McCaffrey’s Record-Setting Day Leads Stanford to Rose Bowl Win Over Iowa
On the first snap of the game, Christian McCaffrey took a pass 75-yards for a score. That was just the beginning of a record-setting day for the Heisman runner-up. The sophomore racked up a Rose Bowl-record 368 total yards as the Stanford Cardinal routed Iowa, 45-16, for its second Rose Bowl win in four years.
Stanford scored 35 unanswered points in the first half (the most in Rose Bowl history). Meanwhile, the Cardinal defense forced two turnovers, returned an interception 66-yards for a touchdown and held Iowa to just 287 total yards, including just 48 rushing yards on 38 carries. Stanford’s Kevin Hogan finished his career as the Cardinal’s all-time winningest quarterback and as just the third quarterback in history to start three Rose Bowls.
But this one was all about McCaffrey. He opened the game with the second-longest scoring reception in Rose Bowl history and later added a 63-yard punt return touchdown. McCaffrey was the first player ever to have 100+ rushing and receiving yards in the same game in the Rose Bowl, while adding 91 yards on kick returns. In the process, he also became Stanford’s single-season rushing leader (2,109 this season).