Los Angeles, United States. 13th Feb, 2022. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) pulls in a one-yard game winning touchdown while covered by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple (20) in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 13, 2022. The Rams defeated the Bengals 23-20.
Credit: © John Angelillo, UPI/Alamy Images

The Los Angeles Rams rallied late and unleashed a stifling second-half defense to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI in SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2022. The victory gave the Rams their second Super Bowl title and their first since the team relocated back to Los Angeles from St. Louis in 2016. For Cincinnati, the team suffered its third Super Bowl loss, returning to the title game after a 33-year drought.  

Rams quarterback Matt Stafford, who joined Los Angeles as part of a blockbuster off-season trade with the Detroit Lions, struck first in the game with a 17-yard touchdown toss to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the first quarter. Beckham Jr. later left the game with a non-contact knee injury and did not return. Cincinnati answered with a 29-yard field goal by their reliable rookie kicker Evan McPherson. The Rams again marched downfield early in the second quarter when Stafford hit Cooper Kupp with an 11-yard touchdown pass. However, a blown extra point attempt left the Rams leading 13-3. The Bengals then mounted a seven-minute drive capped by a trick play where running back Joe Mixon took the handoff and tossed it 6 yards to wide receiver Tee Higgin in the end zone. The Rams held a slim 13-10 lead going into halftime.  

The halftime show was the first all hip-hop show in Super Bowl history. The performers included legendary rap and hip-hop artists Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent. Dr. Dre helped launch the careers of Snoop Dogg and Eminem. The outstanding performance featured hit songs connecting with multiple generations.

After receiving the second-half kickoff, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow immediately connected on an explosive 75-yard touchdown pass to Higgins to take the lead 17-13. Replays of the touchdown showed that Higgins grabbed the facemask of Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey. However, the referees did not throw a penalty flag on the play. On the following possession by the Rams, Stafford’s pass to rookie wide receiver Ben Skowronek deflected off his fingertips and was intercepted by Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. The Bengals converted that takeaway to a 38-yard McPherson field goal to take a 20-13 lead with momentum swinging their way.  

That momentum quickly stalled as the Rams defense sprang to life, with defensive tackle Aaron Donald and linebacker Von Miller each sacking Bengals quarterback Burrow twice to snuff out drives. The defensive stalemate continued late into the fourth quarter. It was finally broken when Stafford capped a long Los Angeles drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to receiver Cooper Kupp, giving the Rams a 23-20 lead with 1 minute 25 seconds remaining in the football game. The Bengals, who had been an explosive second-half team in the playoffs, had time enough to respond. But Aaron Donald bull-rushed the Bengals offensive line and pressured Burrow into an errant throw on fourth down, to secure victory for the Rams.  

Cincinnati quarterback Burrow finished the game with 22 completions in 33 pass attempts for 263 yards and one touchdown. The Los Angeles defense sacked him a total of seven times. Rams quarterback Stafford completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards, with two passing touchdowns and two interceptions. Rams wide receiver Kupp, who led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns throughout the regular season, finished the Super Bowl with 8 catches for a team-high 92 yards and two touchdowns. He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).  

January 15, 2020

On Monday, January 13, the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers defeated the Tigers of Clemson University 42-25 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. LSU’s win capped a perfect 15-0 season in which the team led the nation in scoring and total offense. The national title was also the crowning moment of a magical year for senior LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, who set a single season record for touchdown passes (60) and earned the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s best college football player. It was the first national title for LSU and head coach Ed Orgeron since 2007. For defending champion Clemson, the loss was the team’s first since losing the national championship against Alabama two years ago.

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow rushes for a touchdown during the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 13, 2020, in New Orleans. Credit: © Todd Kirkland, Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Clemson kept LSU pinned down with poor field position early in the game and took a 17-7 lead in the second quarter. Clemson’s 10-point advantage—LSU’s largest deficit this season—did not last long, however. LSU’s Burrow came to life, putting up three touchdowns in the space of nine minutes to give LSU a 28-17 halftime lead. Clemson cut the lead to 28-25 with a touchdown in the third quarter, but LSU added two more scores to take firm control and coast to the national title.

Burrow finished the game with 463 yards passing, 5 touchdown passes, and 1 rushing score. His 521 yards of total offense (including 58 yards on the ground) were the most ever recorded by a quarterback in a national championship game. LSU junior running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 110 yards on just 16 carries. Clemson sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 18 of 37 passes for 234 yards and no touchdown passes. Clemson junior running back Travis Etienne, a native of Louisiana, ran for 78 yards in the loss. Etienne’s 4,038 career rushing yards are the most in Clemson history.

The four-team College Football Playoff began with a bang on Dec. 28, 2019, as No. 2 Ohio State University fell to No. 3 seed Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. OSU fans were irate as two controversial officiating calls went against the team in the closely contested game. The first controversial call was made against OSU defensive back Shaun Wade following a hit on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the second quarter. After a review of the tackle, Wade was ejected from the game for targeting the quarterback and lowering his helmet to hit Lawrence. Clemson later scored a touchdown on that offensive drive. In the game’s second half, an OSU defensive back appeared to strip the ball away from a Clemson wide receiver and return the interception for a touchdown, giving OSU a 23-21 lead. However, an official review led the referees to overturn the call, ruling the pass incomplete and negating the score. Clemson went on the win 29-23 and advance to the championship game.

Also on December 28, the No. 1 LSU Tigers had a much easier time in a 63-28 romp over No. 4 seed Oklahoma at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow tied a college bowl game record with seven touchdown passes. Oklahoma has appeared in four of the six College Football Playoffs held since the end of the 2014 season, but has yet to win a game.