1965 UCLA Bruins football team

1965 UCLA Bruins football
AAWU champion
Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl, W 14–12 vs. Michigan State
ConferenceAthletic Association of Western Universities
Ranking
CoachesNo. 5
APNo. 4
Record8–2–1 (4–0 AAWU)
Head coach
Home stadiumLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Seasons
← 1964
1966 →
1965 Athletic Association of Western Universities football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 UCLA $ 4 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 1
No. 10 USC 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 1
Washington State 2 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Washington 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Stanford 2 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 1
California 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Oregon State 1 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Oregon 0 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1965 UCLA Bruins football team represented University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 1965 NCAA University Division football season. The team was led by first-year head coach Tommy Prothro, who succeeded William F. Barnes,[1][2][3][4] Under sophomore quarterback Gary Beban, the team finished the regular season with a 8–2–1 record and the AAWU (Pac-8) conference championship.[5]

In the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, UCLA upset top-ranked and undefeated Michigan State,[6][7] who had beaten them in the season opener in September.[8] The Bruins finished at 8–2–1, were fourth in the final AP Poll, and outscored their opponents 257 to 168.

Hired in January, Prothro was previously the head coach at Oregon State for ten seasons and a former UCLA assistant.[2][3][4]

The Bruins lost their season opening game 13–3 at Michigan State,[8] who then rose to become a top-ranked team in the country. The unheralded Bruins went on a seven-game undefeated streak, surprising eastern national powers like Penn State and Syracuse.[9][10]

Ranked seventh entering the rivalry game with #6 USC on November 20, with the conference championship and a Rose Bowl berth on the line. The Trojans, with 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 two-point conversion made it 16–14, UCLA recovered an onside kick. Beban then hit Kurt Altenberg on a fifty-yard bomb and the Bruins prevailed, 20–16.[11]

Two weeks later, integrated #5 UCLA then faced all-white #7 Tennessee in the newly-built Liberty Bowl stadium in Memphis, Prothro's native city. On the last play of the game, Tennessee defensive back Bob Petrella intercepted a UCLA pass to save a 37–34 Volunteer win.[12] Tennessee's winning drive was aided by a controversial pass interference call, the clock had questionably stopped twice, and a dropped pass that appeared to be a lateral was recovered by UCLA but was later ruled an incomplete forward pass. After the game, Prothro stated, "For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be a Southerner."

  1. ^ "Barnes quits before UCLA has chance to fire him". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 21, 1964. p. 1D.
  2. ^ a b "Tom Prothro joins Bruins". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 12, 1965. p. 12.
  3. ^ a b "Prothro selected by UCLA as head football coach". Lodi News-Sentinel. (California). UPI. January 12, 1965. p. 8.
  4. ^ a b "Prothro leaving Oregon State for UCLA coaching job". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). AP, UPI reports. January 12, 1965. p. 3B.
  5. ^ 2013 UCLA Football Media Guide, UCLA, 2013
  6. ^ Myers, Bob (January 2, 1966). "UCLA Bruins drop 'Beban bomb'". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. 1, sports.
  7. ^ Uhrhammer, Jerry (January 2, 1966). "UCLA beats Spartans (and the experts), 14-12". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B.
  8. ^ a b "MSU continues hex on Bruins". Spokesman-review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 19, 1965. p. 5, sports.
  9. ^ "UCLA edges Penn State in 24-22 grid battle". reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). UPI. October 3, 1965. p. 55.
  10. ^ "UCLA, 24-14". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 10, 1965. p. 3B.
  11. ^ "Beban's arm gives Prothro another Rose Bowl chance". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). AP, UPI reports. November 21, 1965. p. 3B.
  12. ^ "Tennessee upsets Pasadena-bound Bruins, 37–34". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 5, 1965. p. 1B.