6 14 3 3 0 6 | 2 2 Michigan 0 6 0 | |
The 1977 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1977. It was the 63rd Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten Conference, 14–6. USC quarterback Vince Evans was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game. USC freshman tailback Charles White, subbing for Heisman Trophy runner-up Ricky Bell, who was injured in the first quarter, wound up with 122 yards and a touchdown.
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Michigan Wolverines
Michigan won their first eight games and spent most of the season ranked #1, until an upset loss to Purdue on November 6 by a score of 16–14. They capped off their Big Ten championship with a 22–0 shutout of arch rival Ohio State and came into the Rose Bowl ranked #3.
USC Trojans
Under first year coach John Robinson, USC was upset in the season opener by Missouri, 46–25, the Trojans' fifth straight regular season loss dating back to the prior season when coach John McKay had announced his end-of-season resignation. They then won the rest of their games, climaxed by a 24–14 win over #2 UCLA to clinch the conference championship, and a subsequent 17–13 victory over Notre Dame.
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Aftermath
Undefeated Pittsburgh, led by Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett, was the consensus #1 team in the country going into the bowls and played Georgia in the 1977 Sugar Bowl. USC and Michigan hoped Georgia would upset Pitt to set up the Rose Bowl as a national championship showdown, but Pitt scored a dominant 27–3 win over #4 Georgia to keep its #1 ranking. USC finished as the #2 ranked team in both major polls, and Michigan finished ranked #3.