft (@DraftRT) January 1, 2018
Georgia tacked on a 55-yard field goal to end the first half. It’s the longest field goal in Rose Bowl history.
Coming into this game, it’s been said that the Oklahoma has never faced a defense quite like Georgia’s.
Pundits may have had it backwards. From all first half indications in the Rose Bowl, Georgia’s defense has never faced an offense quite like Oklahoma’s.
The 31 points by Oklahoma is the most points given up by Georgia all season, with two quarters left to play.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
