By Darin 
It was a clash for the ages, bearing all the weight a college football game could carry: the AAWU Conference title, a guaranteed Rose Bowl berth, and a likely National Championship. On November 18, 1967, the No. 1 UCLA Bruins, led by Heisman frontrunner Gary Beban, faced the No. 4 USC Trojans and their junior superstar, O.J. Simpson. This legendary rivalry game—often called the “Game of the Century”—came down to a single, breathtaking 64-yard burst of speed that changed the course of college football history.
The Game
The stakes were impossibly high at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where over 90,000 fans watched the top-ranked Bruins battle the Trojans. UCLA’s senior quarterback, Gary Beban, played courageously through severe rib injuries, putting together a heroic effort that would later secure him the Heisman Trophy.
The game was a defensive slugfest marred by missed opportunities for the Bruins. USC coach John McKay had noticed that UCLA kicker Zenon Andrusyshyn’s kicks had a low trajectory. Taking advantage, McKay inserted the towering 6-foot-8 defensive end Bill Hayhoe into the middle of the line, and Hayhoe responded by blocking two crucial UCLA field goals earlier in the contest, preventing the Bruins from pulling away.
The drama peaked in the fourth quarter. Beban, battling through pain, connected on a touchdown pass to put UCLA ahead 20-14. But once again, Hayhoe proved to be the difference-maker, getting a finger on the ensuing extra point attempt, tipping it wide of the uprights. That single block preserved the possibility of a USC victory.
With just over ten minutes remaining and the Trojans facing a critical 3rd-and-7 from their own 36-yard line, USC quarterback Toby Page audibled the play. The call was a simple run: “23 blast.”
Simpson took the handoff, initially surging through the left side of the line. What happened next instantly became immortalized in college football lore. Simpson cut sharply, veering back across the entire width of the field, leaving the desperate Bruin defenders grasping at air. Sixty-four unforgettable yards later, Simpson crossed the goal line for the game-tying touchdown. The extra point kick sailed through, giving USC its first lead of the day, 21-20.
Article from Nov 19, 1967 Independent (Long Beach, California)
Beban’s injuries prevented the Bruins from mounting a final offensive charge, and the score held. USC claimed the victory, the conference title, the Rose Bowl berth, and eventually, the 1967 National Championship. Simpson’s electrifying run not only won the game but cemented his legacy, setting the stage for his own Heisman Trophy win the following year.
Conclusion
The 1967 clash between USC and UCLA was defined by heroic individual performances—from Gary Beban’s gritty, injured effort to Bill Hayhoe’s unprecedented trio of blocked kicks. However, it is O.J. Simpson’s 64-yard touchdown run that remains the ultimate symbol of the game. That single play, executed with flawless vision and sprinter speed, did more than win a rivalry game; it decided the National Champion and created an iconic moment that still resonates as one of the greatest plays in the history of college football.