1916: Washington State, 14 vs. Brown, 0

In 1916, 14 years after it had disappeared from the Tournament of Roses schedule, football returned. The chariot races that had replaced it from 1904-1915 had become too dangerous, and interest had waned.

So, it was to be another East vs. West intercollegiate and intercoastal matchup. Washington State, undefeated and undoubtedly the best team in the West, was to play Brown University, which was invited only after Syracuse – regarded as one of the best in the East – turned the offer down due to an already hectic travel schedule.

Yes, it was another intercoastal battle: the best in the West vs. the so-so from the East. This ho-hum matchup, hatched as the Rose Bowl Game resurged after a lopsided matchup in 1902 had been one of the main causes for its hiatus, left writers wondering what would become of the 1916 game.

“Washington was far and away the best team in her section of the country, the Pacific Northwest,” one writer said. “Brown, on the other hand, was only the ninth or 10th best team in her section, the Eastern seaboard, not having beaten any of the really best teams, and having lost to and tied with some of the really weaker ones.”

So, as expected, Washington State soundly beat the weaker Brown team, 14-0, on a muddy, rainy afternoon in front of 8,000 steadfast souls who braved the rain and cold at Tournament Park in Pasadena, which, as described by Rose

Bowl historian Maxwell Stiles, was “the land of the Midwinter Sun, the ideal place to be on New Year’s Day. Pasadena, city of sun and flowers, or bright parasols and balmy skies. It is raining like hell when the teams line up for the kickoff.”

The first half was scoreless; both teams had chances, but neither could convert.

In the second half, the bigger, faster, stronger Washington State line, trudging harder than its Brown opponents, simply wore them down. In the second half, they drove to within 15 yards of Brown’s end zone five times, scoring twice.

The first was a drive starting from Brown’s 40-yard line. Ralph Boone took it 21 yards to the 19-yard line, then Player of the Game Carl Dietz went over tackle for 5, then Boone again for 1, then Dietz, then Boone, then Bangs for 3, Dietz for 1, and Boone for 3 for the touchdown.

It was more of the same two drives later. The three-man onslaught marched down the field until Dietz put it away from 2 yards out.

Washington State gained 313 total yards (all on the ground) to Brown’s 86, and the Cougars made 19 first downs to Brown’s 6. Dietz ran for 105 yards on 33 carries, Bangs for 98 yards on 24 carries and Boone for 86 yards on 25 carries.

In the wet conditions, there were only five total passes attempted and one completion.

Fritz Pollard, Brown’s All-American halfback, was held to just 47 yards in the conditions.

And although the lukewarm matchup led critics to doubt the Pacific Coast’s football proficiency, the next year put those doubts firmly to rest – Oregon defeated highly-touted Pennsylvania, the fourth-ranked Eastern team, 14-0.

Attendance
8,000

Weather
Rainy and muddy

Scoring
Third Quarter
WSU: Boone, 3-yard run (Durham kick good)

Fourth Quarter
WSU: Dietz, 2-yard run (Durham kick good)

Coaches
Washington State: William “Lone Star” Dietz
Brown: Edward N. “Robbie” Robinson

Fun Fact
After the decision that the chariot events (1904-1915) were too dangerous, Pasadena decided that they would revive the football tradition and thus they matched up the East and the West in the first Rose Bowl game since 1902.

Game Statistics

Individual Stats
Rushing
WSU: Dietz 33-105; Bangs 24-98; Boone 25-86
Brown: Pollard 13-47