| 1977 Rose Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 63rd Rose Bowl Game | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1976 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Rose Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Pasadena, California | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Vince Evans (USC QB) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Michigan by 4 to 6 points[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | James Mercer (Pac-8); (split crew: Pac-8,Big Ten) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 106,182 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Curt Gowdy,Don Meredith | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 26.9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The1977 Rose Bowl was acollege footballbowl game played on January 1, 1977. It was the 63rdRose Bowl Game. TheUSC Trojans, champions of thePacific-8 Conference,[3] defeated theMichigan Wolverines, champions of theBig Ten Conference,14–6.[4][5][6]
USCquarterbackVince Evans was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game, and Trojan freshman tailbackCharles White, subbing forHeisman Trophy runner-upRicky Bell, who was injured in the first quarter, rushed for 114 yards anda touchdown.[4][5][6] It was the third consecutive win for the Pac-8 in the Rose Bowl, and the seventh of thelast eight.
Michigan won their first eight games and spent most of the season ranked first in the polls, until a16–14 upset loss toPurdue on November 6. They capped off their Big Ten championship with a22–0 shutout of arch rivalOhio State; they were ranked second in both major polls at the end of the regular season.
Under first-year head coachJohn Robinson, USC was upset in the season opener at home byMissouri,46–25.[7] It was the Trojans' fifth-straight regular season loss, dating back to theprior season whenJohn McKay had announced his end-of-season resignation (leaving for the expansionTampa Bay Buccaneers of theNFL). USC won the rest of their games in 1976, climaxed by a24–14 win over #2UCLA to clinch the conferencechampionship,[3] and a subsequent 17–13 victory overNotre Dame.[8]
UndefeatedPittsburgh, led byHeisman Trophy winnerTony Dorsett, was the consensus #1 team entering the bowls and played #4Georgia in theSugar Bowl inNew Orleans. USC and Michigan hoped Georgia would upset Pitt to set up the Rose Bowl as anational championship showdown,[9] but Pitt had a dominant27–3 win earlier in the day to keep its top ranking in thefinal polls;[10][11] USC finished second and Michigan dropped onlyto third.[12]
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