1995 Rose Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1995 Rose Bowl was a college football
bowl game
played on Monday January 2, 1995 because New Year's Day was on a Sunday. It was the 81st Rose Bowl Game. The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Oregon Ducks
38–20. Ki-Jana Carter
of Penn State and Danny O'Neil
of Oregon both were named the Rose Bowl Players of the Game. Many observers point to this game as the one that made Ki-Jana Carter a number one selection in the 1995 NFL Draft
.
, 37 years prior. The Penn State Nittany Lions appeared only one other time, the 1923 Rose Bowl
, when the Rose Bowl stadium was used for the game for the first time.
. They went undefeated through the Big Ten season and were ranked #2 going in to the contest.
provided the highlight of the game when he scored an 83-yard touchdown on Penn State's first offensive play, prompting announcer Keith Jackson
to utter the quote "They had him, they thought and then he was gone." After Carter's touchdown, Oregon came right back to tie the game. Penn State scored again and led 14-7 at halftime. But Oregon rode the short passing game of QB Danny O'Neil and kept the ball away from the Penn State potent offense. Oregon tied the game midway through the 3rd quarter. Penn State scored to take a 21-14 and got the ball back. Then came the key play of the game. Penn State S Chuck Penzenik intercepted O'Neil with just over 11 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, returning the ball to the Oregon 13-yard line. Carter then scored his third touchdown, a short 3-yard run that put the Nittany Lions ahead 28-14. Penn State would go on to win in comfortable fashion, 38-20.
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 Monday January 2, 1995 because New Year's Day was on a Sunday. It was the 81st Rose Bowl Game. The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Oregon Ducks
1994 Oregon Ducks football team
-Schedule:-Washington:In the 1994 edition of the heated rivalry with the University of Washington, the #9-ranked Huskies came into Autzen Stadium with a 5-1 record, including a victory over the University of Miami, snapping a 58 game home winning streak. The game was a tough and close contest, with...
38–20. Ki-Jana Carter
Ki-Jana Carter
Kenneth Leonard "Ki-Jana" Carter is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and later the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints. His nickname, "Ki-Jana", is from a character in the movie Shaft in Africa and Carter has...
of Penn State and Danny O'Neil
Danny O'Neil
Danny O'Neil is a former American football quarterback.O'Neil grew up in Orange County, California before attending the University of Oregon and becoming the starting quarterback for the Oregon Ducks football team. In 1994, O'Neil led the Ducks to the Pac-10 championship and a berth in the 1995...
of Oregon both were named the Rose Bowl Players of the Game. Many observers point to this game as the one that made Ki-Jana Carter a number one selection in the 1995 NFL Draft
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
.
Teams
Both teams were appearing in the Rose Bowl after being away for many years. The Oregon Ducks last appeared in the 1958 Rose Bowl1958 Rose Bowl
The 1958 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1958. In the game, the 44th Rose Bowl, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks by a score of 10–7...
, 37 years prior. The Penn State Nittany Lions appeared only one other time, the 1923 Rose Bowl
1923 Rose Bowl
The 1923 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1923, was an American Football bowl game. It was the 9th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions 14-3. Leo Calland, a USC guard, was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game when the award was created in 1953 and selections were...
, when the Rose Bowl stadium was used for the game for the first time.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State was playing their second season as the 11th member 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...
. They went undefeated through the Big Ten season and were ranked #2 going in to the contest.
Oregon Ducks
Oregon opened with a win over Portland State, but then lost to non-conference opponents Utah and Hawaii. However, on October 1, 1994, the Ducks pulled off a surprise trouncing of #19 USC, a team that the Ducks had defeated only one other time since 1972. The Ducks followed this victory with a loss to Washington State. They would go on to win the rest of their conference games, including a 10-9 victory over Arizona. The season ended with a 17-13 win over Oregon State with the Rose Bowl on the line. Oregon finished in sole possession of first place, with Arizona and USC tied for second.Game summary
Penn State running back Ki-Jana CarterKi-Jana Carter
Kenneth Leonard "Ki-Jana" Carter is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and later the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints. His nickname, "Ki-Jana", is from a character in the movie Shaft in Africa and Carter has...
provided the highlight of the game when he scored an 83-yard touchdown on Penn State's first offensive play, prompting announcer Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson is an American sportscaster, known for his long career with ABC Sports , his coverage of college football , his style of folksy, down-to-earth commentary, and his distinctive voice, with its deep cadence, and operatic tone considered "like Edward R...
to utter the quote "They had him, they thought and then he was gone." After Carter's touchdown, Oregon came right back to tie the game. Penn State scored again and led 14-7 at halftime. But Oregon rode the short passing game of QB Danny O'Neil and kept the ball away from the Penn State potent offense. Oregon tied the game midway through the 3rd quarter. Penn State scored to take a 21-14 and got the ball back. Then came the key play of the game. Penn State S Chuck Penzenik intercepted O'Neil with just over 11 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, returning the ball to the Oregon 13-yard line. Carter then scored his third touchdown, a short 3-yard run that put the Nittany Lions ahead 28-14. Penn State would go on to win in comfortable fashion, 38-20.
First quarter
- Penn State — Ki-Jana Carter 83 run (Brett ConwayBrett ConwayBrett Alan Conway is a former professional American football player. He was a placekicker for seven seasons with various teams in the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round by the Green Bay Packers in the 1997 NFL Draft...
kick), 10:50 - Oregon — Josh Wilcox 1 pass from Danny O’Neil (Matt Belden kick), 10:05
Third quarter
- Oregon — Cristin McLemore 17 pass from O’Neil (Belden kick), 4:54
- Penn State — Carter 17 run (Conway kick), 3:53
- Penn State — Carter 3 run (Conway kick), 2:01
Fourth quarter
- Penn State — Conway 43 FG, 5:43
- Penn State — Jon Witman 9 run (Michael Barninger kick), 4:24
- Oregon — Ricky WhittleRicky Whittle (American football)Ricky Jerome Whittle is a former professional American football player who played running back for one season for the New Orleans Saints....
3 run (pass failed), 2:44
Game records
| Team | Performance vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 456, Oregon vs. Penn State | 1995 |