1924 Rose Bowl

1924 Rose Bowl
10th Rose Bowl Game
The cover to the 1924 Rose Bowl program
Washington Huskies Navy Midshipmen (8–1) (5–1–2) PCC Independent 14 14 Head coach:  Enoch Bagshaw Head coach:  Bob Folwell
1 2 3 4 Total Washington 0 7 0 7 14 Navy 0 14 0 0 14
Date	January 1, 1924
Season	1923
Stadium	Rose Bowl Stadium
Location	Pasadena, California
Player of the Game	Ira McKee (Navy QB)
National anthem	Navy Band
Attendance	40,000[A 1]
Rose Bowl  < 1923  1925 >

The 1924 Rose Bowl was a postseason American college football bowl game played between the independent Navy Midshipmen and the Washington Huskies, a member of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC). The game took place on January 1, 1924, at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California, closing the 1923 college football season. The game opened in front of approximately 40,000 people and ended in a 14–14 tie. It was the first post-season bowl game for both teams. The 1924 game was the tenth edition of the Rose Bowl, which had first been played in 1902. Following the inaugural game's blowout score, football was replaced with chariot races until 1916. The Rose Bowl stadium had been constructed in 1923, making this edition the second game played in the arena.

The game's organizers had previously selected a team from the East Coast and the West Coast, and asked the Washington Huskies to represent the West Coast. Washington requested that the Navy Midshipmen be their opponents, and Navy accepted. Washington selected Navy in favor of several teams from the east which had amassed better records. Both teams had suffered only a single loss during the season, but Washington had won eight games compared with Navy's five, although Navy had also amassed two ties. Predictions gave Washington a slight advantage in the game due to the weight difference between the teams: the Washington players were on average 10 pounds (4.5 kg) heavier than those of Navy.

The game kicked off in the afternoon; heavy rain showers had fallen the day before, causing a slight delay. The first quarter was scoreless, but Navy scored a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. Washington answered Navy with a 23-yard touchdown run on the next drive. Near the end of the second quarter, Navy scored a touchdown on a two-yard run, giving them a 14–7 halftime lead. The third quarter was a defensive stalemate as neither team scored. Navy fumbled the ball on their own ten-yard line late in the quarter. Four plays afterward, Washington tied the game on a 12-yard touchdown pass. Navy threw an interception at midfield, and Washington drove down to the Navy 20-yard line before attempting a game-winning field goal. The kick missed and the game ended shortly afterwards.

For his performance in the game, Navy quarterback Ira McKee was named the Most Valuable Player. Navy led in nearly every statistical aspect of the contest. Washington returned to the Rose Bowl at the end of the 1925 season, falling to the Alabama Crimson Tide 20–19. Navy did not participate in another bowl game until 1955, when their squad, nicknamed the "team named desire", upset the Ole Miss Rebels in the Sugar Bowl. Since the 1924 Rose Bowl, Navy and Washington have met five more times; the Huskies won three games.

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