The 1966 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented

Purdue University 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 ...

in the 1966 Big Ten Conference football season. The Boilermakers, led by future

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL)

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

Bob Griese Robert Allen Griese (pronounced ; born February 3, 1945) is a former American football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins. Gries ...

, won the

1967 Rose Bowl The 1967 Rose Bowl was the 53rd Rose Bowl Game, edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl (stadium), Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Monday, January 2. The game matched the #7 1966 Purdue Boilermakers football t ...

. Griese led Purdue to a second-place finish in the

Big Ten Conference 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 ...

and the school's first appearance in the

Rose Bowl Game The Rose Bowl Game is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 (New Year's Day) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2. The Rose ...

. The Boilermakers were the runner-up in the Big Ten behind

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...

, but received the conference's Rose Bowl berth because of the Big Ten's "no-repeat" rule at the time. Griese was a two-time All-American at Purdue and was the runner-up to

Steve Spurrier Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former American football, football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often ...

for the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

in 1966.

Schedule

Roster

Game summaries

Ohio

At Notre Dame

SMU

Iowa

At Michigan

At Michigan State

Illinois

At Wisconsin

At Minnesota

Indiana

*Purdue clinches Rose Bowl berth *

11/21, 255 Yds, 3 TD, 1 FG, 6/7 XP *

Leroy Keyes Marvin Leroy Keyes (February 18, 1947 – April 15, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a running back and safety for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chie ...

Rush TD, Pass TD, INT *

Jim Beirne James Patrick Beirne (October 15, 1946 – May 28, 2021) was an American professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver. He played college football at Purdue University, where he was an 1966 College Football All-America T ...

2 TD Rec *Biggest margin in rivalry since 1893

USC (Rose Bowl)

Team players in the NFL

Awards and honors

Sammy Baugh Trophy The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More ...

*Bob Griese, second in

voting

References

{{Purdue Boilermakers football navbox

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 ...

Purdue Boilermakers football seasons Rose Bowl champion seasons

Purdue Boilermakers football The Purdue Boilermakers football team represents Purdue University in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football. Purdue plays its home games at Ross–Ade Stadium on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. ...