PressBox: This Week In History: Michigan Wins First Rose Bowl

This Week In History: Michigan Wins First Rose Bowl

For some, this is the greatest week in college football. For traditionalists, the glut of bowls is too much and the fact that a champion is not decided until more than a week after New Year's Day is simply blasphemous.

Nonetheless, the week between Christmas and New Year's has been chock-full of notable accomplishments on the gridiron. From Zach Barnett of the National Football Foundation, here's a look back at this week in college football history.

Jan. 1, 1902: Michigan downed Stanford, 49-0, in the inaugural Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Played at Tournament Park, it was the first college bowl game. To this day, the Rose Bowl Game carries the moniker the "Granddaddy of Them All." College Football Hall of Fame coach Fielding Yost led the 11-0 Wolverines to their first national championship that season.

Dec. 30, 1948: Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) topped Wichita State, 49-12, in the first and only Camellia Bowl in Lafayette, La. The game was played at McNaspy Stadium before 4,500 spectators.

Jan. 2, 1971: No. 10 Auburn outdueled Ole Miss, 35-28, in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., in a matchup of eventual College Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks Pat Sullivan and Archie Manning. Sullivan, who accumulated 351 passing yards, guided the Tigers to an early 21-0 edge, throwing for two touchdowns and galloping 37 yards for another score. Manning, who played with a cast on his left arm, scored by air and ground, throwing for 180 yards while also leading the Rebels with 95 rushing yards on 11 carries. A 55-yard punt return touchdown by Larry Willingham sealed the Auburn win.

Dec. 31, 1973: In a duel of College Football Hall of Fame coaches Ara Parseghian and Paul "Bear" Bryant, No. 3 Notre Dame clinched the national championship with a 24-23 win against No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Trailing, 17-14, in the third quarter, Fighting Irish defender Drew Mahalic returned a Crimson Tide fumble nine yards to the 12-yard line, which Eric Penick capitalized and gave the Irish a 21-17 lead. Alabama responded with a touchdown but missed the ensuing extra point, opening the door for a game, and national title, clinching 19-yard Bob Thomas field goal.

Dec. 28, 1989: No. 25 Texas Tech topped No. 20 Duke (yes, you read that right -- Duke was actually ranked), 49-21, in the All-American Bowl in Birmingham, Ala. The Blue Devils were coached by College Football Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier and featured College Football Hall of Fame inductee Clarkston Hines at wideout, but Red Raider tailback James Gray stole the show. Gray set All-American Bowl records with 280 rushing yards and four touchdowns in what was at the time the largest bowl win in Red Raider history.

Dec. 27, 1994: In the final Freedom Bowl in Anaheim, Calif., No. 14 Utah defeated No. 15 Arizona, 16-13. The Utes were able to earn the win despite being limited to just 75 yards of total offense and five first downs by Arizona's Desert Swarm defense. Utah got a six-yard scoring romp by Charlie Brown, a safety, and achieved the winning score on a 5-yard heave on fourth-and-goal from Mike McCoy to Kevin Dyson. The Utes' win clinched the first 10-win season in school history.

Dec. 29, 1998: Drew Brees and Purdue upset No. 4 Kansas State, 37-34, in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. The Boilermakers engineered the win by forcing the Wildcats into seven turnovers. Trailing, 30-20, midway through the final frame, Kansas State quarterback Michael Bishop connected with Darnell McDonald for an 88-yard scoring strike. Bishop put the Wildcats on top with a touchdown pass to Justin Swift with 1:24 to play, but Brees led Purdue on a game-winning six-play, 80-yard drive culminating in a 24-yard touchdown pass with 30 seconds remaining.

For more, check out the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Posted Dec. 27, 2010