The Bruins were not eligible to play in theRose Bowl vs.Ohio State (ranked No. 1 in theAP poll) because of the PCC's "no repeat" rule, in effect for most of the decade, afterCalifornia lost a third straight Rose Bowl in January1951. Since UCLA had played in the1954 Rose Bowl, they were excluded from the 1955 event. The game likely would have made for ade facto national championship game, but thus, rivalUSC (whom the Bruins soundly defeated 34–0) went instead, and lost 20–7 to Ohio State. Following the outcome, UCLA and Ohio State split thenational championship.
During the season, the Bruins debuted their powder blue uniforms, referred to as "powder-keg blue" by head coach Sanders, that featured two white stripes around the shoulders.[4] The white uniforms with blue stripes were used the previous season during the game against USC but this was the earliest known instance of the stripes becoming a regular part of the UCLA uniform.[5][6]
Ronnie Loudd 4-yard pass from Gerry McDougal (Doug Bradley Kick)
UCLA 61–0
4
7:10
UCLA
Doug Peters 2-yard run
UCLA 67–0
The Bruins had originally scheduledSanta Clara to open their season but after the Broncos suspended football, the San Diego Naval Training Center was scheduled as a replacement. Although the San Diego NTC featured players such as All-AmericanBucky Curtis fromVanderbilt and All-PCC Earl Stelle fromOregon, UCLA was favored three touchdowns.[32]
Primo Villanueva scored the first two touchdowns of the game and the Bruins led 13–0 within 7 minutes. Bruce Ballard, Sam Brown, Villaneuva, andBob Davenport would each score another running touchdown giving the Bruins a 40–0 halftime lead. Davenport, Gerry McDougall, and Doug Peters would each score three more running touchdowns and Ronnie Loudd would score a passing touchdown from Gerry McDougal to give UCLA a punishing 67–0 victory.[33][34]
The Bruins scored three consecutive touchdowns in the first quarter. Kansas player Ralph Moody scored the first Kansas touchdown on an 82-yard punt return.Jack Ellena would score on a 50-yard punt return in the fourth quarter. A 73-yard run by reserve fullbackDon Shinnick down to the 9-yard line would set up Gerry McDougall for UCLA's final score of the day.[35][8][36][37]
Maryland were the 1953 national champions.Bob Davenport gained 89 yard on 23 carries and scored both of UCLA's touchdowns. Maryland's Howard Dare scored a touchdown on a pass from Charley Boxold to give the Terrapins the lead early in the fourth quarter. Davenport scored the go ahead touchdown in the middle of the fourth quarter to give the Bruins the victory.[38][39]
Bob Davenport scored two rushing touchdowns, Primo Villanueva scored one rushing touchdown, and Johnny Herman converted all three extra points to give UCLA a 21–0 led midway through the third quarter. After Bruins Coach Sanders replaced his starters with his second and third string players, Washington quarterback Bob Cox threw a passing touchdown to Dean Derby and Bob Dunn converted the extra point to reduce UCLA's lead to 21–7 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Sam Brown fumbled which allowed Washington to recover at the UCLA 25. Cox threw another touchdown, this time to Corky Lewis but Dunn missed the extra point kick. Brown fumbled again for a 13-yard loss and Washington scored another passing touchdown on a 56-yard drive. Dunn's extra point reduced the UCLA lead to 21–20 with 2:30 minutes left. The Bruins would hold out to win the game.[40]
The Bruin defense intercepted Stanford quarterbacks Jerry Gustafson and John Neff eight times and returned them for 210 total yards. Sam Brown set a new conference record for punt returns with 132 yards in three returns. Villanueva, Davenport and Brown each scored twice while Decker, Loudd, Heydenfeldt and McDougall scored once each for a total of 10 touchdowns.[41]
Sam Brown scored two touchdowns and Bob Davenport, Johnny Hermann, Primo Villanueva, Doug Peters, Don Shinnick, Russ Hampton, and Clarence Norris each scored a touchdown to give UCLA the 61–0 victory over Oregon State. The Bruins rushed for 498 yards and 593 total yards while holding Oregon State to 88 rushing yards and 111 total yards.[42]
Primo Villanueva rushed for two touchdowns in the first half and threw a touchdown pass to Johnny Hermann in the fourth. Cal'sPaul Larson set new Bears record for passes (38), pass completions (25), and pass yards (280) and Williams scored the Bears' lone touchdown on a 7-yard run.[43]
With the victory, UCLA set a new single scoring record of 333 points, surpassing the previous record of 327 points in just 8 games. Rommie Loudd scored the first points of the game on a 16-yard pass from Primo Villanueva. Bob Davenport, Jim Decker, Doug Bradley, Sam Brown, and Rommie Loudd each scored rushing touchdowns. Oregon only moved passed the 50 yard line two and the UCLA defense limitedGeorge Shaw, the country's leading passer with 178 yard per game, to only 29 yards.[44]
A 48-yard pass from Primo Villanueva to Bob Heydenfeldt gave UCLA a 7–0 first quarter lead. The Bruins poured on with four touchdowns in the fourth quarter: Bob Davenport scored from the one-yard line, Villanueva passed to Terry Debay for a 12-yard touchdown, Rommie Loudd caught a pass from Doug Bradley for an 8-yard touchdown, and Sam Brown passed to Bruce Ballard for a 17-yard touchdown. USC had only 5 yards rushing.[45]
Henry "Red" Sanders returned to coach the Bruins for the sixth season. The Bruin coaching staff included four future college head coaches, including three (Barnes, Dickerson, and Prothro) who would eventually serve as UCLA head coaches.[49]
^Associated Press (September 29, 1954). "Notre Dame's Footballers Top AP Poll".Los Angeles Times.ProQuest166665709.
^"Bruins Second to Oklahoma: Sanders' Team Runner-up in Nationwide Balloting".Los Angeles Times. October 5, 1954.ProQuest166702562.
^Associated Press (October 13, 1954). "Oklahoma First, UCLA 3rd in Poll".Los Angeles Times.ProQuest166708873.
^Associated Press (October 19, 1954). "Bruins Remain Third in Poll: Oklahoma, Wisconsin Top Teams in Nation".Los Angeles Times.ProQuest166705923.
^"Bruins Take First Place in UP Poll: Oklahoma, Ohio St. Tie for Second in Weekly Balloting".Los Angeles Times. October 26, 1954.ProQuest166686675.
^Associated Press (November 2, 1954). "Bruins Top Nation in AP and UP Polls".Los Angeles Times.ProQuest166707897.
^Associated Press (November 10, 1954). "Bruins Expand Lead in Polls: UCLA Voted Tops by 117 on AP Football Ballots".Los Angeles Times.ProQuest166690945.
^ab"UP's Coaches Poll: Men Who Know Best Tab UCLA UP POLL".Los Angeles Times. November 24, 1954.ProQuest166699164.
^"Bruins Voted UP National Champion: Coaches Tab UCLA Over OSU".Los Angeles Times. November 30, 1954.ProQuest166685847.
^Hyland, Dick (September 17, 1954). "SC, UCLA GRIDDERS: Bruins Taper Off for Navy Opener".Los Angeles Times.ProQuest166673104.
^Hyland, Dick (September 19, 1954). "Bruins Scuttle Navy, 67 to 0, in Grid Opener".Los Angeles Times.ProQuest166669740.
^Hyland, Dick (September 20, 1954). "Bruin Backfield Sharp in Victory".Los Angeles Times.ProQuest166680148.
