1966 UCLA Bruins football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1966 UCLA Bruins football Athletic Association of Western Universities AAWU 5 5 9–1 3–1 Tommy Prothro 2nd Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The 1966 UCLA Bruins football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU/Pac-8) during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. In their second year under head coach Tommy Prothro, the Bruins compiled a 9–1 record (3–1 AAWU, second), and were ranked fifth in the final AP Poll.1966 UCLA Bruins Schedule and Results Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football December 17, 2015 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/ucla/1966-schedule.html UCLA's offensive leaders in 1966 were quarterback Gary Beban with 1,245 passing yards, running back Mel Farr with 809 rushing yards, and Harold Busby with 474 receiving yards.1966 UCLA Bruins Stats Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football December 17, 2015 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/ucla/1966.html Heading into the final game of the regular season against rival USC, UCLA was 2–1 in conference, 8–1 overall, and ranked fifth in the country. Featuring a "dream backfield" of All-Americans Beban and Farr, the Bruins lost only one game, at Washington in rainy Seattle,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VatVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6892%2C975173 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Huskies jar UCLA, 16-3 November 6, 1966 5B where Huskies' head coach Jim Owens had devoted his entire season to beating Prothro. UCLA had beaten UW the season before, 28–24, with Prothro's trick play, the Z-streak in which a receiver trots towards the sideline like he's going out of the game and then runs a streak pattern unguarded by the inattentive defender. USC was 4–0 in conference and 7–1 overall, upset on the road by the unranked Miami Hurricanes in late October. The Bruins and Trojans played a different number of conference games due to uneven scheduling caused by the newer AAWU members and schedules made years in advance (neither played Oregon or Washington State; USC shut out Oregon State). It was widely assumed that only losses would be considered and the winner of the UCLA-USC game would earn the Rose Bowl berth. Beban broke his ankle the week before in the 10–0 home win over Stanford,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XKtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5531%2C2644166 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Bruins keep Rose Bowl visions dancing November 13, 1966 3Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XqtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3828%2C3242104 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Trojans prefer 'strong' Bruins November 15, 1966 3B but backup Norman Dow, making his only start at quarterback, led UCLA to a 14–7 win over the Trojans.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Y6tVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6904%2C4220472 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press UCLA scrambles Rose race with 14-7 upset over USC November 20, 1966 5BJohn Hall – BRUINS DO IT AGAIN! AWAIT BOWL BID: Dow's Heroics Spill Trojans in 14-7 Upset. Los Angeles Times, November 20, 1966John Hall – Bruins Hope to Celebrate Bowl Bid. Los Angeles Times, November 21, 1966 That left USC with a 4–1 conference record (7–2 overall) and #5 UCLA with a 3–1 conference record (9–1) overall. Due to their win over USC, it was widely assumed UCLA would get the Rose Bowl berth. However, a vote the next Monday among the AAWU conference athletic directors awarded USC the Rose Bowl berth.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZKtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6503%2C4693459 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon AP, UPI reports Pac-8 sticks with champ, votes SC into Rose Bowl November 21, 1966 1Chttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WsxYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AekDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6835%2C2252312 Spokesman-review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Trojans voted Rose Bowl berth; Notre Dame upset's next target November 22, 1966 12https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Rv5XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1226%2C1106497 The Bulletin Bend, Oregon UPI PAC selects Trojans to represent west November 22, 1966 8 It was speculated that the directors believed Beban could not play for UCLA in the Rose Bowl due to the broken ankle, thereby giving the Big Ten Conference representative, Purdue, a better chance to win. As it turned out, Beban could have played, but a bigger reason was that this was to make up for 1964 when Oregon State was voted in ahead of USC; the head coach of Oregon State that year was Prothro. Another speculation was the vote was against UCLA out of pure jealousy by the rest of the conference, which voted 7–1 for the clearly inferior team. This vote deprived Prothro of being the first head coach to earn three consecutive Rose Bowl berths and UCLA athletic director J. D. Morgan called it a "gross injustice" and the "a dark day in UCLA and AAWU athletic history." Inflamed UCLA students who had gathered for the Rose Bowl celebration rally, took to the streets of Westwood in protest and actually blocked the 405 Freeway for a short time.