No one expected Monday’s Rose Bowl matchup between Oregon and Wisconsin to be a defensive struggle. Not with the Ducks coming in averaging 46 points per game and the Badgers not far behind at 44.6.
Fans of big plays and offensive fireworks (not to mention flashy — literally — uniforms) got their New Year’s wish as the “grandaddy of them all” turned into an offensive display for the ages. The two teams combined for 1,129 total yards and countless highlights in a wild back-and-forth shootout. In the end, Oregon emerged with a 45-38 victory — its first in 95 years.
But it wasn’t the Ducks’ defense that sealed the win by stopping Wisconsin on its final drive in the waning seconds — it was the clock.
Full Story: Rose Bowl: Oregon edges Wisconsin in record-setting shootout