1966 Rose Bowl

The 1966 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1966 was the 52nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans by a score of 14–12. UCLA defensive back Bob Stiles was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game.^[1]

Teams

Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State was undefeated and ranked #1 in the nation. Their key victory was a 32–7 win over Ohio State that ultimately decided the Big Ten Conference title as the Spartans finished one game ahead of the Buckeyes. The Spartans featured Bubba Smith and George Webster.

UCLA Bruins

UCLA lost the season opener at Michigan State 13–3, upset highly regarded Syracuse and Penn State, tied at Missouri 14–14, then won four straight. Going into the 1965 UCLA–USC rivalry football game ranked #7, the conference championship and 1966 Rose Bowl were on the line. #6-ranked USC, led by 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 2-point conversion made it 16–14, UCLA recovered an onside kick. Beban then hit Kurt Altenberg on a 50-yard bomb and UCLA won, 20–16.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray did not like the Bruins chances.^[6]

UCLA then faced Tennessee in the newly built Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, Prothro's native city. On the last play of a wild game, Tennessee defensive back Bob Petrella intercepted a UCLA pass to save a Volunteer win by a score of 37–34. Coach Prothro, was uncharacteristically upset. He criticized a pass interference call, a phantom holding call on end Byron Nelson that nullified a key UCLA play, claimed that the clock had been wrongly stopped twice on Tennessee's winning drive, and said that a dropped pass was a lateral and a fumble. He stated, "For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be a Southerner."^[7]

The 1965 team was nicknamed the "Gutty little Bruins" as the defensive line was small with John Richardson at 225 pounds, Steve Butler at 220, and 200-pound defensive tackles Al Claman and Terry Donahue.^[8]

Game summary

The weather was sunny and 65 degrees. Michigan State was a two touchdown favorite and the consensus #1 ranked team, but the undersized Bruins held their own through a scoreless first quarter – even after future Heisman and Maxwell trophy winner Gary Beban from Redwood City, California ran 70 yards on the Bruins first play from scrimage on a head fake quarterback off guard run reminiscent of an old single wing tailback off tackle play – which Beban ran 2 years before at Sequoia High School where he was an All America candidate where he once spoke of wanting to playing for Notre Dame but was disappointed that he didn't get a scholarship.

In the second quarter, UCLA recovered a muffed punt inside the Michigan State 5-yard line. Quarterback Gary Beban eventually took it in from one yard out to give the Bruins a surprising lead over the stunned Spartans. Then UCLA coach Tommy Prothro went into his bag of tricks and called for an onside kick. Kicker Kurt Zimmerman executed it perfecty and Dallas Grider fell on the ball. Beban then threaded a pass between three Spartan defenders to Kurt Altenberg, who made a great catch that put UCLA on the 1-yard line. Beban then scored on a short run to make it 14–0. UCLA's undersized defense continued to play well, but the larger Spartans were beginning to wear them down and began picking up bigger and bigger chunks of yardage on the ground. Midway through the 4th quarter, Michigan State finally broke through for a touchdown, but failed on the try for a 2-point conversion and UCLA led 14–6. Michigan State got the ball back and began to march down field in the waning moments. With under a minute to play the Spartans scored again, and trailing 14–12, lined up for a two-point conversion attempt. They pitched out to their large Samoan fullback Bob Apisa, and as he turned the corner, it appeared he would fall into the end zone to tie the game. But UCLA defensive back Bob Stiles ran full speed and threw himself into Apisa. Although Apisa knocked Stiles unconscious, Stiles' sacrifice kept Apisa out of the end zone.^[9]^[10]^[11]

Scoring

Second quarter

UCLA – Gary Beban, 1-yard run. Kurt Zimmerman converts.
UCLA – Beban, 1-yard run. Zimmerman converts.

Fourth quarter

MSU – Bob Apisa, 38-yard run. Jimmy Raye's pass failed.
MSU – Juday, 1-yard run. Apisa run failed.

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

Aftermath

Back in 1966, the final UPI Coaches' poll was taken before the bowl games so Michigan State retained its #1 ranking in the UPI. The AP would take an official post-bowl vote for the first ever following the 1965 season. Alabama, ranked #4 and led by quarterback Steve Sloan and with a record of 8–1–1, handed undefeated and #3 ranked Nebraska a 39–28 loss in the Orange Bowl; the Crimson Tide was subsequently voted #1 in the AP with Michigan State falling to #2. UCLA ended up ranked #4 AP, #5 UPI.

In a 1995 vote of the greatest moments in Los Angeles sports history, Bob Stiles' stop of Bob Apisa on the goal line ranked #26. The defeat of USC in the UCLA–USC rivalry game to get to the Rose Bowl ranked #35.^[12]

Prothro would never be able to bring the Bruins to the Rose Bowl again. In 1966, the USC Trojans were voted in ahead of the Bruins despite UCLA's 14–7 win over USC. In the 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game, a spectacular run by O.J. Simpson would give USC the bid and the National Championship. In the 1969 USC–UCLA football game, a battle of undefeated teams, USC would again prevail, 14–12.

