1941 Rose Bowl

American college football game August 2023 August 2025 1941 Rose Bowl poster.jpg 180px 1941 Rose Bowl 27th Rose Bowl Game 1940 Nebraska Cornhuskers University of Nebraska Stanford Indians Stanford University 8–1 MVIAA 9–0 PCC Biff Jones Clark Shaughnessy 7 2 7 6 0 0 7 7 7 0 January 1 Rose Bowl Pasadena, California Pete Kmetovic (Stanford HB) Stanford by 7 92,000 The 1941 Rose Bowl was the twenty-seventh edition of the college football bowl game, played on January 1, 1941 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Unbeaten and second-ranked Stanford of the Pacific Coast Conference defeated No. 7 Nebraska of the MVIAA to claim a share of the national championship.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XyFWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CeQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6853%2C342992 Stanford's Team of Destiny turns back Nebraska in Rose Bowl game The Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press January 2, 1941 10https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZS8bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6241%2C176050 Albert's handling crowns Stanford's greatest season Henry McLemore Pittsburgh Press United Press International January 2, 1941 20 It was Nebraska's first bowl game and Stanford's eighth, all in the Rose Bowl, and is the only time the programs have met. The 1941 game was the last edition of the Rose Bowl to feature a team from the MVIAA, Big Eight, or Big 12 until 2002. Teams Nebraska 1940 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team Nebraska entered 8–1 and ranked seventh nationally, its only loss a 13–7 defeat at top-ranked Minnesota.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=inEbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3242%2C959307 'Wear down the enemy, then score' – that's Nebraska's bowl plan Henry Super Pittsburgh Press United Press International December 16, 1940 25 After declining previous bowl invitations, celebrations reportedly lasted for 24 hours Lincoln after the announcement of the school's first postseason appearance. University classes were canceled, and students stormed the Nebraska State Capitol demanding the governor lead a rendition of "Dear Old Nebraska U." The Cornhuskers were led by fourth-year head coach Biff Jones and featured two All-Americans, Warren Alfson and Forrest Behm. Stanford 1940 Stanford Indians football team Stanford was led by first-year head coach Clark Shaughnessy, who brought his revolutionary T formation to Palo Alto, helping the Indians to a 9–0 regular season just a year after finishing 1–7–1.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i3EbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5030%2C1326776 Stanford great gambler...but always makes its point Henry Super Pittsburgh Press United Press International December 17, 1940 31https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XiFWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CeQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6799%2C80121 Stanford coach has confidence The Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press January 1, 1941 11 Shaughnessy's offensive design was filled with fakes and pitchouts, and had quarterback Frankie Albert take snaps directly under center, a rarity at the time. His 1940 team earned the nickname "Wow Boys," a nod to Stanford's "Vow Boys" teams of the mid-1930s. The Indians entered the Rose Bowl ranked second nationally. Game Nebraska received the opening kickoff and marched fifty yards to take a quick 7–0 lead.https://www.huskermax.com/nebraska-state-journal-1941-rose-bowl-nebraska-vs-stanford-football/ Indians overcome N. U. leads with dazzling aerials, runs John Bentley Nebraska State Journal January 2, 1941 August 15, 2025 Albert led a game-tying touchdown drive, after which Stanford forced an NU punt, but Pete Kmetovic fumbled deep in his own territory.https://www.huskermax.com/cy-sherman-column-1941-rose-bowl-nebraska-vs-stanford-football/ Rose Bowl Chatter... Cy Sherman Nebraska State Journal January 2, 1941 August 15, 2025 Nebraska reclaimed the lead on a deep pass to Allen Zikmund. After a missed extra point and a leaping touchdown by Hugh Gallarneau, Stanford led 14–13 at halftime. Trailing by one late in the third quarter, Nebraska stopped Stanford on four consecutive goal-line runs. The Cornhuskers punted on first down from their own one-yard line, which was returned for a winding touchdown by Kmetovic. It made the score 21–13, which stood through the fourth quarter as the final tally. Sportswriter Cy Sherman wrote that while the game was evenly matched on the lines, backfield "wizards" Albert and Kmetovic (named the game's most valuable player) made the difference. Scoring summary Qtr Team Detailhttps://www.huskermax.com/game/1940-stanford-football/ Huskers fall to Stanford in bowl debut HuskerMax August 15, 2025 NU STAN 1 NU Vike Francis 2-yd run (Francis kick) 7 0 STAN Hugh Gallarneau 9-yd run (Frankie Albert kick) 7 7 2 NU Allen Zikmund 33-yd pass from Herm Rohrig (kick blocked) 13 7 STAN Gallarneau 41-yd pass from Albert (Albert kick) 13 14 3 STAN Pete Kmetovic 39-yd punt return (Albert kick) 13 21 Team statistics Official statistics vary slightly between the schools. Statistics shown are from Nebraska's records. Statistic Nebraska Stanford First downs 9 15 Rushing yards 58 202 Comp.–att. Completions–pass attempts–yards 3–15–70 7–15–74 Total offense 128 276 Turnovers 4 4 Aftermath Stanford finished a perfect 10–0 and was named national champion by several selectors, though Minnesota was named champion of the AP poll despite not playing a bowl game. Nebraska head coach Biff Jones, whose only two losses in 1940 were to the Golden Gophers and Indians, was noncommittal when asked which team deserved the title. Shaughnessy's rapid transformation of Stanford's program thrust the T formation, an afterthought since the 1890s, into the national spotlight.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=au0ZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pyIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3339,5268156 Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Rose Bowl Harold Parrott The Milwaukee Journal December 29, 1940 10 Nebraska adopted the formation the following year, with significantly less success than the Indians.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2XMlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wvIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=790,4342481 Clark Shaughnessy, "Father" of Modern T Formation, Dies Friday at 78 in California The Gettysburg Times May 16, 1970 January 21, 2025 It became the most widely used offensive scheme in college football throughout the 1940s and 1950s, leading Shuaghnessy to become known as "the father of the T formation." As the program's first bowl, the game was remembered fondly by Nebraska supporters; Bob Devaney arrived in Lincoln in 1962 and later joked it was years before he learned NU actually lost the 1941 Rose Bowl.https://247sports.com/college/nebraska/Article/mike-babcock-on-the-1941-rose-bowl-54444/ How It Was: The first Rose Bowl Mike Babcock 247Sports December 27, 2011 August 15, 2025 In popular culture This game is described by David Dodge in his 1942 mystery novel Shear the Black Sheep. References External links 1941 Rose Bowl film, Harold Chenoweth Film Collection, Archives & Special Collections, Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library, University of Nebraska Omaha. 1941 Rose Bowl: Nebraska vs Stanford, Newsreel, via YouTube.com, Running time: 8:22. Rose Bowl Category:Rose Bowl Game Category:20th century in Pasadena, California Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football bowl games Category:Stanford Cardinal football bowl games Rose Bowl Category:January 1941 sports events in the United States