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1963 Rose Bowl
49th Rose Bowl Game
1 2 3 4 Total
University of Wisconsin–Madison 7 0 7 23 37
University of Southern California 7 14 14 7 42
Date January 1, 1963
Season 1962
Stadium Rose Bowl
Location Pasadena, California
MVP Ron Vander Kelen (Wisconsin QB)
Pete Beathard (USC QB)
National anthem University of Wisconsin Marching Band
Halftime show Spirit of Troy, University of Wisconsin Marching Band
Attendance 98,698
United States TV coverage
Network NBC
Announcers: Mel Allen, Bill Symes
Rose Bowl
 < 1962  1964

The 1963 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1963 at the end of the 1962 college football season. It was the 49th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Wisconsin Badgers, 42–37. This was the first #1 versus #2 match-up to occur in a bowl game,[1] although #1 versus #2 match-ups had occurred previously as regular season games (typically referred to as "Games of the Century"). Ron Vander Kelen, the Wisconsin quarterback and Pete Beathard, the USC quarterback, were both named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game.[2] Down 42–14 in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin quarterback Ron Vander Kelen put together a number of drives to score 23 unanswered points and put the Badgers in position to win the game. Due to the historic #1 versus #2 bowl match-up, the number of Rose Bowl records set, and the furious fourth quarter rally by Wisconsin, this game frequently appears on lists of "greatest bowl games of all time."[3][4]

Teams[]

This was the first bowl game to pair the #1 and #2 teams in the AP Poll, although there had previously been six regular season #1 versus #2 games since the inception of the poll in 1936.[5] This was the second Rose Bowl meeting between USC and Wisconsin (the first being the 1953 Rose Bowl) and the fourth meeting, overall.

Wisconsin Badgers[]

Wisconsin opened the season by defeating New Mexico State and Indiana. On October 13, they defeated Notre Dame 17–8, which would propel them to a #10 ranking. The Badgers then defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 42–15, which left them ranked #5 in the nation. A 14–7 loss to Ohio State the next week dropped Wisconsin out of the polls (dropping out of the top 10, not the top 25 as the polls are currently structured). On November 3, the Badgers won in Michigan Stadium over the Wolverines 34–12. This set up the November 10th homecoming game with the Badgers ranked #8 and the #1 ranked Northwestern Wildcats at Camp Randall. Wisconsin smashed Northwestern 37–6. A win at Illinois set up a #3 Wisconsin versus #5 Minnesota battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe. Minnesota had represented the Big Ten the previous two years in the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin was victorious 14–9, and was awarded the Big Ten Rose Bowl berth. They finished the season ranked #2 in the nation.

USC Trojans[]

After two consecutive losing season in 1960 and 1961, John McKay turned the Trojans around in his third season as head coach. The team opened with a defeat of number 8 ranked Duke. Consecutive wins against SMU, at Iowa, California, and at Illinois got the Trojans ranked higher in the top 10. On November 3, 1962, the Trojans played their biggest game of the season against the Washington Huskies, who were ranked #9. In the homecoming game, the Trojans blanked the Huskies 14–0.[6] With that win, the Trojans were ranked number two behind Northwestern. On November 17, by beating Navy and with Alabama losing to Georgia Tech 7–6, USC ascended to the number one spot in the AP poll. In the UCLA-USC rivalry game, the Bruins led 3–0 until the fourth quarter, when the Trojans scored two touchdowns.[7] In what would be the final game for Notre Dame football coach Joe Kuharich, USC shut out a 5–4 Notre Dame team at the Coliseum.[8] The Trojans finished undefeated and ranked number 1 for the first time since the 1939 USC Trojans team played in the 1940 Rose Bowl.

Game summary[]

File:1963 Rose Bowl Game 3.jpg

UW Marching Band during the pregame festivities

File:1963 Rose Bowl Game.jpg

Lou Holland of the Badgers running around the end

File:1963 Rose Bowl Game 2.jpg

Badgers' Ron Vander Kelen passing ball

USC tackle Marv Marinovich was ejected when he got caught elbowing Steve Underwood, the Wisconsin captain.[9] Wisconsin, under the direction of quarterback Ron Vander Kelen put together an incredible comeback attempt in the fourth quarter. Pete Beathard had completed his fourth TD pass with 14:54 left in the game to put USC up 42–14. Then the Badgers scored 23 unanswered points before time ran out.

