Penn State Begins Game Week for the Rose Bowl

The Lions arrived in Los Angeles on Monday, primed for busy bowl week that includes a visit to Disneyland.

Penn State arrived in Los Angeles on Monday to begin its week-long preparations for the Jan. 2 Rose Bowl against No 8 Utah. And evidently, a few freshmen received first-class treatment on the charter flight.

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Running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen will draw plenty of attention at the 109th Rose Bowl, which marks the first meeting between Penn State and Utah. But there's plenty more to scout before the 5:10 p.m. EST kickoff on ESPN.

Here's a look at Penn State's bowl prep, pregame schedule and some noteworthy items ahead of the Rose Bowl.

Sean Clifford's Final Mission

Penn State's fourth-year starting quarterback got a break during pre-Christmas bowl prep, ceding most of the developmental practice reps to freshmen Drew Allar and Beau Pribula. In California, however, Clifford reclaims control of the offense.

"This is a great opportunity for the young guys to get more reps, but as we get closer and closer to getting the Utah gameplan going, it’s going to be like it was throughout the season, where Sean gets the majority of the reps with the 1s," offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said before Christmas. "... There will be some opportunities for Drew to get some reps with the 1s as well, but we've got to get Sean ready to go."

Roster Updates

Penn State will be without at least two starters for the Rose Bowl. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who missed two late-season games with appendicitis, opted out and will enter the 2023 NFL Draft. And leading receiver Parker Washington, who sustained a late-season injury, will miss the Rose Bowl and enter the draft as well.

Otherwise, Penn State made a strong buy-in on the Rose Bowl, with no other notable players choosing to opt out of the game. Coach James Franklin's first media availability is Dec. 28, at which time he likely will address further roster questions.

Meanwhile, Utah is in a similar position. The Utes will be without All-America cornerback Clark Phillips III and tight end Dalton Kincaid, its top pass-catcher. Kincaid made 70 receptions, the most among FBS tight ends.

A 'More Confident' Defense

Penn State's Manny Diaz sounds energetic about returning for a second season as defensive coordinator. Though he wants to be a head coach again, Diaz seems to have found a good spot for now.

As a result, Diaz dotted the hectic December recruiting season with some reflection on his group's progress and what it will face against Utah. Here's what he uncovered.

"We became a much more confident team, and the credit goes to the players because they said, 'You know what? Despite what people say about us in this narrative [after losses to Michigan and Ohio State], we can just improve.

"And now we need to, because Utah is as tough a football team as anybody we’ve played on our schedule this year, counting Michigan. Their belief in their ability to pound the football will be difficult to stop. I don’t mean stopping the pounding of the football, I mean stopping their belief. You can tell that they’re so confident because they’ve got 12 weeks of evidence."

Penn State's Schedule

The Lions will mix plenty of traditional Rose Bowl events into their prep week. Among them: a Dec. 28 visit to Disneyland, "which I'm stoked about," Clifford said. Franklin and several players will conduct interviews at the park.

The other main event is the annual Lawry's Beef Bowl, where players consume massive amounts of food. Defensive tackle PJ Mustipher is scheduled to perform the ceremonial first cut.

Penn State will hold media sessions Dec. 29 and 30 and participate in Rose Bowl media day Dec. 31. Penn State's Rose Bowl pep rally is scheduled for 3:30-4:30 p.m. EST on Jan. 1 at LA Live in Los Angeles. It's the same location Penn State held its pep rally prior to the 2017 Rose Bowl.

PENN STATE FANS: Looking for Rose Bowl tickets? SI Tickets is your one-stop shop for tickets to a variety of Penn State sporting events, from football to basketball, hockey to volleyball. Need tickets to the Penn State game? Check out SI Tickets.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.