1979 Rose Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1979 Rose Bowl was a college football
bowl game
played on January 1, 1979. It was the 65th Rose Bowl Game
. The USC Trojans
, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wolverines
, champions of the Big Ten Conference
, 17–10. USC running back
Charles White
and Michigan quarterback
Rick Leach were named the Rose Bowl Players of the Game.
with a 11–1 record. USC defeated then #1 ranked Alabama, 24–14, in Birmingham
early in the season, but subsequently suffered their lone defeat to Arizona State
, 20–7, in Tempe
. USC defeated UCLA
, 17–10, to win the Pac-10 Conference, and then closed out the regular season by defeating defending national champion, Notre Dame
, 27–25.
, Alabama (ranked #3 in the UPI and #2 in the AP) upset #1 Penn State, 14–7. Thus, USC vaulted into the #1 spot in the UPI poll while Alabama was #1 in the AP poll.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
played on January 1, 1979. It was the 65th 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...
. The USC Trojans
1978 USC Trojans football team
The 1978 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. Following the season, the Trojans were crowned national champions according to the Coaches Poll...
, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wolverines
1978 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1978 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1978 college football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler...
, champions of the Big Ten Conference
Big 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...
, 17–10. USC running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Charles White
Charles White (American football)
Charles White is a former professional American football running back. He had a distinguished college career and later played in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams.-College football:...
and Michigan quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Rick Leach were named the Rose Bowl Players of the Game.
Michigan Wolverines
Michigan came into the game ranked 5th with a 10–1 record. Their only loss was to Purdue. Michigan tied for the Big Ten title with Michigan State and earned the Rose Bowl berth based on their win over the Spartans.USC Trojans
USC came into the game ranked second in the Coaches' Poll and third in the AP PollAP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
with a 11–1 record. USC defeated then #1 ranked Alabama, 24–14, in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
early in the season, but subsequently suffered their lone defeat to Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
, 20–7, in Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
. USC defeated 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...
, 17–10, to win the Pac-10 Conference, and then closed out the regular season by defeating defending national champion, Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, 27–25.
First quarter
- USC - Hoby BrennerHoby BrennerHoby F. J. Brenner is a former American football tight end in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints.-Professional career:Brenner played for the New Orleans Saints between 1981 and 1993...
, 9-yard pass from Paul McDonald (Frank Jordan kick)
Second quarter
- Michigan - Gregg Willner, 36-yard field goal
- USC - Charles WhiteCharles White (American football)Charles White is a former professional American football running back. He had a distinguished college career and later played in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams.-College football:...
, 3-yard run (Frank Jordan kick) - USC - Frank Jordan, 35-yard field goal
Third quarter
- Michigan - Roosevelt Smith, 44-yard pass from Rick Leach (Gregg Willner kick)
Aftermath
In the Sugar Bowl1979 Sugar Bowl
The 1979 Sugar Bowl was the 45th edition of the Sugar Bowl, which was played on January 1, 1979 in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Louisiana Superdome. The matchup featured the #1–ranked, 11–0 Penn State Nittany Lions and the #2–ranked, 10–1 Alabama Crimson Tide...
, Alabama (ranked #3 in the UPI and #2 in the AP) upset #1 Penn State, 14–7. Thus, USC vaulted into the #1 spot in the UPI poll while Alabama was #1 in the AP poll.