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."

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 18at Michigan State*
L 3–1351,279[8]
October 2at Penn State*
W 24–2246,345[9][13]
October 9Syracuse*
W 24–1427,729[10][14]
October 16at Missouri*
T 14–1447,000[15]
October 23California
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)
W 56–339,542[16]
October 30at Air Force*
W 10–028,234[17]
November 6WashingtonNo. 8
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 28–2446,084[18]
November 13at StanfordNo. 7
W 30–1320,500[19]
November 20at No. 6 USCNo. 7
W 20–1694,085[11]
December 4at No. 7 Tennessee*No. 5
L 34–3744,495[12][20]
January 1, 1966vs. No. 1 Michigan State*No. 5
W 14–12100,087  [6][7]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[21]

Game summaries

USC

1 2 3 4 Total
UCLA 6 0 0 14 20
USC 0 7 0 9 16

Michigan State (Rose Bowl)

1 2 3 4 Total
#5 UCLA 0 14 0 0 14
#1 Michigan State 0 0 0 12 12

The fifth-ranked Bruins went to the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day as a 14½-point underdog in a rematch with undefeated and #1 ranked powerhouse Michigan State. UCLA, now dubbed "The Miracle Bruins" by Sports Illustrated, vanquished the heavily-favored Spartans 14–12.[6][7] That victory gave UCLA an 8–2–1 mark, prevented the Spartans from winning the AP title, and resulted in Prothro earning Coach of the Year accolades from his coaching colleagues. UCLA finished fourth, and due to their small size, earned the moniker "Gutty little Bruins."[citation needed][by whom?]

1st quarter scoring: No scoring

2nd quarter scoring: UCLA – Gary Beban 1-yard run (Kurt Zimmerman kick); UCLA – Beban 1-yard run (Zimmerman kick)

3rd quarter scoring: No scoring

4th quarter scoring: MSU – Bob Apisa 38-yard run (Jimmy Raye pass fail); MSU – Juday 1-yard run (Apisa run fail)

Statistics

Team Stats UCLA Michigan St.
First Downs 10 13
Net Yards Rushing 65 204
Net Yards Passing 147 110
Total Yards 212 314
PC–PA–Int. 8–20–0 8–22–3
Punts–Avg. 11–39.9 5–42.4
Fumbles–Lost 3–2 3–2
Penalties–Yards 9–86 1–14

Awards and honors

References

  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. ^ a b c Myers, Bob (January 2, 1966). "UCLA Bruins drop 'Beban bomb'". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. 1, sports.
  7. ^ a b c Uhrhammer, Jerry (January 2, 1966). "UCLA beats Spartans (and the experts), 14-12". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B.
  8. ^ a b c "MSU continues hex on Bruins". Spokesman-review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 19, 1965. p. 5, sports.
  9. ^ a b "UCLA edges Penn State in 24-22 grid battle". reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). UPI. October 3, 1965. p. 55.
  10. ^ a b "UCLA, 24-14". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 10, 1965. p. 3B.
  11. ^ a b "Beban's arm gives Prothro another Rose Bowl chance". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). AP, UPI reports. November 21, 1965. p. 3B.
  12. ^ a b "Tennessee upsets Pasadena-bound Bruins, 37–34". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 5, 1965. p. 1B.
  13. ^ "UCLA stops Penn State's late rush". Chicago Tribune. October 3, 1965. ProQuest 176452461.
  14. ^ Wolf, Al (October 10, 1965). "Bruins' explosive start surprises Syracuse, 24-14". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 155278674.
  15. ^ Wolf, Al (October 17, 1965). "Bruins foiled, 14-14, by long Missouri runs". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 155307978.
  16. ^ "UCLA whips California, 56-3". Eugene Register-Guar. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 24, 1965. p. 2B.
  17. ^ "UCLA fumbles eight times but shuts out Air Force, 10-0". The Washington Post. October 31, 1965. ProQuest 142380113.
  18. ^ "UCLA, 28-24". Eugene Register-Guar. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 7, 1965. p. 2B.
  19. ^ "UCLA, 30-13". Eugene Register-Guar. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 14, 1965. p. 2B.
  20. ^ Zimmerman, P. (November 14, 1965). "BRUINS STAY ON ROAD TO ROSE BOWL". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 155329968.
  21. ^ "2015 UCLA Bruins Football Media Guide Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  22. ^ 1975 UCLA Media Guide, UCLA Athletic News Bureau, 1975
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