Justin Herbert Runs for 3 TDs as Oregon Beats Wisconsin 28-27 in Rose Bowl

The No. 6 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers 28-27 on Wednesday to win the 2020 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

The win marks Oregon's fourth Rose Bowl triumph in school history and first since 2015. The Ducks also improved to 12-2 on the season, giving them their first campaign with 12 or more wins since going 13-2 in 2014.

Wisconsin fell to 10-4 with the loss, and it has not won a Rose Bowl since 2000. The loss also marked the Badgers' first in a bowl game since the 2013 season, as they won their previous five bowl games, including four under head coach Paul Chryst.

Wednesday's contest represented the final game of Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert's collegiate career, and it may have been Wisconsin junior running back Jonathan Taylor's final college game as well should he decide to enter the 2020 NFL draft.

Notable Stats

Justin Herbert, QB, ORE: 14-of-20 for 138 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT; 9 CAR for 29 YDS, 3 TD

C.J. Verdell, RB, ORE: 17 CAR for 49 YDS

Juwan Johnson, WR, ORE: 5 REC for 66 YDS

Jack Coan, QB, WIS: 23-of-35 for 186 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT

Jonathan Taylor, RB, WIS: 21 CAR for 94 YDS; 2 REC for 43 YDS

Quintez Cephus, WR, WIS: 7 REC for 59 YDS, 1 TD

Herbert Showcases Versatile Skill Set in Final College Game

Herbert gave NFL talent evaluators something to think about Wednesday with a unique performance in the Rose Bowl.

While he looked great as a passer on Oregon's opening drive by going 4-of-5 for 49 yards, he did little through the air after that, as he finished with just 138 passing yards, no passing touchdowns and an interception.

What Herbert lacked as a passer in the 106th Rose Bowl, he more than made up for as a runner with three rushing touchdowns, including a 30-yard go-ahead score with 7:41 remaining to put Oregon on top 28-27:

NFL.com's Bucky Brooks suggested that Herbert did himself a favor by showcasing his athletic ability after previously rushing for just one touchdown all season long:

On the other side, Taylor was the focus for Wisconsin as he had a chance to further etch his name in the record books in what could prove to be his final college game as well.

Taylor was far from dominant, and he even lost a fumble, which prompted The Athletic's Dane Brugler to express some concern regarding his NFL prospects:

Even so, Taylor surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett for the fourth on the all-time FBS rushing list and also became just the second player in FBS history to record two 2,000-yard rushing seasons.

Unheralded Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan was a better passer than Herbert on New Year's Day, and the play of wide receiver Quintez Cephus was a big reason why.

Cephus made a fearless, 11-yard touchdown catch with 11 seconds remaining in the first half to give the Badgers a 17-14 lead entering the locker room:

He was consistently Wisconsin's most dangerous offensive weapon during game, which led multiple analysts to declare that he will be a factor in the NFL:

In a game where both defenses stood tall and both offenses largely struggled, special teams played a significant role as well.

Aron Cruickshank returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown for Wisconsin to immediately answer the touchdown Oregon scored on its opening drive:

With the Ducks trailing 17-14 in the third quarter, safety Brady Breeze took advantage of a dropped snap on a punt and returned the fumble 31 yards for a go-ahead touchdown:

Those big special teams plays essentially canceled each other out, and the biggest difference in the game turned out to be Herbert's legs.

What shouldn't be lost on NFL scouts, however, is the fact that he completed a huge 28-yard pass to wide receiver Juwan Johnson on third down to ice the game for the Ducks.