Scoring[]

First quarter[]

  • USC touchdown Pete Beathard to Ron Butcher
  • Wisconsin Touchdown 1-yard run by Ralph Kurek fullback

Second quarter[]

  • USC touchdown Ben Wilson run
  • USC touchdown Ron Heller 25-yard run

Third quarter[]

  • USC touchdown Beathard pass to Hal Bedsole (57 yards)
  • Wisconsin touchdown VanderKelen 17-yard run
  • USC touchdown pass by Pete Beathard to Hal Bedsole

Fourth quarter[]

  • USC touchdown pass by Pete Beathard to Fred Hill
  • Wisconsin touchdown Lou Holland (13-yard run)
  • Wisconsin touchdown Gary Kroner (4-yard reception)
  • Wisconsin safety A bad snap on USC punt resulted in a UW safety.
  • Wisconsin touchdown VanderKelen 19-yard pass to Pat Richter for the final 42–37 score

Rose Bowl records set[]

Statistic Total, Team Status
First downs 32, Wisconsin current
Passes attempted 48, Wisconsin[10] broken in 1995[11]
Passes intercepted 3, Wisconsin tied in 1984 - current
Passes completed 33, Wisconsin[10] broken in 1995[11]
Passing yards 401, Wisconsin[10] broken in 1995[11]
Most Plays ??, Wisconsin[11] broken in 1995[11]
Total Offense ??, Wisconsin[11] broken in 1995[11]
Combined points 79, Wisconsin & USC broken in 1991
TD passes 4, USC tied in 1984, 2005 - current
Combined TD passes 6, Wisconsin & USC ???
Penalties 12 for 93 yards, USC ???

Aftermath[]

Eleven Rose Bowl records were set and five still stand as of 2008: most intercepted passes (3 by Ron Vander Kelen), most touchdown passes (4 by USC, and six overall), most first downs by one team (32 by Wisconsin), and most penalties (USC 12 for 93 yards). The Rose Bowl record 79 total points scored in this game stood for nearly thirty years (subsequently broken in the 1991 Rose Bowl).[12] The omitted records stood for more than thirty years were broken by Danny O'Neil of the Oregon Ducks in the 1995 Rose Bowl.

The 1964 Cotton Bowl Classic subsequently became the second #1 versus #2 bowl game, while the 1969 Rose Bowl became the second #1 versus #2 Rose Bowl.

Both of the consenus 1962 All-America ends played in this game. Pat Richter (Wisconsin) and Hal Bedsole (USC) would later be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, in 1996 and 2012, respectively. This was Richter's last college game, while Bedsole was an underclassman.

Three players from this game (Beathard, Vander Kelen, and Richter) have been inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. John McKay has also been inducted as a coach.

References[]

  1. "No. 1 Vs. No. 2". http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1999-01-04/sports/9901040193_1_notre-dame-alabama-sugar-bowl. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  2. 2008 Rose Bowl Program, 2008 Rose Bowl. Accessed January 26, 2008.
  3. "The List: Greatest bowl games". Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080724132053/http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/bestbowls.html. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
  4. "Tuesday Question - Ten Greatest Bowl Games". http://cfn.scout.com/2/564658.html. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  5. "Games Where #1 Faced #2". http://www.kiko13.com/cflrankings/aponevstwo.htm. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
  6. Zimmerman, Paul - EVERYTHING'S ROSY! TROJANS WIN, 14-0. Los Angeles Times, November 4, 1962
  7. Zimmerman, Paul - TROJANS ALMOST TRIP ON WAY TO BOWL. 86,740 See Stubborn Bruins Bow in 4th Quarter, 14-3. Los Angeles Times, November 25, 1962
  8. Zimmerman, Paul - PERFECT ENDING: TROJANS, 25; IRISH, 0. Los Angeles Times, December 2, 1962
  9. Stiegman, Pat - 1963: The greatest Rose Bowl ever. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 23, 1993. ... the Trojans were a few quarts low in the second half, losing several players to injury and tackle Marv Marinovich (yes, father of Los Angeles Raiders QB Todd Marinovich) to ejection when he got caught elbowing Underwood in the skull AFTER a play in the third quarter. "I was walking back to the huddle and BAM, I felt this bump in the back of the head," [Steve] Underwood said. "I turned around here here's Marinovich and the ref standing right there, watching the whole thing. It was so stupid, it was unbelievable."
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 John Underwoord (September 9, 2010). "Vander Kelen". Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1174341/index.htm. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Thomas Bonk (January 3, 1995). "ROSE BOWL: PENN STATE 38, OREGON 20 : This Duck Just Winged It : Oregon's Danny O'Neil Shatters Rose Bowl Passing Records in Loss to Penn State". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1995-01-03/sports/sp-15924_1_rose-bowl-game. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  12. "UW's Rally Falls Short vs. USC in Rose Bowl". http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010163aaa.html. Retrieved January 9, 2010.

External links[]

Bibliography[]

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