1999 Rose Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1999 Rose Bowl was the 85th Rose Bowl game
and was played on Friday January 1, 1999 at the Rose Bowl Stadium
in Pasadena, California
. It was a college football
bowl game
at the end of the 1998 college football season. Wisconsin
defeated by a score of 38-31. Ron Dayne
of Wisconsin was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game. He tied a modern Rose Bowl record with four touchdowns. This was the first year that the Rose Bowl became part of the Bowl Championship Series
, ending a a long-standing agreement between the Big Ten
and the "West Representative" (PCC
/AAWU). The UCLA Bruins
were en route to a BCS Championship Game with a #2 ranking until a horrendous ghack against a mediocre Miami Hurricanes
team in a rescheduled late-season game (due to hurricanes
) exposed their defensive problems and dropped their ranking, so the traditional match-up occurred. This was the first year that the game was branded with corporate sponsorship. Unlike the other bowl games, the sponsor was not added to the title of the game, but instead as a presenter, so it became known as The Rose Bowl Game presented by AT&T.
for the 1995 season, involving five conferences (reduced to four for the 1996 season) and three bowls. The championship game rotated among the three bowls. However, it still didn't include the Pac-10 or Big Ten champs.
Michigan
and Nebraska
split the National Championship during the 1997 season after never having met on the field. After a protracted round of negotiations, the Bowl Alliance was reconfigured into the Bowl Championship Series
for the 1998 season. The Pasadena Tournament of Roses
, which operates the Rose Bowl Game
, agreed to release the Big Ten or Pac-10 champions if necessary to facilitate a national championship game. In return, the Rose Bowl was added to the yearly national championship game rotation.
. It appeared that they would face the Volunteers in the BCS championship. The UCLA Bruins went undefeated through the 1998 football season until their final game. In late September, was forced to postpone their game with due to Hurricane Georges
. The game was rescheduled for December 5 and for the #2-ranked Bruins, a trip to the National Championship game was at stake. The Hurricanes put up over 600 yards of total offense and the result was a stunning 49-45 victory. Instead of advancing to the first Bowl Championship series game (the 1999 Fiesta Bowl
) as a contender for the national championship, the Bruins "settled" for the Rose Bowl, something that previously had been the ultimate goal of the Pacific Ten conference champion.
ended up in a three way tie for first place in the Big Ten with Michigan
and Ohio State
. All three teams had 7-1 conference records and were conference co-champions. Michigan had defeated Wisconsin 27-10 in "The Big House
". Wisconsin and Ohio State did not meet. The Rose Bowl tiebreaker formula gave Wisconsin the Rose Bowl berth, since Michigan's overall record was the worst of the three (having lost to and Notre Dame to start the season), and Ohio State had been in the 1997 Rose Bowl
previously, whereas Wisconsin had been in the 1994 Rose Bowl
previously (in the event of a tie for first place, the Big Ten final tiebreaker awards the Rose Bowl berth to the team which has gone longest period of time without an invitation). The circumstances of this selection and the fact that UCLA had so recently fallen from the lofty #2 in the nation status led many to deride and seriously underestimate the Badgers; most notably, ESPN
analyst Craig James with his infamous declaration that Wisconsin was "the worst team to ever play in the Rose Bowl, though quarterback Mike Samuel is the most underrated QB in college football".
, the UCLA quarterback, passed for 340 yards, the fourth-highest total in bowl history, and UCLA finished with 538 yards, 418 in the air.
Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne
tied the modern Rose Bowl record of four touchdowns along with Eric Ball from the 1986 Rose Bowl
and Sam Cunningham
from the 1973 Rose Bowl
. The teams would break an older record of 931 combined yards of offense, combining for 1,035 total yards.
In the second quarter, UCLA took its only lead of the game (21-14) with back-to-back touchdowns.
With his four touchdowns, Ron Dayne tied three modern Rose Bowl touchdown records: most touchdowns, most rushing touchdowns and most career rushing touchdowns. With 24 points, he also tied most points in game and career. These records are shared along with Eric Ball from the 1986 Rose Bowl
and Sam Cunningham
from the 1973 Rose Bowl
. Vince Young
would also join this group following the 2006 Rose Bowl
, and the records still stand as of the 2008 Rose Bowl
. Dayne was named the Rose Bowl MVP for 1999 and would repeat this feat in the 2000 Rose Bowl
, becoming one of only three (now, four) players to ever repeat as a Rose Bowl MVP (and the only player from the Big Ten Conference
).
