1965 UCLA Bruins football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1965 UCLA Bruins football Athletic Association of Western Universities AAWU 5 4 8–2–1 4–0 Tommy Prothro 1st Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum AAWU championRose Bowl champion Rose Bowl W 14–12 vs. Michigan State The 1965 UCLA Bruins football team represented University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 1965 NCAA University Division football season. The team was led by first-year head coach Tommy Prothro, who succeeded William F. Barnes,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VbZQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_eIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5762%2C4720761 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Barnes quits before UCLA has chance to fire him December 21, 1964 1Dhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3ThWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9OgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7493%2C3329073 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Tom Prothro joins Bruins January 12, 1965 12https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HmkzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZTIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=6906%2C784131 Lodi News-Sentinel California UPI Prothro selected by UCLA as head football coach January 12, 1965 8https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=4pF9x-cDGsoC&dat=19650112&printsec=frontpage&hl=en Eugene Register-Guard Oregon AP, UPI reports Prothro leaving Oregon State for UCLA coaching job January 12, 1965 3B Under sophomore quarterback Gary Beban, the team finished the regular season with a 8–2–1 record and the AAWU (Pac-8) conference championship.2013 UCLA Football Media Guide https://web.archive.org/web/20140421051111/http://www.uclabruins.com/fls/30500/pdf/FB_HistoryI_13.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=30500 April 21, 2014 , UCLA, 2013 In the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, UCLA upset top-ranked and undefeated Michigan State,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xa1WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4egDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6467%2C767838 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Myers Bob UCLA Bruins drop 'Beban bomb' January 2, 1966 1, sportshttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yalVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_uADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4299%2C121990 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Uhrhammer Jerry UCLA beats Spartans (and the experts), 14-12 January 2, 1966 1B who had beaten them in the season opener in September.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tzpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TekDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2942%2C1521549 Spokesman-review Spokane, Washington Associated Press MSU continues hex on Bruins September 19, 1965 5, sports The Bruins finished at 8–2–1, were fourth in the final AP Poll, and outscored their opponents 257 to 168. Hired in January, Prothro was previously the head coach at Oregon State for ten seasons and a former UCLA assistant. The Bruins lost their season opening game 13–3 at Michigan State, who then rose to become a top-ranked team in the country. The unheralded Bruins went on a seven-game undefeated streak, surprising eastern national powers like Penn State and Syracuse.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PQsrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OZoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4055%2C1142368 reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI UCLA edges Penn State in 24-22 grid battle October 3, 1965 55https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=29UjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M-MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3868%2C1572205 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press UCLA, 24-14 October 10, 1965 3B Ranked seventh entering the rivalry game with #6 USC on November 20, with the conference championship and a Rose Bowl berth on the line. The Trojans, with Heisman Trophy winner Mike Garrett, led 16–6 until UCLA got a touchdown on a pass from Gary Beban to Dick Witcher with four minutes to play. After the two-point conversion made it 16–14, UCLA recovered an onside kick. Beban then hit Kurt Altenberg on a fifty-yard bomb and the Bruins prevailed, 20–16.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xf9VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HuMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6338%2C4236558 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon AP, UPI reports Beban's arm gives Prothro another Rose Bowl chance November 21, 1965 3B Two weeks later, integrated #5 UCLA then faced all-white #7 Tennessee in the newly-built Liberty Bowl stadium in Memphis, Prothro's native city. On the last play of the game, Tennessee defensive back Bob Petrella intercepted a UCLA pass to save a 37–34 Volunteer win.