1977 Rose Bowl

1977 Rose Bowl
1977 Rose Bowl
63rd Rose Bowl Game
Michigan Wolverines	USC Trojans
(10–1)	(10–1)
Big Ten	Pac-8
6	14
Head coach: ; Bo Schembechler	Head coach: ; John Robinson
AP	Coaches
2	2
AP	Coaches
3	3
Date	January 1, 1977
Season	1976
Stadium	Rose Bowl
Location	Pasadena, California
MVP	Vince Evans (USC QB)
Favorite	Michigan by 4 to 6 points
Referee	James Mercer (Pac-8);; (split crew: Pac-8, Big Ten)
Attendance	106,182
United States TV coverage
Network	NBC
Announcers	Curt Gowdy, Don Meredith
Nielsen ratings	26.9
Rose Bowl
< 1976	1978 >

The 1977 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1977. It was the 63rd Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans, champions of the Pacific-8 Conference,^[3] defeated the Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten Conference, 14–6.^[4]^[5]^[6]

USC quarterback Vince Evans was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game, and Trojan freshman tailback Charles White, subbing for Heisman Trophy runner-up Ricky Bell, who was injured in the first quarter, rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown.^[4]^[5]^[6] It was the third consecutive win for the Pac-8 in the Rose Bowl, and the seventh of the last eight.

Teams

Michigan

Michigan won their first eight games and spent most of the season ranked first in the polls, until a 16–14 upset loss to Purdue on November 6. They capped off their Big Ten championship with a 22–0 shutout of arch rival Ohio State; they were ranked second in both major polls at the end of the regular season.

USC

Under first-year head coach John Robinson, USC was upset in the season opener at home by Missouri, 46–25.^[7] It was the Trojans' fifth-straight regular season loss, dating back to the prior season when John McKay had announced his end-of-season resignation (leaving for the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL). USC won the rest of their games in 1976, climaxed by a 24–14 win over #2 UCLA to clinch the conference championship,^[3] and a subsequent 17–13 victory over Notre Dame.^[8]

Scoring

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

Michigan - Rob Lytle, 1-yard run (Bob Wood kick blocked)
USC - Vince Evans, 1-yard run (Walker kick)

Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter

USC - Charles White, 7-yard run (Walker kick)

Source:^[4]^[5]

Aftermath

Undefeated Pittsburgh, led by Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett, was the consensus #1 team entering the bowls and played #4 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. USC and Michigan hoped Georgia would upset Pitt to set up the Rose Bowl as a national championship showdown,^[9] but Pitt had a dominant 27–3 win earlier in the day to keep its top ranking in the final polls;^[10]^[11] USC finished second and Michigan dropped only to third.^[12]

References

^ Snyder, Jimmy "The Greek" (January 1, 1977). "A&M most improved". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 13.
^ "USC's Evans will be ready for Michigan". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. January 1, 1977. p. 2, part 2.
^ ^a ^b "Trojans return to 'their' Rose Bowl". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. November 21, 1976. p. C1.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Evans and USC whip Wolverines". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 2, 1977. p. D1.
^ ^a ^b ^c "USC whips Michigan, 14-6, pins No. 1 on itself". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 2, 1977. p. D2.
^ ^a ^b Jares, Joe (January 10, 1977). "The Trojans win an old war". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.
^ "Brown tallies three times to beat USC". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. September 12, 1976. p. 3B.
^ "'Fullback' Bell endorses Dorsett". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. November 28, 1976. p. 3E.
^ "Pitt can leave no doubt today". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. January 1, 1977. p. 1B.
^ Franke, Russ (January 2, 1977). "Pitt: How sweet it is!". Pittsburgh Press. p. D1.
^ Underwood, John (January 10, 1977). "Marching through Georgia". Sports Illustrated. p. 14.
^ "Pitt (surprise) voted grid title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). AP, UPI. January 4, 1977. p. 3C.

External links

Summary at Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History

This college football bowl article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[jtgrkodd-1] Snyder, Jimmy "The Greek" (January 1, 1977). "A&M most improved". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 13.

[uscevn-2] "USC's Evans will be ready for Michigan". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. January 1, 1977. p. 2, part 2.

[tretth-3] "Trojans return to 'their' Rose Bowl". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. November 21, 1976. p. C1.

[evuscwh-4] "Evans and USC whip Wolverines". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 2, 1977. p. D1.

[pn1self-5] "USC whips Michigan, 14-6, pins No. 1 on itself". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 2, 1977. p. D2.

[sivwow-6] Jares, Joe (January 10, 1977). "The Trojans win an old war". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.

[bttt-7] "Brown tallies three times to beat USC". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. September 12, 1976. p. 3B.

[endrs-8] "'Fullback' Bell endorses Dorsett". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. November 28, 1976. p. 3E.

[pclndtd-9] "Pitt can leave no doubt today". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. January 1, 1977. p. 1B.

[hsitis-10] Franke, Russ (January 2, 1977). "Pitt: How sweet it is!". Pittsburgh Press. p. D1.

[simtga-11] Underwood, John (January 10, 1977). "Marching through Georgia". Sports Illustrated. p. 14.

[erggrti-12] "Pitt (surprise) voted grid title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). AP, UPI. January 4, 1977. p. 3C.

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