The first Rose Bowl game in the current stadium: 1923! One hundred years ago.
It was the first Rose Bowl game held in the concrete structure as we know it, initially seating 57,000 in Arroyo Seco. The need for a modern stadium became obvious the previous year when rains turned the old Tournament Park into a mud pit and Cal and Washington and Jefferson played to a 0-0 tie.
It was the first time the annual New Year’s Day game was officially known as the more romantic Rose Bowl game, replacing the rather ponderous Tournament of Roses East-West football game. Pasadena Star-News sportswriter Dusty Hall, who was moonlighting as a flack for the tournament committee, came up with the name.
It was USC’s first appearance in the game. And it may have produced the first traffic jam as we know it.
Penn State had taken a leisurely five-day train ride from State College, Pa., to get here, and the players enjoyed themselves immensely upon arrival, attending various parties thrown by Hollywood celebrities such as Harold Lloyd and Douglas Fairbanks.
On game day the team attended the Rose Parade, returned to their hotel, then reportedly left for the stadium at 11 a.m. By the 2:15 p.m. kickoff, they still hadn’t arrived.
Penn State coach Hugo Bezdek claimed the players, riding in cabs, got stuck in heavier-than-anticipated traffic. They were afforded no police escort, and traffic into the arroyo for the new stadium had come to a complete halt. The players reportedly walked the last mile to the stadium.
USC coach Gloomy Gus Henderson wasn’t buying what Bezdek was selling.
When the two coaches met at midfield upon the Lions’ arrival, he said that Penn State deliberately arrived late “to take the edge off” his Trojans and to avoid playing in the heat.
From news reports at the time: “Bezdek resented the charge and is said to have offered to slug the first Trojan (Henderson) on the spot provided Henderson remove his glasses.” Tournament of Roses President John Mitchell intervened to break up the fight.
The game wouldn’t start for another 35 minutes so Penn State could warm up and fans stuck in the same traffic could get into the stadium. Bezdek probably wasn’t fibbing; reports said only 20,000 of an eventual crowd of 43,000 were in the stadium at kickoff.
Henderson, who had been ill the week of the game, was so miffed that he gave the officials only 10 names on the starting line. Penn State played like they were ill, or at least suffering from cab-lag.
The Lions scored first on a 19-yard drop quick field goal by Mike Plum, but that would be their last hurrah. Game reports said the Lions were lethargic for much of the game and appeared exhausted in the second half. That said, it couldn’t have been considered a huge upset, since Penn State came into the game with a 6-3-1 record.
The Trojans responded in the second quarter. Halfback Baker ran 20 yards to the 10-yard line and threw a pass in the flat to Galloway that the quarterback caught while skidding on his rear at the Penn State 2. Gordon Campbell scored from there for a 7-3 lead.
USC improved its lead to 14-3 with a touchdown drive on its first possession of the second half. Baker, who ran for 123 yards on the day, busted runs of 22 and 10 yards to move the ball to the 2 and then scored from the1.
The margin could have been larger. The Trojans fumbled the ball out of the end zone on a play from the Penn State 1, had another drive inside the 10 die on downs, and missed a field goal. Reports from the game said USC’s “rapid-fire attack” and “diversified offense” were much the better of a Penn State team that was larger but slower.
Some stereotypes resist age.
The game ended in darkness and so late in the day that reporters working in the darkened press box had to light matches so they could write their stories.
It was the first Rose Bowl game held in the concrete structure as we know it, initially seating 57,000 in Arroyo Seco. The need for a modern stadium became obvious the previous year when rains turned the old Tournament Park into a mud pit and Cal and Washington and Jefferson played to a 0-0 tie.
It was the first time the annual New Year’s Day game was officially known as the more romantic Rose Bowl game, replacing the rather ponderous Tournament of Roses East-West football game. Pasadena Star-News sportswriter Dusty Hall, who was moonlighting as a flack for the tournament committee, came up with the name.
It was USC’s first appearance in the game. And it may have produced the first traffic jam as we know it.
Penn State had taken a leisurely five-day train ride from State College, Pa., to get here, and the players enjoyed themselves immensely upon arrival, attending various parties thrown by Hollywood celebrities such as Harold Lloyd and Douglas Fairbanks.
On game day the team attended the Rose Parade, returned to their hotel, then reportedly left for the stadium at 11 a.m. By the 2:15 p.m. kickoff, they still hadn’t arrived.
Penn State coach Hugo Bezdek claimed the players, riding in cabs, got stuck in heavier-than-anticipated traffic. They were afforded no police escort, and traffic into the arroyo for the new stadium had come to a complete halt. The players reportedly walked the last mile to the stadium.
USC coach Gloomy Gus Henderson wasn’t buying what Bezdek was selling.
When the two coaches met at midfield upon the Lions’ arrival, he said that Penn State deliberately arrived late “to take the edge off” his Trojans and to avoid playing in the heat.
From news reports at the time: “Bezdek resented the charge and is said to have offered to slug the first Trojan (Henderson) on the spot provided Henderson remove his glasses.” Tournament of Roses President John Mitchell intervened to break up the fight.
The game wouldn’t start for another 35 minutes so Penn State could warm up and fans stuck in the same traffic could get into the stadium. Bezdek probably wasn’t fibbing; reports said only 20,000 of an eventual crowd of 43,000 were in the stadium at kickoff.
Henderson, who had been ill the week of the game, was so miffed that he gave the officials only 10 names on the starting line. Penn State played like they were ill, or at least suffering from cab-lag.
The Lions scored first on a 19-yard drop quick field goal by Mike Plum, but that would be their last hurrah. Game reports said the Lions were lethargic for much of the game and appeared exhausted in the second half. That said, it couldn’t have been considered a huge upset, since Penn State came into the game with a 6-3-1 record.
The Trojans responded in the second quarter. Halfback Baker ran 20 yards to the 10-yard line and threw a pass in the flat to Galloway that the quarterback caught while skidding on his rear at the Penn State 2. Gordon Campbell scored from there for a 7-3 lead.
USC improved its lead to 14-3 with a touchdown drive on its first possession of the second half. Baker, who ran for 123 yards on the day, busted runs of 22 and 10 yards to move the ball to the 2 and then scored from the1.
The margin could have been larger. The Trojans fumbled the ball out of the end zone on a play from the Penn State 1, had another drive inside the 10 die on downs, and missed a field goal. Reports from the game said USC’s “rapid-fire attack” and “diversified offense” were much the better of a Penn State team that was larger but slower.
Some stereotypes resist age.
The game ended in darkness and so late in the day that reporters working in the darkened press box had to light matches so they could write their stories.
