The 1961 Rose Bowl was the 47th
Rose Bowl game, played on January 2, 1961, in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
I ...
. The #6
Washington Huskies
The Washington Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac- ...
defeated the top-ranked
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the Big Te ...
, 17–7. Washington quarterback
Bob Schloredt
Robert Schloredt (October 2, 1939 – May 16, 2019) was an American football quarterback in the NCAA Division I and CFL and coaching in both the NCAA and World Football League.
Early years
Schloredt was born in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1939 and ...
returned from a mid-season injury was named the Player Of The Game for the second straight year.
[2008 Rose Bowl Program](_blank)
, 2008 Rose Bowl
The 2008 Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, the 94th Rose Bowl Game, played on January 1, 2008 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, was a college football bowl game. The contest was televised on ABC, the 20th straight year the network ...
. Accessed January 26, 2008. As
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
fell on a Sunday, the major bowl games were played on Monday.
This was the first season of the new agreement with the
Athletic Association of Western Universities
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...
(AAWU) to send their champion. Its predecessor, the
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pac-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, with eight of the ten PCC members (including a ...
(PCC), had dissolved after the
1958
Events
January
* January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being.
* January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
* January 4
** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...
season. The
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
was no longer in a formal agreement with the Rose Bowl following the demise of the PCC:
Big Ten champion Minnesota received and accepted an "at-large" invitation.
The
Great Rose Bowl Hoax
The Great Rose Bowl Hoax was a prank at the 1961 Rose Bowl, an annual American college football bowl game. That year, the Washington Huskies were pitted against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. At halftime, the Huskies led 17–0, and their cheer ...
occurred during halftime. As seen by an estimated 30 million television viewers, students from nearby
Caltech altered the plans for the Washington card stunts, which spelled "CALTECH" instead of "HUSKIES" and showed the Caltech Beaver mascot instead of the Washington Husky.
The Great Rose Bowl Hoax of 1961
'. ''Legends of Caltech''. Alumni Association, California Institute of Technology, 1982. Accessed 12 March 2006.
Teams
The
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pac-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, with eight of the ten PCC members (including a ...
(PCC), from which the "West" representative was historically selected, dissolved in early 1959 following a pay-for-play scandal. A new conference, the
AAWU, commonly referred to as the "Big Five", formed in
1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
with the four California schools (
Cal Cal or CAL may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Cal'' (novel), a 1983 novel by Bernard MacLaverty
* "Cal" (short story), a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov
* ''Cal'' (1984 film), an Irish drama starring John Lynch and Helen Mir ...
,
Stanford
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
,
USC
USC most often refers to:
* University of South Carolina, a public research university
** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses
**South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program
* University of ...
, and
UCLA) and
Washington. For scheduling, former PCC members
Oregon,
Oregon State, and
Washington State dropped UCLA and USC, with the exception of Oregon State at USC.
Idaho, who was not part of the scandal but had become uncompetitive, was dropped from the schedules of all the AAWU members. The PCC agreement with the Rose bowl was dissolved for the 1959 season, but former member
Washington was invited to the
game
A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...
and demolished
Wisconsin.
For the
1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events
January
* Ja ...
season, the AAWU contracted a new agreement which went into effect with this game.
[ The ]Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
agreement also was dissolved, but the Big Ten had authorized its members to accept Rose Bowl invitations at their discretion. A new agreement with the Big Ten would not be reached until 1962
Events January
* January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand.
* January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism.
* January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
, which became effective with the 1963 Rose Bowl
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, 42–3 ...
.
1960 Washington Huskies
The 1960 Huskies defeated the College of the Pacific
College of the Pacific is the liberal arts core of the University of the Pacific and offers degrees in the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the fine and performing arts. The College houses 18 academic departments in addition to ...
and former PCC member Idaho 23–0 to open the season. Washington lost to Navy at Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium (officially Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium for sponsorship purposes) is an outdoor football stadium in the northwest United States, located on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. It h ...
, ending a seven-game winning streak. The Midshipmen finished the regular season at but lost to Missouri in the Orange Bowl. The Huskies won at Stanford
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
and beat UCLA The Huskies continued on with a full PCC schedule, playing Oregon State in Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
and hosting Oregon in Seattle, winning both non-league games by a single point.
The November 5 game against USC
USC most often refers to:
* University of South Carolina, a public research university
** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses
**South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program
* University of ...
at the L.A. Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a mem ...
was the deciding factor in the Rose Bowl race, with the Huskies blanking the Trojans The Huskies beat the Cal Bears at home to win the AAWU (or "Big Five") championship outright, undefeated in conference play. The final game of the regular season was the Apple Cup (not yet named), where the Huskies narrowly escaped with an win in Spokane over cross-state (and non-conference) rival Washington State to finish the regular season at Ranked sixth by the AP writers poll, the defending Rose Bowl champions were fifth in the UPI coaches poll. The final polls were released in late November, at the end of the regular season.
