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1954 Rose Bowl

American college football game

Field	Value
image	54-UCLA-MichiganState-rosebowl-program.jpg
image_size	260px
year_game_played	1954
game_name	Rose Bowl
subheader	40th Rose Bowl Game
football_season	1953
visitor_name_short	Michigan State
visitor_nickname	Spartans
home_name_short	UCLA
home_nickname	Bruins
home_school	University of California, Los Angeles
visitor_record	8–1
visitor_conference	Big Ten
home_record	9–1
home_conference	Pacific Coast
visitor_coach	Biggie Munn
home_coach	Red Sanders
visitor_rank_AP	3
visitor_rank_coaches	3
home_rank_AP	5
home_rank_coaches	4
visitor_1q	0
visitor_2q	7
visitor_3q	14
visitor_4q	7
home_1q	7
home_2q	7
home_3q	0
home_4q	6
date_game_played	January 1
stadium	Rose Bowl
city	Pasadena, California
MVP	Billy Wells (Michigan State HB)
odds	Michigan State by 7 points
anthem	UCLA Band and Michigan State Marching Band combined
referee	George Rennix (Big Ten;
split crew: Big Ten, Pacific Coast)
halftime	UCLA Band, Michigan State Marching Band
attendance	100,500
us_network	NBC
us_announcers_link	List of announcers of major college bowl games
us_announcers	Mel Allen, Tom Harmon

split crew: Big Ten, Pacific Coast) 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. Michigan State halfback Billy Wells scored two touchdowns and was named the Player of the Game.

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.

Teams

Michigan State College Spartans

Main article: 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

Main article: 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

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.

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.

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.

UCLA roster

Players

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

(January 1, 1954). "Bolden leads Spartans against UCLA in Rose". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
(January 2, 1954). "MSC's power tops UCLA in Rose Bowl tilt, 28-20". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Knack, Joe. (January 2, 1954). "MSC throws away script". Toledo Blade.
(January 2, 1954). "MSC, Oklahoma win bowl battles". Eugene Register-Guard.
link. (March 6, 2008 , [[2008 Rose Bowl]]. Accessed January 26, 2008.)
Gould, Jack - Television in Review: [http://novia.net/~ereitan/nytimes.html NBC Color Tournament of Roses Parade is Sent Over 22-City Network.] {{Webarchive. link. (October 13, 1999 New York Times, Monday, January 4, 1954)
link. (2012-07-22 . Battle Creek Enquirer, September 5, 2005)
[https://www.espn.com/classic/obit/s/2001/1231/1303789.html Wells remembered for 1954 Rose Bowl]. Associated Press. Tuesday, January 1, 2002
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.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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