Kurt Altenberg died in 2005.^[13] The team was honored as co-captains at the UCLA vs. Cal game on October 31, 2015 as part of the 50th anniversary celebration.

Game facts

Future UCLA head coach Terry Donahue was a 195-pound defensive lineman for UCLA.
Dallas Grider, who recovered the 2nd quarter onside kick that led to UCLA's second touchdown in the Rose Bowl, also recovered the onside kick in the UCLA–USC game that led to the Bruins' winning touchdown.
Tommy Prothro became the first coach to take two different schools to the Rose Bowl, and he did it in successive seasons. Prothro guided Oregon State to the 1965 Rose Bowl. It was also Prothro's last Rose Bowl appearance. The AAWU conference voted 7–3 USC (a team 9–1 UCLA had beaten 14–7) in over the Bruins in 1966.
Prothro was a quarterback for Duke University in the 1942 Rose Bowl.
This was UCLA's first Rose Bowl win after five losses. It was Michigan State's first loss after two wins, both over UCLA.
This game began a streak of West Coast dominance in the Rose Bowl as Pac-8/Pac-10 teams would win all but four of the next 22 Rose Bowls, often as the underdog.
Both teams wore their home color uniforms, Michigan State in green jerseys, and UCLA in powder blue jerseys.

Bibliography

UCLA Football Media Guide (PDF Copy available at www.uclabruins.com)
Football's Bowl Week. Sports Illustrated, January 10, 1966 Volume 24, Issue 2

References

↑ 2008 Rose Bowl Program, 2008 Rose Bowl. Accessed January 26, 2008.
↑ UCLA Athletics: 1964-1965 UCLA.edu
↑ Lonnie White. Grider made big plays for Bruins - Los Angeles Times. November 28, 2007. Linebacker (Dallas Grider) came up with a big hit and recovery of onside kick to help UCLA rally in 1965
↑ Wolf, Al - Altenberg Was 'Decoy' on Winning TD Pass. Los Angeles Times, November 21, 1965. One of the new plays UCLA put in for Saturday's Rose Bowl decider with USC was a pass in which Mel Farr was the intended receiver and Kurt Altenberg a deep decoy and secondary target.
↑ Zimmerman, Paul - BEBAN PULLS THE TRIGGER, AND PRESTO!... ...Prothro's in the Rose Bowl Again It's Bombs Away! Bruins Win, 20-16. Los Angeles Times, November 21, 1965. Like a badly mauled fighter getting up off the floor, UCLA's fantastic football team came from behind to defeat USC 20 to 16 before 94,085 unbelieving fans at Memorial Coliseum Saturday.
↑ Murray, Jim - Roses... and Thorns. Los Angeles Times, November 21, 1965 A terrible thing happened to the UCLA Bruins in the Coliseum Saturday afternoon. They won the right to go to the Rose Bowl—an invitation to bleed. Shows you what trouble a couple of simple mistakes can get you.
↑ John Shearer - Memories: 1965 UT Football Team, Coach Bill Majors. The Chattanoogan, December 5, 2005
↑ Stewart, Larry - For Pete’s Sake, Don’t Paint Town Cardinal. Los Angeles Times, September 20, 2003.
↑ Al Wolf – Bruin Crowd Brimming With Joy...It's 'Everybody's Win'. Los Angeles Times – Los Angeles, California. January 2, 1966
↑ Larry Sharkey; Ben Olender; Joe Kennedy – Bruins Perform Surgery on Spartans' Line. Los Angeles Times – Los Angeles, California. January 2, 1966
↑ Bruins Won It Easily. Los Angeles Times – Los Angeles, California. January 2, 1966
↑ L.A.'s greatest moments 100 greatest #26 1966: Heavy underdog UCLA outlasts Michigan State in the Rose Bowl, 14–12, as 175-pound Bruin defensive back Bob Stiles stops 212-pound MSU fullback Bob Apisa on the goal line on a last-minute two-point conversion try. #35 1965: Bruin sophomore Gary Beban heaves fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Dick Witcher and Kurt Altenberg to stun USC and Heisman Trophy winner Mike Garrett, 20–16.
↑ White, Lonnie – Kurt Altenberg, 61; Ex-Bruin’s Touchdown Beat USC in 1965. Los Angeles Times, April 5, 2005

Rose Bowl Game

History Rose Bowl Stadium College Football Playoff Broadcasters Tie-Ins Big Ten Conference Pac-12 Conference

Games	1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Notes	No Rose Bowl Games were held from 1903 to 1915 The 1942 game was played at Duke Stadium in Durham, NC after Pearl Harbor attacks Bolded years indicate the game was also the BCS National Championship Game

Michigan State Spartans bowl games

UCLA Bruins bowl games

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