1965 Rose Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1965 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1965 was the 51st Rose Bowl Game
. The
Michigan Wolverines
defeated the Oregon State Beavers
by a score of 34–7. Michigan fullback Mel Anthony
was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game.
the previous year, and had placed no higher than a tie for fifth under coach Bump Elliott
. Michigan had not been to the Rose Bowl since 1951
, but in 1964, they ran up an 8–1 conference record and clinched a Rose Bowl berth, taking a #4 ranking and an undefeated 3–0 postseason record into the game. Coach Elliott had been a receiver for the Wolverines in one of those games, the 1948 Rose Bowl
, and had been an assistant coach at Oregon State under head coach Kip Taylor
.
in 1959 due to a pay-for-play scandal, the reformed Athletic Association of Western Universities did not initially include Oregon State and Oregon. The two Oregon schools rejoined in time for the 1964 season, but the conference did not have time to reschedule a full head-to-head conference schedule. As a result, Oregon State and USC did not play each other, and when they finished with identical 3–1 conference records, the decision of which team to send to Pasadena was left to a vote among the conference's schools. At first, the most people assumed Oregon State would get the nod based on their better overall record (8–2 vs. 7–3). However, when it was announced that the vote would be delayed until after USC's season ending game with top ranked and undefeated Notre Dame, many people inferred that if USC upset the Irish, they would get the nod. Indeed, USC shocked Notre Dame 20–17 so now many people assumed USC would get the Rose Bowl invitation. When the vote was taken just hours after the USC - Notre Dame game, the conferences' eight members split, four votes for both Oregon State and USC. The tiebreaker in such an instance was to eliminate the team that had more recently gone to the Rose Bowl, and Southern California had gone two years prior.
This would lead to another controversy just two years later in which an 8–2 USC team that had lost to UCLA would get voted in ahead of the 9–1 Bruins. Many felt this 1966 vote was to "make up for" the 1964 vote, especially since the coach of Oregon State in 1964 was Tommy Prothro
and he was then the coach of UCLA in 1966.
ran 84 yards, a Rose Bowl record at the time, for a touchdown. Richard Sygar's kick was no good. The Beavers' 7–6 advantage was short-lived, however, as on the very next possession, Carl Ward
ran for 43 yards and a touchdown. While the conversion pass from Bob Timberlake to Ben Farabee was broken up, the Wolverines led 12–7 at the half.
The second half was all Michigan. Anthony blocked a punt and rushed for two more touchdowns in the third quarter, and quarterback Timberlake ran 24 yards for the final touchdown, making the final score 34–7. For his efforts, Anthony was named the game's Most Outstanding Player.
after a 50–14 loss to archrival Ohio State
.
This was the Beavers' last bowl game appearance for 34 years, and to date, remains their last appearance in the Rose Bowl. Soon after the game, Beaver coach Tommy Prothro
left Oregon State to coach UCLA
, and took them to the following year's Rose Bowl
, in which the Bruins defeated Michigan State
.
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...
. The
Michigan Wolverines
1964 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1964 Michigan Wolverines football team, coached by Bump Elliott, won the Big Ten Conference championship with a final record of 9–1 after defeating Oregon State in the Rose Bowl, 34–7. The team had two first-team All-Americans in quarterback Bob Timberlake and defensive tackle Bill...
defeated the Oregon State Beavers
1964 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 1964 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the 1964 NCAA college football season. The Beavers ended this season with eight wins and three losses in their first season in the Athletic Association of Western Universites after competing as an independent for...
by a score of 34–7. Michigan fullback Mel Anthony
Mel Anthony
Mel Anthony is a former American football running back. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1962 to 1964 and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1965 Rose Bowl after setting a Rose Bowl record with an 84-yard touchdown run...
was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game.
Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines had finished seventh in the Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
the previous year, and had placed no higher than a tie for fifth under coach Bump Elliott
Bump Elliott
Chalmers W. "Bump" Elliott is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played halfback at Purdue University and the University of Michigan...
. Michigan had not been to the Rose Bowl since 1951
1951 Rose Bowl
The 1951 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1951. It was the 37th Rose Bowl Game. The Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten Conference, defeated the California Golden Bears, champions of the Pacific Coast Conference, 14–6. Michigan fullback Don Dufek was...
, but in 1964, they ran up an 8–1 conference record and clinched a Rose Bowl berth, taking a #4 ranking and an undefeated 3–0 postseason record into the game. Coach Elliott had been a receiver for the Wolverines in one of those games, the 1948 Rose Bowl
1948 Rose Bowl
The 1948 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1948. It was the 34th Rose Bowl Game, and the second since the Big Nine Conference and the Pacific Coast Conference reached an exclusive agreement to match their champions in the game each year. In the game, the Michigan...
