The 80th and 81st Rose Bowl Games

We continue to cover the Rose Bowl games and  in this episode we chat about this 80th and 81st Rose Bowl games.

It was the 80th Rose Bowl Game when the Wisconsin Badgers went up against the UCLA Bruins on January 1, 1994, in Pasadena. Head coach Terry Donahue led his 8-3 Bruins in the contest after being selected from the PAC-10 conference. Coach Barry Alvarez was the man with the plans for the Badgers as they sported a 9-1-1 record going into the game.

UCLA started the scoring in the first quarter when placekicker Bjorn Merten nailed a 27-yard field goal. Wisconsin responded moments later with Brent Moss's three-yard run, and Rick Schnetzky knocked through the PAT. In second-quarter action, Wisconsin’s Moss dove into the end zone again, this time with a one-yard run, and again Schnetzky converted the extra point.
The halftime adjustment on defense for both sides was effective, as there was no third-quarter scoring by either team. However, the Bruins got some things working in the fourth quarter as they cut into the Badger’s lead via a Ricky Davis 12-yard TD run and a Merten PAT kick. The Badgers again responded with a Darrell Bevell 21-yard  scoring run and a Schnetzky kick. UCLA kept fighting as Mike Nguyen hauled in a five-yard TD pass from Wayne Cook, but the 2-point conversion pass failed. That ended up making the final score Wisconsin 21, UCLA 16.

UCLA receiver J J Stokes set Rose Bowl records for receptions (14) and receiving yards (176). Brent Moss gashed the UCLA defense for 158 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The 1995 Rose Bowl game was played on Monday, January 2, 1995. The 81st Rose Bowl Game featured the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Oregon Ducks. Joe Paterno was the head coach of PSU, and he matched wit, the talent of players, and strategy with Oregon’s head man Rich Brooks. Penn State set the tone for this one early. Nittany Lions running back Ki-Jana Carter scored an 83-yard touchdown on Penn State's first offensive play. Oregon responded to tie the game when Josh Wilcox  grabbed a 1 pass from QB Danny O’Neil and Matt Belden made the extra point kick.
In the second quarter Penn State's Brian Milne punched one in on a 1 run and with the subsequent PAT kick by Conway kick put Penn State up 14-7 at the half. Oregon came out fighting after the intermission on a Cristin McLemore 17 pass from O’Neil and Belden kick to tie the game once again. Then the Ki-Jana Carter show started up again as the running back scored on a 17 run and a minute later on 3-yard carry for touchdown to open up the game a bit.
Penn State kept pouring it on in the fourth quarter on a Conway 43 field goal with just under six minutes remaining followed by Jon Witman 9 run for another Penn State score. Oregon cut into the lead late when Ricky Whittle ran one to pay dirt from 3-yards out but the damage was done as Penn State cruised to a 38-20 victory. Ki-Jana Carter of Penn State and Danny O'Neil of Oregon were named the Most Valuable 81st annual Rose Bowl Players.

A Very Special thanks to information obtained from the following brilliant internet sites: Newspapers.com, Wilkipedia.com, the Sports Reference's family of website databases & Stathead.com.

Banner photo is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons of Los Angeles, CA, 06/17/1994 -- A FEMA MERS communications truck provides support to the World Cup soccer games at the Rose Bowl. FEMA News Photo