1985 Rose Bowl

The 1985 Rose Bowl Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the USC Trojans of the Pacific-10 Conference and Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference, held on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl in The game resulted in a victory for the underdog

Scoring summary

First quarter

• Ohio State – Spangler 21-yard field goal, 12:08 – OSU 3, USC 0
• USC – Jordan 51-yard field goal, 6:52 – OSU 3, USC 3
• USC – Cormier 3-yard pass from Green (Jordan kick) 1:54 – USC 10, OSU 3

Second quarter

• USC – Ware 19-yard pass from Green (Jordan kick) – USC 17, OSU 3
• Ohio State – Spangler 46-yard field goal, 0:00 – USC 17, OSU 6

Third quarter

• Ohio State – Spangler 52-yard field goal, 6:37 – USC 17, OSU 9
• USC – Jordan 51-yard field goal, 4:05 – USC 20, OSU 9

Fourth quarter

• Ohio State – Carter 18-yard pass from Tomczak (Tomczak run), 7:34 – USC 20, OSU 17

Tim Green and Jack Del Rio earned the Rose Bowl MVP awards.

Highlights

• With fourth straight win, Pac-10 takes its first lead in the series with the Big Ten, 20–19
• Pac-10 has won ten of eleven, and fourteen of the last sixteen meetings
• Using a swarming defense, USC caused three Mike Tomczak interceptions
• Tomczak threw 37 passes in the game
• Ohio State kicker Rich Spangler scored a Rose Bowl-record 52-yard field goal
• USC kicker Steve Jordan had two 51-yard field goals
• Big contribution from Trojans' Tim Green and Timmie Ware, Joe Cormier, Fred Crutcher, and Kennedy Pola
• Only Rose Bowl appearance for Sophomore QB Johnny Utah

Statistics

References