, and had been an assistant coach at Oregon State under head coach Kip Taylor
Kip Taylor
-External links:...
.
Oregon State Beavers
The Beavers made their third Rose Bowl appearance with a bit of controversy. Following the disbanding of the Pacific Coast ConferencePacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
in 1959 due to a pay-for-play scandal, the reformed Athletic Association of Western Universities did not initially include Oregon State and Oregon. The two Oregon schools rejoined in time for the 1964 season, but the conference did not have time to reschedule a full head-to-head conference schedule. As a result, Oregon State and USC did not play each other, and when they finished with identical 3–1 conference records, the decision of which team to send to Pasadena was left to a vote among the conference's schools. At first, the most people assumed Oregon State would get the nod based on their better overall record (8–2 vs. 7–3). However, when it was announced that the vote would be delayed until after USC's season ending game with top ranked and undefeated Notre Dame, many people inferred that if USC upset the Irish, they would get the nod. Indeed, USC shocked Notre Dame 20–17 so now many people assumed USC would get the Rose Bowl invitation. When the vote was taken just hours after the USC - Notre Dame game, the conferences' eight members split, four votes for both Oregon State and USC. The tiebreaker in such an instance was to eliminate the team that had more recently gone to the Rose Bowl, and Southern California had gone two years prior.
This would lead to another controversy just two years later in which an 8–2 USC team that had lost to UCLA would get voted in ahead of the 9–1 Bruins. Many felt this 1966 vote was to "make up for" the 1964 vote, especially since the coach of Oregon State in 1964 was Tommy Prothro
Tommy Prothro
James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of 104–55–5...
and he was then the coach of UCLA in 1966.
Game summary
Michigan was an 11-point favorite, but after a scoreless first quarter, it was the Beavers who struck first, with Paul Brothers completing a five-yard pass to Doug McDougal early in the second quarter, with Steve Clark kicking the extra point. The Beavers held the Wolverines for a while, but on their third possession following the Beavers' score, tailback Mel AnthonyMel Anthony
Mel Anthony is a former American football running back. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1962 to 1964 and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1965 Rose Bowl after setting a Rose Bowl record with an 84-yard touchdown run...
ran 84 yards, a Rose Bowl record at the time, for a touchdown. Richard Sygar's kick was no good. The Beavers' 7–6 advantage was short-lived, however, as on the very next possession, Carl Ward
Carl Ward
Carl Davis Ward is a former American football player. He played college football as a halfback for the University of Michigan from 1964 to 1966 and professional football in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints from 1967 to 1969.-Early years:Ward was born in...
ran for 43 yards and a touchdown. While the conversion pass from Bob Timberlake to Ben Farabee was broken up, the Wolverines led 12–7 at the half.
The second half was all Michigan. Anthony blocked a punt and rushed for two more touchdowns in the third quarter, and quarterback Timberlake ran 24 yards for the final touchdown, making the final score 34–7. For his efforts, Anthony was named the game's Most Outstanding Player.
Second quarter
- Oregon State - Doug McDougal 5 pass from Paul Brothers (Steve Clark kick)
- Michigan - Mel Anthony 84 run (Richard Sygar kick failed)
- Michigan - Carl WardCarl WardCarl Davis Ward is a former American football player. He played college football as a halfback for the University of Michigan from 1964 to 1966 and professional football in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints from 1967 to 1969.-Early years:Ward was born in...
43 run (pass failed)
Third quarter
- Michigan — Anthony 1 run (Bob Timberlake run)
- Michigan - Anthony 8 run (Timberlake kick)
Aftermath
With the game, Michigan ended its 14-year postseason drought, to date their longest string of seasons without a bowl game. However, it was the last bowl game Elliott would coach; he resigned following the 1968 season1968 college football season
In the 1968 college football season, the system of "polls and bowls" changed. The Associated Press returned to its pre-1961 system of ranking the Top 20 rather than the Top 10, and voted on the national champion after the bowl games, rather than before. During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no...
after a 50–14 loss to archrival Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
.
This was the Beavers' last bowl game appearance for 34 years, and to date, remains their last appearance in the Rose Bowl. Soon after the game, Beaver coach Tommy Prothro
Tommy Prothro
James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of 104–55–5...
left Oregon State to coach UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, and took them to the following year's Rose Bowl
1966 Rose Bowl
The 1966 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1966 was the 52nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans by a score of 14–12. UCLA defensive back Bob Stiles was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game.-Teams:...
, in which the Bruins defeated Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
.