1919 Rose Bowl Explained

Game Name:Tournament East-West football game
Subheader:5th Rose Bowl Game
Date Game Played:January 1
Year Game Played:1919
Football Season:1918
Visitor School:Naval Station Great Lakes
Visitor Name Short:Great Lakes Navy
Visitor Nickname:Bluejackets
Visitor Record:6–0–2
Visitor Conference:Independent
Visitor 1Q:3
Visitor 2Q:7
Visitor 3Q:7
Visitor 4Q:0
Visitor Total:17
Home School:Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Home Name Short:Mare Island
Home Nickname:Marines
Home Record:10–0
Home Conference:Independent
Home 1Q:0
Home 2Q:0
Home 3Q:0
Home 4Q:0
Home Total:0
Type:bg
Attendance:25,000
Mvp:George Halas (E) – US Navy
Different Next:1920

The 1919 Rose Bowl, known at the time as the Tournament East-West Football Game, was a bowl game played on January 1, 1919, at Tournament Park in Pasadena, California. It was the 5th Rose Bowl Game. With the war just over, the game was played with players from the Mare Island Marines of California and the Great Lakes Navy from Great Lakes, Illinois.[1]

Teams

With college football teams depleted due to World War I, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses decided to stage the game with military personnel. With approval from President Woodrow Wilson, they invited the team from the Marine detachment at the Mare Island Naval Base for the second consecutive year, while it was the first appearance by a Navy team from the Naval Station Great Lakes.

Scoring

Qtr.TeamScoring playScore
1GLDriscoll 30 yard FGGL 3–0
2GLReeves 3 yard rush, Hugh Blacklock kick goodGL 10–0
3GLHalas 32 yard pass from Driscoll, Blacklock kick goodGL 17–0
Source:[2]

Game notes

Game MVP and future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and Chicago Bears owner George Halas holds the Rose Bowl record for the longest non-scoring pass interception return of 77 yards. Halas would comment that he coached players to "dive across the goal" upon reaching the three-yard line, in reference to his interception failing to result in a score, and that "anyone who can't dive three yards should play Parcheesi."[3]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.tournamentofroses.com/photogallery/RBGtimeline/1910s.htm Rose Bowl Game Timeline
  2. Book: MacCambridge . Michael . ESPN College Football Encyclopedia . 2005 . ESPN Books . New York, N.Y. . 1-4013-3703-1 . 1440 .
  3. News: Serb. Chris. '19 Rose Bowl winners cut from different jib. Chicago Tribune. January 2, 2004. July 1, 2021.