1944: USC, 29 vs. Washington, 0

Since winning their first Rose Bowl Game, the USC Trojans often entered the game underdogs, only to win the Pasadena classic all six times they’d tried. In 1944, they again entered heavy underdogs, and they again won, handily. The Trojans defeated Washington, 29-0.

The Los Angeles Times’ Al Wolf wrote: “You can put this in your meerschaum and puff it: Southern Cal never again will be a Rose Bowl underdog, even if the entire squad’s in the town lockup at kickoff time. The boys who made Washington a 1-3 favorite, a 12-1-2 point favorite, took the cure yesterday. They’ll never, never forget the little fact that putting a Trojan team in the Pasadena platter is just like waving a red flag at an ill-tempered bull – only worse.”

The onslaught started late in the second quarter, when Jim Hardy entered the game. The usual starter, Hardy had been benched for the first quarter, a decision USC coach Jeff Cravath said was so the two of them could observe the game from the sidelines. Then, in the second quarter, when Hardy took the field, he “became the spark that turned the Trojans into a raging and terrific inferno of scoring power,” wrote Bob Hunter.

With the game scoreless, Hardy and the Trojans went to the air. Taking the ball on USC’s own 28-yard line, Hardy threw completions of 11, 24 and 8 yards to get to first and 10 from the Washington 12-yard line. Then, after a 1-yard completion and two dropped passes, the Trojans went for it on fourth and nine from the 11-yard line. Hardy dropped back to pass and connected with George Callanan at the 6-yard line; Callanan took it from there and scored. The extra point put the Trojans up 7-0 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Hardy and Callanan again moved the Trojan offense up the field. With the ball on Washington’s 41-yard line, Hardy lateraled to Callanan, who took it 29 yards for a first down. Two plays later, Hardy and Callanan hooked up for a 10-yard touchdown strike.

USC then added touchdown passes from Hardy to Gordon Gray and from Ainslie Bell, who started the game at quarterback, to Gray, along with a safety on a blocked kick by Harry Planck.

However, despite the brilliance of Hardy, Callanan, Gray, et al., the unsung heroes of the 29th Rose Bowl Game were the USC offensive line, as is often the case in football. Paul Lowry of the Los Angeles Times: “If you had come with me into the Husky dressing room after the ball game, you would have learned that it was the unsung linemen who turned the Washington machine inside out and balked its thunder.”

Essentially, it was an all-around onslaught, as Cravath put it: “The entire team was magnificent. Sure, Bill Gray played a great game. Who didn’t?”

Attendance
68,000

Weather
61 degrees

Scoring
Second Quarter
USC – Callanan, 11-yard pass from Hardy (Jamison kick good)

Third Quarter
USC – Callanan, 10-yard pass from Hardy (Jamison kick good)
USC – Gray, 21-yard pass from Hardy (Jamison kick blocked)

Fourth Quarter
USC – Gray, 36-yard pass from Bell (Jamison kick good)
USC – Austin’s kick blocked and recovered by Akins in the end zone for a safety

Coaches
USC: Jeff Cravath
Washington: Ralph “Pest” Welch

Fun Fact
While playing in the 30th game of the modern Rose Bowl Game, the USC Trojans scored 29 points against the Huskies. 

Individual Stats
Rushing
Wash: Akins 9-51; Robinson 13-46; Kramer 9-36
USC: G. Callanan 5-18; Saenz 10-36; Dreblow 4- 24; Evans 5-37; Parsons 2-1; Whitehead 6-10; Shipkey 1-3; Curry 3-2

Passing
Wash: Akins 1-2-9; Austin 2-13-24; Decourcey 1-3-18;
USC: Hardy 8-15-97; Bell 1-1-15

Receiving
Wash: Akins 1-(-3); Zech 1-18; Tracy 1-27; Hagen 1-9
USC: G. Callanan 4-39; G. Gray 3-60; Saenz 1-2; Parsons 1-11

Punting
Wash: Austin 6-175; Akins 1-46; Zech 1-34
USC: Hardy 4-151