For the teams, the following records were broken, but no longer stand.
. In a review by the Wisconsin State Joint Legislative Audit Committee in 1999, the committee found that the University of Wisconsin spent $2,093,500 on the trip, versus a post season revenue share of $1,806,800. Subsequent reviews found a number of areas where expenses could have been reduced substantially.
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...
and was played on Friday January 1, 1999 at the Rose Bowl Stadium
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. It was a college football
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...
at the end of the 1998 college football season. Wisconsin
1998 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 1998 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Season:Wisconsin finished the regular season 10-1 overall and were co-champions of the Big Ten Conference for the first time since 1993...
defeated by a score of 38-31. Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne is a former American football running back who is currently a free agent. He holds the NCAA record for career rushing yards, and he won the 1999 Heisman Trophy.-Early life:...
of Wisconsin was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game. He tied a modern Rose Bowl record with four touchdowns. This was the first year that the Rose Bowl became part of the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
, ending a a long-standing agreement between the Big Ten
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...
and the "West Representative" (PCC
Pacific 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...
/AAWU). The UCLA Bruins
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...
were en route to a BCS Championship Game with a #2 ranking until a horrendous ghack against a mediocre Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
team in a rescheduled late-season game (due to hurricanes
1998 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1998 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1998, and lasted until November 30, 1998. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin; however, the season extended through December 1 as Hurricane Nicole remained...
) exposed their defensive problems and dropped their ranking, so the traditional match-up occurred. This was the first year that the game was branded with corporate sponsorship. Unlike the other bowl games, the sponsor was not added to the title of the game, but instead as a presenter, so it became known as The Rose Bowl Game presented by AT&T.
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Coalition was restructured into the Bowl AllianceBowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences...
for the 1995 season, involving five conferences (reduced to four for the 1996 season) and three bowls. The championship game rotated among the three bowls. However, it still didn't include the Pac-10 or Big Ten champs.
Michigan
1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr, Michigan compiled a perfect 12–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998...
and Nebraska
1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
split the National Championship during the 1997 season after never having met on the field. After a protracted round of negotiations, the Bowl Alliance was reconfigured into the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
for the 1998 season. The Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, created by the efforts of Charles Frederick Holder and Francis F. Rowland, is the non-profit organization that has annually produced the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade since 1895 and the Rose Bowl Game, since 1902...
, which operates the 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...
, agreed to release the Big Ten or Pac-10 champions if necessary to facilitate a national championship game. In return, the Rose Bowl was added to the yearly national championship game rotation.
UCLA Bruins
Beginning in November, the Bruins were ranked number 2 behind Tennessee1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Tennessee entered the 1998 season coming off an 11–2 record in 1997...
. It appeared that they would face the Volunteers in the BCS championship. The UCLA Bruins went undefeated through the 1998 football season until their final game. In late September, was forced to postpone their game with due to Hurricane Georges
Hurricane Georges
Hurricane Georges was a very destructive, powerful and long-lived Cape Verde-type Category 4 hurricane. Georges was the seventh tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season...
. The game was rescheduled for December 5 and for the #2-ranked Bruins, a trip to the National Championship game was at stake. The Hurricanes put up over 600 yards of total offense and the result was a stunning 49-45 victory. Instead of advancing to the first Bowl Championship series game (the 1999 Fiesta Bowl
1999 Fiesta Bowl
The 1999 Fiesta Bowl, the designated BCS National Championship Game for the 1998 season, was played on January 4, 1999, in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium. The teams were the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida State Seminoles...
) as a contender for the national championship, the Bruins "settled" for the Rose Bowl, something that previously had been the ultimate goal of the Pacific Ten conference champion.
Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin1998 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 1998 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Season:Wisconsin finished the regular season 10-1 overall and were co-champions of the Big Ten Conference for the first time since 1993...
ended up in a three way tie for first place in the Big Ten with Michigan
1998 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1998 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1998 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. The 1998 Wolverines finished the season with a 10–3 record and defeated the...
and Ohio State
1998 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1998 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1998-1999. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
. All three teams had 7-1 conference records and were conference co-champions. Michigan had defeated Wisconsin 27-10 in "The Big House
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
". Wisconsin and Ohio State did not meet. The Rose Bowl tiebreaker formula gave Wisconsin the Rose Bowl berth, since Michigan's overall record was the worst of the three (having lost to and Notre Dame to start the season), and Ohio State had been in the 1997 Rose Bowl
1997 Rose Bowl
The 1997 Rose Bowl Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific-10 Conference and the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference, held on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game resulted in a dramatic 20–17...
previously, whereas Wisconsin had been in the 1994 Rose Bowl
1994 Rose Bowl
The 1994 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1994. It was the 80th Rose Bowl Game. The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the 21-16...
previously (in the event of a tie for first place, the Big Ten final tiebreaker awards the Rose Bowl berth to the team which has gone longest period of time without an invitation). The circumstances of this selection and the fact that UCLA had so recently fallen from the lofty #2 in the nation status led many to deride and seriously underestimate the Badgers; most notably, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
analyst Craig James with his infamous declaration that Wisconsin was "the worst team to ever play in the Rose Bowl, though quarterback Mike Samuel is the most underrated QB in college football".
Game summary
The weather was sunny and 74 degrees. Several Rose Bowl records were equaled or broken. The UCLA Bruins set the single team Rose Bowl record for total yards. In his final college game, Cade McNownCade McNown
Cade B. McNown is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League...
, the UCLA quarterback, passed for 340 yards, the fourth-highest total in bowl history, and UCLA finished with 538 yards, 418 in the air.
Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne is a former American football running back who is currently a free agent. He holds the NCAA record for career rushing yards, and he won the 1999 Heisman Trophy.-Early life:...
tied the modern Rose Bowl record of four touchdowns along with Eric Ball from the 1986 Rose Bowl
1986 Rose Bowl
The 1986 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1986. It was the 72nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 45-28. UCLA tailback Eric Ball was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. He ran for a Rose Bowl record four touchdowns.-Iowa Hawkeyes:Iowa...
and Sam Cunningham
Sam Cunningham
Samuel Lewis "Sam" Cunningham, Jr is a retired American football fullback. The media referred to him as Sam "Bam" Cunningham.-College career:...
from the 1973 Rose Bowl
1973 Rose Bowl
The 1973 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1973. It was the 59th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-17. USC running back Sam "Bam" Cunningham scored four touchdowns and was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game...
. The teams would break an older record of 931 combined yards of offense, combining for 1,035 total yards.
In the second quarter, UCLA took its only lead of the game (21-14) with back-to-back touchdowns.
First quarter
- Wisconsin - Ron Dayne, 54-yard run. Matt Davenport converts.
- UCLA - Jermaine Lewis, 38-yard pass from Cade McNown. Chris Sailer converts.
Second quarter
- Wisconsin - Dayne, seven-yard run. Davenport converts.
- UCLA - Durell PriceDurell PriceDurell Price was a football player for the UCLA Bruins and Sylmar High School Spartans between 1993 and 1999. Despite being highly regarded out of college, he was never drafted and did not make it to the NFL except for a short stint with the San Diego Chargers in 2000.-High school:Durell was a...
, 61-yard pass from Freddie Mitchell. Sailer converts. - UCLA - Danny Farmer, 41-yard pass from McNown. Sailer converts.
- Wisconsin - Dayne, 10-yard run. Davenport converts.
- Wisconsin - Davenport, 40-yard field goal.
Third quarter
- Wisconsin - Dayne, 22-yard run. Davenport converts.
- UCLA - Lewis, 10-yard run. Sailer converts.
Fourth quarter
- Wisconsin - Jamar Fletcher, 46-yard interception return. Davenport converts.