1960 Minnesota Golden Gophers
The 1960 Gophers came to the Rose Bowl as the #1 team in the nation,[ and were favored by a touchdown over Washington.][ The Gophers were led by Sandy Stephens, the first African-American All-American starting quarterback at the school (but not in the history of the Rose Bowl, which would have been the ]1922 Rose Bowl
The 1922 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 2, 1922, between the Washington & Jefferson Presidents football, Washington & Jefferson Presidents (W&J) and the 1921 California Golden Bears football team, California Golden B ...
). The Gophers had an early 26–14 non-conference win at #12 Nebraska. They shut out both Indiana and Northwestern, then also blanked Michigan 10–0 at Michigan Stadium to win the Little Brown Jug. A win over non-conference Kansas State put Minnesota at #3. The next game at #1 Iowa was one of the most notable games in the Floyd of Rosedale rivalry. Minnesota won 27–10 (and the pig) and were top-ranked, but then lost to Purdue
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
the next week. A 26–14 win over Wisconsin on NCAA television put them back at #1 to finish the season. The Gophers were tied with Iowa in the Big Ten standings, each with a loss. The final AP poll of November 29 was one of the closest ever: Minnesota with 17½ first-place votes, Mississippi 16, and Iowa 12½.
Game summary
The weather in Pasadena on January 2 was clear and sunny. Washington wore their dark home jerseys (actually deep blue), gold pants, and gold helmets. Minnesota wore white away jerseys with maroon
Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown".
According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...
with gold shoulder stripes, gold pants, and white helmets. The ceremonial pregame coin toss to determine first possession employed a souvenir gold dollar minted for Alaska's statehood
A state is a centralized political organization that imposes and enforces rules over a population within a territory. There is no undisputed definition of a state. One widely used definition comes from the German sociologist Max Weber: a "sta ...
in 1959.
The Huskies dominated the first half, scoring all 17 points. Minnesota led in all the final statistics, but the most telling one was its passing game: Gopher quarterback Sandy Stephens completed only two of ten passes for 21 yards and was intercepted three times. MVP Bob Schloredt
Robert Schloredt (October 2, 1939 – May 16, 2019) was an American football quarterback in the NCAA Division I and CFL and coaching in both the NCAA and World Football League.
Early years
Schloredt was born in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1939 and ...
completed only two of four passes for 16 yards (no interceptions), but was the game's leading rusher with 68 yards on five carries. The most enduring story of the game was the Caltech card stunt at halftime.
Halftime
The Minnesota marching band performed first, followed by UW band, when the card stunts began. The Washington card section was on the east side of the Rose Bowl stadium, facing the press box and television cameras. The NBC national television broadcast was trained on the band and card stunts. The 14th card stunt design displayed "CALTECH" instead of "HUSKIES" in big block letters on a white background. The announcers and the stadium fell silent for several moments before breaking into laughter.
Scoring
First quarter
*Wash. — Fleming, 34-yard field goal, 9:10, Wash. 3–0
Second quarter
*Wash. — Wooten, 4-yard pass from Schloredt (Fleming kick), 13:35, Wash. 10–0
*Wash. — Schloredt, 1-yard run (Fleming kick), 4:14, Wash. 17–0
Third quarter
*Minn. — Munsey, 18-yard run (Rogers kick), 9:15, Wash. 17–7
Fourth quarter
*no scoring
Aftermath
Washington quarterback Bob Schloredt
Robert Schloredt (October 2, 1939 – May 16, 2019) was an American football quarterback in the NCAA Division I and CFL and coaching in both the NCAA and World Football League.
Early years
Schloredt was born in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1939 and ...
was named Player of the Game for a second consecutive year, the first to repeat; he was the a co-Player of the Game the previous year. Three other players have subsequently repeated as Rose Bowl Players of the Game: Charles White (USC
USC most often refers to:
* University of South Carolina, a public research university
** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses
**South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program
* University of ...
), Ron Dayne ( Wisconsin), and Vince Young ( Texas).
Minnesota was still the AP and UPI national champion, as those final polls were released in late November and did not consider the bowl results.
Iowa, Missouri, Ole Miss, and Washington have all been recognized as national champions for the 1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events
January
* Ja ...
season by various organizations.[Richard Linde ]
The 1960 national championship and the black athlete
April 21, 2007
Final polls in January (after the bowls) did not occur until much later. The AP had a January poll after the 1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
season, but not the next two; it went permanently post-bowl for the 1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Januar ...
season. The final UPI coaches poll did not move until the 1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
season (January 1975), following the bowl defeats of UPI champions Texas (1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
) and Alabama (1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
). In five of the next six seasons the top-ranked team in the UPI poll at the end of the regular season lost its bowl game; the exception was Pittsburgh (1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
).
References
External links
YouTube
– 1961 Rose Bowl
{{Washington Huskies bowl game navbox
Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
Minnesota Golden Gophers football bowl games
Washington Huskies football bowl games
Rose Bowl
January 1961 sports events in the United States