The 1964 Rose Bowl was the 50th Rose Bowl Game

Rose Bowl Game

The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...

, played on January 1, 1964. It featured the Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois Fighting Illini

The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....

 against the Washington Huskies.

Illinois was led by Dick Butkus

Dick Butkus

Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He...

 and Jim Grabowski

Jim Grabowski

James S.Grabowski is a former American football player and broadcaster. Grabowski played collegiately at the University of Illinois and professionally for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, and served as an analyst on University of Illinois football radio broadcasts for nearly 30 years,...

 on their way to a 17–7 vicory over the Huskies, led by Junior Coffey

Junior Coffey

Junior Lee Coffey Junior Coffey with 10.2* speed, was one of the finest running backs and defensive linebackers in Texas High School football during the 1960s...

.

Washington scored first and led 7–0, until late in the first half. Washington's score came following an Illinois fumble at its own 27-yard line. Backup quarterback Bill Siler kept it for three yards, then passed it to Joe Mancuso for 18 yards to the Illini 6. Siler then faked a pass and pitched to halfback Dave Kopay, who scored behind the block of halfback Ron Medved

Ron Medved

Ron Medved is a former professional American football player who played defensive back for five seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles.-References:...

 with 8:26 left in the first half.

The Illini's first score came on Jim Plankerton's field goal in the waning seconds of the second quarter. In the third quarter, Jim Warren scored the "go-ahead" touchdown on a two-yard run in the third quarter. Grabowski rushed for 125 yards, and scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Grabowski was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Dick Butkus played both ways in this contest, both at center and linebacker. He recovered a fumble, and had an interception (in addition to leading a defense that held Washington to only 59 yards rushing and 71 yards passing for the game).

Aftermath

Both opposing running backs, Junior Coffey and Jim Grabowski were both drafted by the Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

, Coffee in 1965 and Grabowski in 1966.