1963 Rose Bowl

1963 Rose Bowl
49th Rose Bowl Game
National Championship Game
Wisconsin Badgers USC Trojans
(8–1) (10–0)
37 42
Head coach: 
Milt Bruhn		 Head coach: 
John McKay
APCoaches
22
APCoaches
11
1234 Total
Wisconsin 70723 37
USC 714147 42
DateJanuary 1, 1963
Season1962
StadiumRose Bowl
LocationPasadena, California
MVPPete Beathard (USC QB)
Ron Vander Kelen (UW QB)
FavoriteWisconsin by 2 points[1][2]
National anthemUniversity of Wisconsin Marching Band
RefereeJames Cain (AAWU)
(split crew: AAWU, Big Ten)
Halftime showSpirit of Troy, University of Wisconsin Marching Band
Attendance98,698
United States TV coverage
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersMel Allen, Bill Symes
Rose Bowl
 < 1962  1964 > 
College Football Championship Game
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The 1963 Rose Bowl was the 49th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Tuesday, January 1, at the end of the 1962 season. The top-ranked USC Trojans defeated the Wisconsin Badgers, 42–37.[3][4][5] This was the first matchup between the AP Poll No. 1 vs. No. 2 in a bowl game,[6] although such matchups had occurred previously in the regular season (typically referred to as a "Game of the Century"). The game was therefore a de facto national championship game as the winner would receive the FWAA’s Grantland Rice Trophy.[7][8] The quarterbacks, Ron Vander Kelen of Wisconsin and Pete Beathard of USC, were named co-Players of the Game.[9]

Down 42–14 in the fourth quarter, Vander Kelen put together a number of drives to score 23 unanswered points and put the Badgers in position to win the game. Due to the historic #1 versus #2 bowl match-up, the number of Rose Bowl records set, and the furious fourth quarter rally by Wisconsin, this game frequently appears on lists of "greatest bowl games of all time."[10][11]

To date, this remains as Wisconsin’s only national championship game appearance.

  1. ^ "Badgers, Tide, Tigers, Ole Miss bowl choices". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). UPI. January 1, 1963. p. 6.
  2. ^ Zimmerman, Paul (January 1, 1963). "Badgers bent on bowl vengeance; Wisconsin winless in two classics". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (Los Angeles Times). p. 12.
  3. ^ "Trojans snare Roses in wild battle, 42-37". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). UPI. January 2, 1963. p. 8.
  4. ^ "Spectacular Wisconsin rally falls five points short". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1963. p. 2B.
  5. ^ Myers, Bob (January 2, 1963). "USC survives Badger rally 42-37". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. 14.
  6. ^ Schmadtke, Alan. "No. 1 Vs. No. 2". Archived from the original on March 4, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2010. The two top-ranked teams in The Associated Press poll have played each other 11 times in postseason. Here is a look at one of those matchups.
  7. ^ Los Angeles Times "The national championship was at stake – USC was ranked No. 1 and Wisconsin No. 2"
  8. ^ Jenkins, Dan (September 11, 1967). "THIS YEAR THE FIGHT WILL BE IN THE OPEN". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 23, 2024. Because of their discontent with all polls, especially those of the wire services, the Football Writers Association of America set about naming the national champion in 1954, also after the bowl games.
  9. ^ 2008 Rose Bowl Program Archived 2008-03-06 at the Wayback Machine, 2008 Rose Bowl. Accessed January 26, 2008.
  10. ^ "The List: Greatest bowl games". Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
  11. ^ "Tuesday Question – Ten Greatest Bowl Games". Archived from the original on December 11, 2006. Retrieved January 5, 2010.