SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields may not be fully healthy when the second-ranked Buckeyes face No. 3 Clemson on Saturday in the Fiesta Bowl.
Fields said Tuesday his left knee is only 80 to 85 percent heading into the College Football Playoff semifinal. He plans to wear a small brace during the game and brought a larger one in case anything happens.
“My knee’s probably not where I want it to be right now,” Fields said. “But I think with treatment every day and just resting it every day, hopefully, it will be better by the game.”
Fields aggravated a previous injury against Penn State on Nov. 23 and again the following week against Michigan when a teammate rolled into his knee. He struggled in the first half of the Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin before throwing two touchdown passes as the Buckeyes rallied for a 34-21 victory.
Fields has been practicing in the buildup to the Fiesta Bowl, but with limited mobility.
“I try to get as many reps as possible,” he said. “I really haven’t missed any reps, I’ve just been getting in there and playing. I just can’t really move like I want to.”
Fields finished third in Heisman Trophy voting and was named the Big Ten offensive player of the year after throwing for 2,953 yards, with 40 touchdowns and one interception.
HAWAII BOWL: Hawaii Coach Nick Rolovich had this Hawaii Bowl all figured out, except for the details.
He told his players there would be times when beating BYU seemed out of reach, but he wanted them to expect to win the game in the fourth quarter. And that’s what happened Tuesday night in Aloha Stadium, a 38-34 victory for their first victory over the Cougars since 2001.
Rolovich just couldn’t have scripted how it would happen.
Hawaii (10-5) scored 31 points by halftime against a BYU defense that had given up more than 30 points in a game once this year, on the road against Washington. Then the Warriors were blanked so badly in the second half they didn’t even get into the red zone until their final possession.
And then, Cole McDonald took them 71 yards in three plays, capping a magnificent Christmas Eve with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Nick Mardner with 1:17 remaining.
Khoury Bethley grabbed his second interception of the game – and the season – to stop BYU’s last chance and give Hawaii only its sixth 10-win season, and the first since 2010.
“It sure wasn’t looking that good,” Rolovich said. “To get a 10-win season by beating BYU, it’s hard to write anything better.”
McDonald finished with 493 yards passing and four touchdowns, taking him over 4,000 yards for the season. He constantly burned the BYU secondary with the deep ball, and he was at his best at the end.
BYU (7-6) took its only lead of the game on a 20-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. The Cougars had a chance to run out the clock until Zach Wilson was hurried and threw incomplete on third-and-2.
That gave Hawaii one last opportunity, which was all it needed.
BYU wasted a solid game by Wilson, whose father grew up in Hawaii. Wilson threw for 274 yards and ran for 72 yards and two short TDs.
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