1970 Rose Bowl

The 1970 Rose Bowl was the 56th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Thursday, January 1. The USC Trojans, champions of the Pacific-8 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten Conference, 10–3. USC flanker Bob Chandler scored the only touchdown and was named the Player of the Game.[2][3][4]

1970 Rose Bowl
56th Rose Bowl Game
USC Trojans Michigan Wolverines
(9–0–1) (8–2)
Pac-8 Big Ten
10 3
Head coach: 
John McKay		 Head coach: 
Bo Schembechler
APCoaches
54
APCoaches
78
1234 Total
USC 3070 10
Michigan 0030 3
DateJanuary 1, 1970
Season1969
StadiumRose Bowl
LocationPasadena, California
MVPBob Chandler (FL, USC)
FavoriteMichigan by 4½ points [1]
RefereeRoss Dean (Big Ten)
(split crew: Big Ten, Pac-8)
Attendance103,878
United States TV coverage
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersCurt Gowdy, Kyle Rote

Teams

Michigan
See also: 1969 Michigan Wolverines football team

After early season losses to #9 Missouri and unranked Michigan State, the Wolverines won four straight games before their showdown with heavily-favored and top-ranked Ohio State for the Big Ten championship. Michigan shocked the college football world by upsetting the top-ranked Buckeyes 24–12 to tie for the conference title and receive the Rose Bowl bid.[5][6][7] (Ohio State was ineligible anyway because of the Big Ten's "no repeat" rule, which was rescinded in 1971.)

Just days before the Rose Bowl, first-year head coach Bo Schembechler, age forty, suffered a mild heart attack and had to miss the game;[8] defensive coordinator Jim Young was the acting head coach.[3]

USC
See also: 1969 USC Trojans football team

Aided by a pass interference penalty on fourth down followed by a controversial last-minute touchdown, USC earned the Rose Bowl berth with a 14–12 win over rival UCLA in their regular season finale.[9] The only blemish on their record was a 14–14 tie at Notre Dame in mid-October.[10] The Trojans were making their record fourth consecutive Rose Bowl appearance, as the Pac-8 did not have a "no repeat" rule.

Game summary

The score was tied at 3–3 at halftime. With three minutes to play in the third quarter, USC quarterback Jimmy Jones threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Bob Chandler to give the Trojans a 10–3 lead. A scoreless fourth quarter ensured the USC victory.[2][3][4]

Scoring

First quarter
  • USC - Ron Ayala 25-yard field goal[11]

Second quarter
  • Michigan - Tim Killian, 20-yard field goal

Third quarter
  • USC - Bob Chandler, 33-yard pass from Jimmy Jones (Ron Ayala kick)

Fourth quarter
  • No scoring

Statistics
Statistics    USC    Michigan
First Downs1620
Rushing Yards195162
Passing Yards128127
Passes10–18–014–32–1
Total Yards323289
Punts–Average5–416–36
Fumbles lost00
Turnovers by01
Yards penalized3820
Source:[2][3]

Aftermath

USC finished the year undefeated with one tie, earning a #3 ranking behind undefeated and untied #1 Texas and #2 Penn State. Chandler went on to play for the NFL for 11 years with the Buffalo Bills and the Oakland Raiders. Michigan finished 8–3 and was ranked 9th in the AP poll (released in January) and 8th in the UPI poll (released after the regular season in early December).

References
  1. "Wolverines undefeated in Rose Bowl". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). UPI. January 1, 1970. p. 44.
  2. Stevenson, Jack (January 2, 1970). "'Wild Bunch' produced for Trojans". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. p. 14.
  3. Hannen, John (January 2, 1970). "Trojans jolt Michigan". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 16.
  4. "McKay still runs tailbacks". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. January 2, 1970. p. 8.
  5. Loomis, Tom (November 23, 1969). "Michigan demolishes Ohio State 24 to 12". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. D1.
  6. "Wolverines cry 'We're No. 1' after surprising Buckeyes". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 23, 1969. p. 1B.
  7. Kessler, Kaye; Reed, William F. (December 1, 1969). "Bye-bye, No. 1". Sports Illustrated. p. 20.
  8. "Wolverines miss Bo's leadership". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1970. p. 3B.
  9. "USC drives 68 yards in dying minutes to top UCLA". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 23, 1969. p. 1B.
  10. "Favored Irish, USC tie, 14-14 when kick fails". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 19, 1969. p. 1B.
  11. Historical Media Guide, Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, 2009
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