- UCLA - Sailer, 30-yard field goal
Rose Bowl records
Eight Rose Bowl records were set or tied in the game.With his four touchdowns, Ron Dayne tied three modern Rose Bowl touchdown records: most touchdowns, most rushing touchdowns and most career rushing touchdowns. With 24 points, he also tied most points in game and career. These records are shared along with Eric Ball from the 1986 Rose Bowl
1986 Rose Bowl
The 1986 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1986. It was the 72nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 45-28. UCLA tailback Eric Ball was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. He ran for a Rose Bowl record four touchdowns.-Iowa Hawkeyes:Iowa...
and Sam Cunningham
Sam Cunningham
Samuel Lewis "Sam" Cunningham, Jr is a retired American football fullback. The media referred to him as Sam "Bam" Cunningham.-College career:...
from the 1973 Rose Bowl
1973 Rose Bowl
The 1973 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1973. It was the 59th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-17. USC running back Sam "Bam" Cunningham scored four touchdowns and was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game...
. Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
would also join this group following the 2006 Rose Bowl
2006 Rose Bowl
The 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series...
, and the records still stand as of the 2008 Rose Bowl
2008 Rose Bowl
The 2008 Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, the 94th Rose Bowl Game, played on January 1, 2008 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, was a college football bowl game. The contest was televised on ABC, the 20th straight year the network aired the Rose Bowl, starting at 4:30pm EST...
. Dayne was named the Rose Bowl MVP for 1999 and would repeat this feat in the 2000 Rose Bowl
2000 Rose Bowl
The 2000 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2000. It was the 86th Rose Bowl game and was played on January 1, 2000 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. The game featured the Wisconsin Badgers defeating the Stanford Cardinal by a score of 17-9...
, becoming one of only three (now, four) players to ever repeat as a Rose Bowl MVP (and the only player from 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...
).
For the teams, the following records were broken, but no longer stand.
- Total offense: UCLA, 538 yards (old record: 519 by Southern California vs. Ohio State in the 1980 Rose Bowl1980 Rose BowlThe 1980 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1980. It was the 66th Rose Bowl Game.The USC Trojans, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes, champions of the Big Ten Conference, 17-16...
, surpassed by 574 yards for USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl2006 Rose BowlThe 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series...
). - Total offense, two teams: UCLA and Wisconsin, 1,035 yards (old record: 931 yards by Oregon and Penn State in the 1995 Rose Bowl1995 Rose BowlThe 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...
and Southern California and Ohio State in the 1980 Rose Bowl1980 Rose BowlThe 1980 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1980. It was the 66th Rose Bowl Game.The USC Trojans, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes, champions of the Big Ten Conference, 17-16...
, surpassed by USC and Texas with 1,130 yards in the 2006 Rose Bowl2006 Rose BowlThe 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series...
). - Most yards per play: 7.6, Wisconsin (old record: 7.5 by Iowa vs. California in the 1959 Rose Bowl1959 Rose BowlThe 1959 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1959. It was the 45th Rose Bowl Game. The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the , 38–12. Bob Jeter, Iowa's star halfback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game...
, surpassed by Miami at 7.74 in the 2002 Rose Bowl2002 Rose BowlThe 2002 Rose Bowl, played on January 3, 2002, was a college football bowl game. It was the 88th Rose Bowl game and was the BCS National Championship Game of the 2001 college football season...
). - Most points in one half, two teams (tie): 45; Wisconsin 24, UCLA 21 (ties Southern California 35, Ohio State 10 in the 1973 Rose Bowl1973 Rose BowlThe 1973 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1973. It was the 59th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-17. USC running back Sam "Bam" Cunningham scored four touchdowns and was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game...
, surpassed by USC and Texas with 53 points in the second half of the 2006 Rose Bowl2006 Rose BowlThe 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series...
).
Wisconsin travel budget audit
The University paid for a traveling party of 832 people. This included the football team, marching band, university officials, their spouses, cheerleaders, and three Bucky mascots. A large number stayed at the Beverly Hills HotelBeverly Hills Hotel
The Beverly Hills Hotel is a hotel on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California. It was opened on May 12, 1912 by Margaret J. Anderson and her son, Stanley S. Anderson, who had been managing the Hollywood Hotel. The original main building of The Beverly Hills Hotel was designed by Pasadena...
. In a review by the Wisconsin State Joint Legislative Audit Committee in 1999, the committee found that the University of Wisconsin spent $2,093,500 on the trip, versus a post season revenue share of $1,806,800. Subsequent reviews found a number of areas where expenses could have been reduced substantially.