1954 Rose Bowl

American college football game December 2025 August 2023 54-UCLA-MichiganState-rosebowl-program.jpg 260px 1954 Rose Bowl 40th Rose Bowl Game 1953 Michigan State Spartans UCLA Bruins University of California, Los Angeles 8–1 Big Ten 9–1 Pacific Coast Biggie Munn Red Sanders 3 3 5 4 0 7 14 7 7 7 0 6 January 1 Rose Bowl Pasadena, California Billy Wells (Michigan State HB) Michigan State by 7 pointshttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3RYNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mmoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4056%2C333904 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press Bolden leads Spartans against UCLA in Rose January 1, 1954 30 UCLA Band and Michigan State Marching Band combined George Rennix (Big Ten;split crew: Big Ten, Pacific Coast) UCLA Band, Michigan State Marching Band 100,500 NBC List of announcers of major college bowl games Mel Allen, Tom Harmon The 1954 Rose Bowl was the 40th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Friday, January 1. The third-ranked Michigan State Spartans of the Big Ten Conference defeated the #5 UCLA Bruins of the Pacific Coast Conference, 28–20.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3hYNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mmoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4475%2C591098 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press MSC's power tops UCLA in Rose Bowl tilt, 28-20 January 2, 1954 10https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xlhOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fQAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5100%2C354207 Toledo Blade Ohio Knack Joe MSC throws away script January 2, 1954 8https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DMkUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4254%2C42780 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon United Press MSC, Oklahoma win bowl battles January 2, 1954 6 Michigan State halfback Billy Wells scored two touchdowns and was named the Player of the Game.2008 Rose Bowl Program https://web.archive.org/web/20080306033551/http://www.bowlprograms.com/rosebowl/?pg=182 March 6, 2008 , 2008 Rose Bowl. Accessed January 26, 2008. This was the first year that Michigan State was counted in the Big Ten football standings, having been a member since 1950. This Rose Bowl had the first color television "colorcast," viewable on 200 sets across the United States.Gould, Jack - Television in Review: NBC Color Tournament of Roses Parade is Sent Over 22-City Network. https://web.archive.org/web/19991013190851/http://www.novia.net/~ereitan/nytimes.html October 13, 1999 New York Times, Monday, January 4, 1954 Teams 1953 college football season Michigan State College Spartans 1953 Michigan State Spartans football team The Michigan State Spartans had joined the Big Ten in 1950, but did not play a full schedule until 1953. They only lost one game, 6–0, at Purdue, which broke a 28-game winning streak, with two national championships. The Spartans were co-champions with Illinois, and the two did not meet this season. However, Illinois had last appeared in the 1952 Rose Bowl. Head coach Biggie Munn announced his retirement before the game. UCLA Bruins 1953 UCLA Bruins football team In the 1952 season, the Bruins lost only once, to rival USC 12–14. Both teams had been undefeated and the Trojans took the Rose Bowl berth. In 1953, the Bruins again lost only one regular season game, 20–21 at Stanford on October 17; Stanford was later defeated by USC on November 7. With the Rose Bowl again on the line for both teams, UCLA defeated USC 13–0 to win the Pacific Coast Conference outright and gain the New Year's Day berth in Pasadena. Game summary 300px This was the first meeting between the two schools. It was the first Rose Bowl appearance for the Spartans; they had previously only played in the 1938 Orange Bowl. It was the third bowl appearance for the Bruins, all in the Rose (1943, 1947). The weather was sunny; the Spartans wore their green home jerseys and the Bruins wore their white road jerseys with the "UCLA Stripe" introduced earlier in the 1953 season. Michigan State fumbled twice in the first half, which allowed the Bruins the first two scores. The Spartans had only one completed pass and 56 yards in the first half; they scored a touchdown with 4:45 remaining in the first half. Victor Postula knocked down four Bruin passes; head coach Biggie Munn instituted a "split-line offense" against the Bruins.Richmond, Jim - Postula family traveled long road to America https://archive.today/20120722013019/http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=20050905&Kategori=LIFESTYLE08&Lopenr=509050303&Ref=AR 2012-07-22 . Battle Creek Enquirer, September 5, 2005 The Spartans assembled two long drives in the third quarter to pull ahead 21–14. The Bruins recovered another Spartan fumble and scored to pull within a point at 21–20, but the extra point kick failed. Billy Wells of Michigan State returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown with 4:51 left in the game. Scoring First quarter UCLA — Bill Stits 13-yard pass from Paul Cameron. John Hermann converts. Second quarter UCLA — Cameron, two-yard run. Hermann converts. MSU — Ellis Duckett, six-yard blocked punt return. Evan Slonac converts. Third quarter MSU — Leroy Bolden, one-yard run. Slonac converts. MSU — Billy Wells, two-yard run. Slonac converts. Fourth quarter UCLA — Rommie Loudd, 28-yard pass from Cameron. Kick failed. MSU — Wells, 62-yard punt return. Slonac converts. Statistics Team stats Mich. St. UCLA First downs 14 16 Net Yards Rushing 195 90 Net Yards Passing 11 152 Total Yards 206 242 PC–PA–Int. 2–10–1 9–24–2 Punts–Avg. 5–35.4 6–38.6 Fumbles–Lost 4–4 4–3 Penalties–Yards 2–15 4–30 Aftermath In the next season, UCLA went undefeated and shared the national championship. It was the first "split" championship in college football, when the writers (AP) selected Ohio State and the coaches (UP) chose UCLA. The Bruins didn't play in the Rose Bowl because of the PCC's no-repeat rule. Billy Wells died in December 2001.Wells remembered for 1954 Rose Bowl. Associated Press. Tuesday, January 1, 2002 Game facts In their first official season in the Big Ten, the Spartans led the league in the number of black players. Michigan State's eight black athletes represented nearly a quarter of all African Americans in the entire conference.Robinson, Will - "Nine of the Big Ten Schools Are Using Negro Football Players," Pittsburgh Courier, October 3, 1953. The Big Ten as a whole carried thirty-three black players in 1953. The team breakdown was: Michigan State-eight, Illinois-seven, Iowa-six, Michigan-four, Indiana-three, Ohio State-two, Minnesota-one, Wisconsin-one, Northwestern-one, and Purdue-zero. UCLA roster Players 22em Bruce Ballard Warner Benjamin Bob Bergdahl Sam Boghosian Doug Bradley Richard Braunbeck Jim Brown Sam Brown Hardiman Cureton Bob Davenport Terry Debay Jim Decker Preston Dills Chuck Doud (co-captain) Jack Ellena John Farhood Rudy Feldman (co-captain) Russ Hampton Johnny Hermann Bob Heydenfeldt Bob Long Rommie Loudd Gerry McDougall Jack McKay Gil Moreno Clarence Norris Gerry Okuneff Steve Palmer Doug Peters Dave Peterson Joe Ray Mike Riskas Jim Salisbury Don Schinnick Tom Thaxter Primo Villanueva Roger White Coaches Red Sanders (head coach) William F. Barnes Deke Brackett George W. Dickerson Johnny Johnson Jim Myers Tommy Prothro References Rose Bowl Category:Rose Bowl Game Category:20th century in Pasadena, California Category:Michigan State Spartans football bowl games Category:UCLA Bruins football bowl games Category:1954 in sports in California Category:January 1954 sports events in the United States