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YfxVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SuMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5725%2C841017 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Tennessee upsets Pasadena-bound Bruins, 37–34 December 5, 1965 1B Tennessee's winning drive was aided by a controversial pass interference call, the clock had questionably stopped twice, and a dropped pass that appeared to be a lateral was recovered by UCLA but was later ruled an incomplete forward pass. After the game, Prothro stated, "For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be a Southerner." Schedule 1965 AP Pacific September 18 l y y Michigan State Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI 3–13 51,279 October 2 w y y Penn State Beaver Stadium University Park, PA 24–22 46,345 UCLA stops Penn State's late rush Chicago Tribune October 3, 1965 176452461 October 9 w y Syracuse Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 24–14 27,729 Wolf Al Bruins' explosive start surprises Syracuse, 24–14 The Los Angeles Times October 10, 1965 155278674 October 16 t y y Missouri Memorial Stadium Columbia, MO 14–14 47,000 Wolf Al Bruins foiled, 14–14, by long Missouri runs The Los Angeles Times October 17, 1965 155307978 October 23 w California Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA rivalry 56–3 39,542 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6dUjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M-MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4447%2C4313108 The Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press UCLA whips California, 56–3 October 24, 1965 2B October 30 w y y Air Force Falcon Stadium Colorado Springs, CO 10–0 28,234 UCLA fumbles eight times but shuts out Air Force, 10–0 The Washington Post October 31, 1965 142380113 November 6 w 8 Washington Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 28–24 46,084 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=t_9VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HuMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3682%2C1099786 The Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press UCLA, 28–24 November 7, 1965 2B November 13 w y 7 Stanford Stanford Stadium Stanfor, CA 30–13 20,500 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vv9VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HuMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4750%2C2708616 The Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press UCLA, 30–13 November 14, 1965 2B November 20 w y 7 USC 6 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA Victory Bell 20–16 94,085 December 4 l y y 5 Tennessee 7 Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN 34–37 44,495 Zimmerman P. Bruins stay ib road to Rose Bowl The Los Angeles Times November 14, 1965 155329968 January 1, 1966, 1966 w y y 5 Michigan State 1 Rose Bowl Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 14–12 100,087   Schedule/Results (1965 UCLA) https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/250864 National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA Statistics January 24, 2026 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 Game summaries USC UCLA 6 0 0 14 USC 0 7 0 9 Michigan State (Rose Bowl) #5 UCLA 0 14 0 0 #1 Michigan State 0 0 0 12 The fifth-ranked Bruins went to the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day as a 14½-point underdog in a rematch with undefeated and #1 ranked powerhouse Michigan State. UCLA, now dubbed "The Miracle Bruins" by Sports Illustrated, vanquished the heavily-favored Spartans 14–12. That victory gave UCLA an 8–2–1 mark, prevented the Spartans from winning the AP title, and resulted in Prothro earning Coach of the Year accolades from his coaching colleagues. UCLA finished fourth, and due to their small size, earned the moniker "Gutty little Bruins."September 2018September 2018 1st quarter scoring: No scoring 2nd quarter scoring: UCLA – Gary Beban 1-yard run (Kurt Zimmerman kick); UCLA – Beban 1-yard run (Zimmerman kick) 3rd quarter scoring: No scoring 4th quarter scoring: MSU – Bob Apisa 38-yard run (Jimmy Raye pass fail); MSU – Juday 1-yard run (Apisa run fail) Statistics Team stats UCLA Michigan St. First downs 10 13 Net Yards Rushing 65 204 Net Yards Passing 147 110 Total Yards 212 314 PC–PA–Int. 8–20–0 8–22–3 Punts–Avg. 11–39.9 5–42.4 Fumbles–Lost 3–2 3–2 Penalties–Yards 9–86 1–14 Awards and honors All-Coast/Conference First Team: Kurt Altenberg (E), Russ Banducci (T), Gary Beban (QB), Jim Colletto (E), Mel Farr (H), John Richardson (G), Bob Stiles (H)1975 UCLA Media Guide, UCLA Athletic News Bureau, 1975 References UCLA Category:UCLA Bruins football seasons Category:Pac-12 Conference football champion seasons Category:Rose Bowl champion seasons UCLA Bruins football UCLA Bruins football