| Year Game Played: | 1959 |
| Game Name: | Rose Bowl |
| Subheader: | 45th Rose Bowl Game |
| Football Season: | 1958 |
| Visitor Name Short: | Iowa |
| Visitor Nickname: | Hawkeyes |
| Visitor School: | University of Iowa |
| Home Name Short: | California |
| Home Nickname: | Golden Bears |
| Home School: | University of California-Berkeley |
| Visitor Record: | 7 - 1 - 1 |
| Visitor Conference: | Big Ten |
| Home Record: | 7 - 3 |
| Home Conference: | PCC |
| Visitor Coach: | Forest Evashevski |
| Home Coach: | Pete Elliott |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | 2 |
| Visitor Rank Coaches: | 2 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 16 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 16 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 13 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 12 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 6 |
| Home 1Q: | 0 |
| Home 2Q: | 0 |
| Home 3Q: | 6 |
| Home 4Q: | 6 |
| Date Game Played: | January 1 |
| Stadium: | Rose Bowl |
| City: | Pasadena, California |
| Mvp: | Bob Jeter (Iowa HB) |
| Odds: | Iowa by 18 points[1] |
| Referee: | Jack Sprenger (Pacific Coast; split crew: Pacific Coast, Big Ten) |
| Halftime: | Hawkeye Marching Band, University of California Marching Band |
| Attendance: | 98,297 |
| Us Network: | NBC |
| Us Announcers Link: | List of announcers of major college bowl games |
| Us Announcers: | Mel Allen and Chick Hearn |
The 1959 Rose Bowl was the 45th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Thursday, January 1. The heavily-favored and second-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten Conference defeated the #16 California Golden Bears of the Pacific Coast Conference, 38 - 12. Iowa's star halfback Bob Jeter was named the Player of the Game.[2] [3] Iowa improved to 8–1–1 and California fell to 7–4 for the season.
Iowa, 7–1–1, was behind undefeated LSU in the two major polls. LSU was ranked number one in both major polls since week 6 of the season. LSU's Sugar Bowl win over higher ranked #12 Clemson was convincing and was awarded the national championship by the Associated Press and the Coaches' Poll (UPI), as well as by 37 other selectors. Iowa finished first in the football writers poll.
Future Berkeley, California city mayor Tom Bates was a member of the California Golden Bears team.
It was the sixth straight Rose Bowl win for the Big Ten, and the twelfth of the last thirteen.[3] The PCC disbanded in the spring and five of its members formed the new AAWU (Big Five), while the other four competed as independents for several years. It is the last time Cal has appeared in the Rose Bowl.
See also: 1958 college football season.
See main article: 1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team. Second-ranked Iowa were the Big Ten champions, entered the game with a record of 7 - 1 - 1 (5 - 1 Big Ten), and were favored by eighteen points.[1]
See main article: 1958 California Golden Bears football team. Sixteenth-ranked California, led by quarterback Joe Kapp, entered the game as Pacific Coast Conference champions with a record of 7 - 3 (6 - 1 PCC).[4]
Randy Duncan helped Iowa take a 14 - 0 lead with a touchdown run in the first quarter and a touchdown pass to Jeff Langston in the second quarter. The Hawkeye backfield carried Iowa the rest of the way, as Willie Fleming ran for two touchdowns and Bob Jeter, the Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player, and Don Horn each ran for one touchdown. Iowa attempted a Rose Bowl record three two-point conversions and failed on all three, while Bob Prescott made one of two extra points. End Jack Hart scored all of California's twelve points, running for a touchdown in the third quarter and catching a touchdown in the fourth quarter, both of which were followed by failed two-point conversion attempts. Iowa broke four Rose Bowl records: longest run (Jeter 81), team rushing yards (429), team total yards (516) and individual rushing yards (Jeter 194); and tied another Rose Bowl record set by Georgia in 1943: first downs (24). The attendance was 98,297.[5]
Four Rose Bowl game records were set: Jeter's 81-yard run, his 194 yards of rushing offense, the 429 yards gained on the ground and the 516 yards of total offense.[6]