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
1965 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 coached by Tommy Prothro, who replaced William F. Barnes, in Prothro's first season at the helm. Under sophomore quarterback Gary Beban, the team finished the season with an 8–2–1 record and the conference championship.[1] They upset top-ranked and undefeated Michigan State, who had beaten them earlier the same season, in the Rose Bowl game. The Bruins finished ranked 4th in the final AP Poll and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 257 to 168.

Regular season

The Bruins lost their season opening game 13–3 at Michigan State, who then rose to become a top-ranked team in the country. The unheralded Bruins would go on a seven-game undefeated streak, surprising national powers like Syracuse and Penn State. Going into the 1965 UCLA-USC rivalry football game ranked #7, the conference championship and 1966 Rose Bowl were on the line. #6 USC, led by 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 50-yard bomb and UCLA won, 20–16.

Integrated UCLA then faced all-white 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 Volunteer win by a score of 37–34. 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."

The Bruins went to the 1966 Rose Bowl as a 141/2 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. 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 #4 that season, and due to their small size, earned the moniker "Gutty little Bruins."[citation needed][by whom?]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 18at Michigan State*
L 3–1351,279
October 2at Penn State*
W 24–2246,345[2]
October 9Syracuse*
W 24–1427,729[3]
October 16at Missouri*
T 14–1447,000[4]
October 23California
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)
W 56–339,5424
October 30at Air Force*
W 10–028,234[5]
November 6WashingtonNo. 8
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 28–2446,084
November 13at StanfordNo. 7
W 30–1320,500
November 20at No. 6 USCNo. 7
W 20–1694,085
December 4at No. 7 Tennessee*No. 5
L 34–3744,495[6]
January 1vs. No. 1 Michigan State*No. 5
W 14–12100,087
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[7]

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

Main article: 1966 Rose Bowl

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. ^ 2013 UCLA Football Media Guide, UCLA, 2013
  2. ^ "UCLA stops penn state's late rush". Chicago Tribune. 3 October 1965. ProQuest 176452461.
  3. ^ Wolf, Al (10 October 1965). "Bruins' explosive start surprises syracuse, 24-14". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 155278674.
  4. ^ Wolf, Al (17 October 1965). "Bruins foiled, 14-14, by long missouri runs". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 155307978.
  5. ^ "UCLA fumbles eight times but shuts out air force, 10-0". The Washington Post. 31 October 1965. ProQuest 142380113.
  6. ^ Zimmerman, P. (14 November 1965). "BRUINS STAY ON ROAD TO ROSE BOWL". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 155329968.
  7. ^ "2015 UCLA Bruins Football Media Guide Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  8. ^ 1975 UCLA Media Guide, UCLA Athletic News Bureau, 1975
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