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZatVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5467%2C4821576 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon UPI Bruins unruly after SC parade November 22, 1966 2B Ironically, Morgan was the force behind establishing a tie-breaking method adopted by the conference one year later in which only loss column counted; the first tiebreaker was head-to-head results, followed by overall record. If there was still a tie, the Rose Bowl berth would go to the team that had not played in the Rose Bowl the longest. But it was too late for UCLA. In their final regular season game the next week, USC made the AAWU decision look bad by getting routed 51–0 at home in the L.A. Coliseum by #1 Notre Dame;https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aqtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5407%2C5830184 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Irish rout Troy November 27, 1966 1B they lost 14–13 to #7 Purdue in the Rose Bowl on January 2 and finished at 7–4.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v8ZaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lWwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7144%2C604121 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press Gambling Trojans lose Rose Bowl, 14-13 January 3, 1967 18https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BqpVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6497%2C581670 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon O'Reilly Frank Associated Press Trojans spurn tie for win, but two-point try fails January 3, 1967 1Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=af5XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1150%2C3978089 The Bulletin Bend, Oregon UPI Bears says Tide great January 3, 1967 6 Schedule 1966 AP Pacific September 17 w y 4 Pittsburgh Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 57–14 35,692 https://www.newspapers.com/article/albuquerque-journal-beban-farr-pace-bru/184099022/ Albuquerque Journal Beban, Farr pace Bruins past Pitt September 18, 1966 November 3, 2025 Newspapers.comU. C. L. A. JARS PITT BEHIND FARR, BEBAN https://www.proquest.com/docview/179028898 Chicago Tribune 18 September 1966 179028898 September 24 w y y 2 Syracuse Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY 31–12 35,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-billings-gazette-ucla-edges-syracuse/184171202/ The Billings Gazette UCLA edges Syracuse, 13–12 September 25, 1966 November 3, 2025 Newspapers.comWolf Al BRUINS' B-B ATTACK ROUTS SYRACUSE https://www.proquest.com/docview/155532195 Los Angeles Times 25 September 1966 155532195 October 1 w y 2 Missouri Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 24–15 32,649 Becker Bill MISSOURI BEATEN FIRST TIME, 24-15 https://www.proquest.com/docview/117391042 New York Times 2 October 1966 117391042 October 8 w y y 2 Rice Rice Stadium Houston, TX 27–24 33,000 U.C.L.A. RALLIES TO TOP RICE, 27-24 https://www.proquest.com/docview/117349869 New York Times 9 October 1966 117349869 October 15 w y 4 Penn State Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 49–11 41,105 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-press-ucla-crushes-lions/184167903/ The Pittsburgh Press UCLA crushes Lions October 16, 1966 November 3, 2025 Newspapers.com October 22 w y 3 California California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA rivalry 28–15 54,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-herald-ucla-tops-tough-cal/184274964/ Sunday Times-Herald UCLA tops tough Cal October 23, 1966 November 3, 2025 Newspapers.com October 29 w y 3 Air Force Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 38–13 34,654 https://www.newspapers.com/article/albuquerque-journal-bruins-outscore-falc/184167328/ Albuquerque Journal Bruins outscore Falcons October 30, 1966 November 3, 2025 Newspapers.comHall J. Bruins start slow, then roll, 38-13 https://www.proquest.com/docview/155563550 Los Angeles Times 30 October 1966 155563550 November 5 l y 3 Washington Husky Stadium Seattle, WA 3–16 55,536 November 12 w 8 Stanford Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 10–0 45,290 Hall J. BEBAN BREAKS ANKLE, OUT OF USC GAME https://www.proquest.com/docview/155615147 Los Angeles Times 13 November 1966 155615147 November 19 w 8 USC 7 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA Victory Bell 14–7 81,980 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-breeze-dow-leads-ucla-to-147/184274542/ The Daily Breeze Dow leads UCLA to 14–7 upset November 20, 1966 November 3, 2025 Newspapers.com 2015 UCLA Bruins Football Media Guide Year-by-Year Results http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/uclabruins.com/documents/2015/8/13/FB_15MG_96_100.pdf December 19, 2016 December 20, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161220211707/http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/uclabruins.com/documents/2015/8/13/FB_15MG_96_100.pdf dead Schedule/Results (1966 UCLA) https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/295856 National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA Statistics November 3, 2025 Roster 1966 UCLA Bruins y 16 Jr Gary Beban QB y Sr Cornell Champion HB Sr Norman Dow QB 22 Sr Mel Farr HB y Rick Purdy FB Steve Stanley FB Sr Terry Donahue DT y Dallas Grider LB y Kurt Zimmerman K Tommy Prothro (2nd year) https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b51RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dWwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4693%2C3174616 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Jordan Jimmy Uclans favored by three TDs; the lineups September 17, 1966 12 References UCLA Category:UCLA Bruins football seasons UCLA Bruins football UCLA Bruins football