UCLA Football: 5 bold predictions for Cactus Bowl vs. Kansas State
By Zach Bigalke
5. Josh Rosen won’t play the Cactus Bowl after suffering concussion
In the regular-season finale against Cal, Josh Rosen was knocked out of the game in the first half and did not return after the intermission. UCLA held on to beat the Golden Bears in Pasadena, but they might have lost one final chance to see Rosen at quarterback before he heads to the NFL.
It turns out that Rosen suffered his second concussion of the season against Cal. In a year where several high-profile names have elected to sit out bowl games to preserve their health ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft, Rosen might miss the Cactus Bowl for existing health issues. He has expressed a clear desire to play in Phoenix, but it will depend on whether he can gain medical clearance.
The heated discussion ahead of this game centers on whether Rosen will play. Another factor comes down to Rosen’s inference that he may still decide to return to UCLA for a senior season. If Rosen indeed plans to come back for another year in college, the Bruins would likely have more incentive to play it slowly with Rosen’s return.
Ultimately, it will all boil down to Rosen being absent from the stat sheet on Tuesday. No matter what happens from here, that last play against Cal will be the final college play for Rosen unless he comes back to play for Chip Kelly in 2018.