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Rose Bowl History
1916 Rose Bowl
WSU 14, Brown 0
A crowd of 10,000 were on hand at the Pasadena Rose Bowl January 1 to watch as undefeated Washington State took on eastern power Brown University in the first of the continuous Rose Bowls.
Brown entered the game a two-to-one favorite, despite a modest 5-3-1 record. The Bruins' 3-0 win over Yale was the key accomplishment that earned the Rhode Island team an invitation to play in the Rose Bowl. Washington State entered undefeated on the season with a mark of 6-0, and had outscored its opponents 204-10.
A cold spell, followed by a heavy rain and some snow for three days prior to the game, turned the playing field into a sea of mud that slowed both teams. Brown came close to scoring twice in the first half, but each time Washington State's defense, which had allowed just one field goal and one touchdown all season, rose to the task and halted the Bruins short of the goal line, once at the four yard line. Bruin star Fritz Pollard gained just 47 yards in 13 carries. Pollard later became the first black named to a Walter Camp All-America team and was the first black head coach in the National Football League.
In the second half WSU's size advantage began to pay off as the Cougars took command, scoring once in each quarter. WSU used third and fourth quarter touchdown runs by Ralph Boone and Carl Dietz to shutout the Bruins 14-0.
WSU's preparation for the game had been, to say the least, odd. Coach William "Lone Star'' Dietz, out of the Carlisle Indian School, and his Cougar squad served as extras in the football film "Tom Brown of Harvard'' each morning, then practiced for the bowl game during the afternoon. Each WSU player earned $100 for the 14 mornings of movie work. During practice sessions, Dietz appeared in his "classic'' coaching attire: a silk hat, Prince Albert cutaway coat, striped pants, yellow gloves, and a walking stick.
Originally known as the Pasadena Tournament of Roses East-West game (it was 1923 when the real Rose Bowl facility was completed that the name changed), the WSU-Brown game was played at Tournament Park.
1916 Rose Bowl Game Film
View a black and white silent film clip of the 1916 Washington State College football from the 1916 Rose Bowl. Asa Clark, captain of the 1915 team, filmed this clip of the game.
1931 Rose Bowl
Alabama 24, WSU 0
The Alabama Crimson Tide used a second-quarter blitz, including touchdown runs of one and 43 yards by quarterback Monk Campbell, to post a 24-0 win over previously undefeated Washington State in the 17th Rose Bowl game, viewed by 65,000 fans. Alabama's coach was Wallace Wade, who had been a member of the Brown University team that lost to WSU in the 1916 Rose Bowl. Wade, during his career, coached in five Rose Bowls.
1998 Rose Bowl
Michigan 21, WSU 16
The Washington State Cougars, making their first Rose Bowl appearance in 67 years, pushed national champion and number one ranked Michigan to the last play of the game before falling to the Wolverines 21-16 before 101,219 fans and a world-wide television audience. The victory left Michigan a perfect 13-0 for the season, bumping the Cougars to a 10-2 record.
After Michigan thwarted two WSU drives to start the game, the Cougar defense forced a Wolverine punt that would set up WSU's first scoring drive. The Cougs took over on the Michigan 47-yard-line with 6:26 to play in the first quarter. Ryan Leaf completed two passes during the drive, including a 15-yard touchdown toss to Kevin McKenzie with 3:17 left in the first quarter. Rian Lindell's point-after gave WSU the early 7-0 advantage.
WSU came close to taking a 14-point lead, but Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson halted a WSU drive in the Michigan end zone when he intercepted a Leaf pass from the 12 yard line. The Wolverine's answering scoring drive began from their own 34-yard-line at the 8:04 mark in the second quarter and ended with a 58-yard pass from Bob Griese to Tai Streets that completed the first half scoring.
Early in the second half, WSU took over 99 yards from the end zone after Michigan's Jason Vinson dropped a perfect punt just outside the end zone. Shawn Tims put the finishing touches on WSU's 99 yard drive in nine plays, taking a reverse handoff the final 14 yards. Leaf hit four of five passes in the drive that amassed 73 yards. Lindell's PAT attempt was blocked by Michigan's James Hall, leaving the WSU advantage at 13-7.
The Wolverines responded immediately, moving the ball on their next possession to their 39 yard-line to set up another Griese-to-Streets touchdown combination, this time 58 yards. Baker's point-after gave Michigan their first lead, 14-13 with 6:07 left in the third quarter. Michigan then padded their lead with a 14-play, 77-yard drive that ended in Griese's third touchdown pass of the game, a 23-yarder to Jerame Tuman. Baker's extra-point kick increased the Michigan advantage to 21-13 with 11:21 to play.
Washington State responded immediately with an eight-play, 49-yard drive that set up a 48-yard field goal by Lindell, cutting Michigan's lead to five points, 21-16 with 7:25 remaining. The Wolverines then put together a 51-yard drive that consumed almost seven minutes off the game clock. When Jay Feely's pooch punt rolled dead at the WSU seven-yard-line, the Cougars' victory hopes were 93 yards and 29 seconds away.
After two incomplete passes, the Cougars faced third-and-10 with only 16 seconds left. Leaf then found Nian Taylor along the sideline for a gain of 46, to the Michigan 47-yard-line. After a delay of game penalty, Leaf hit Love Jefferson at the Michigan 25 and the Coug tight end lateraled to a streaking Jason Clayton, who managed nine more yards before being brought down in bounds at Michigan's 16 yard line with 0:02 on the game clock. Out of timeouts, WSU was forced to try and spike the ball on first-down, but officials ruled that the final two seconds slipped away before the ball was effectively downed, thus preventing WSU's one final shot at a major upset.
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