1987 Rose Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1987 Rose Bowl was a college football
bowl game
played on January 1, 1987 at the Rose Bowl
in Pasadena, California
. It was the 73rd Rose Bowl Game. The Arizona State Sun Devils
, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wolverines
, champions of the Big Ten Conference
, 22-15. Arizona State quarterback
Jeff Van Raaphorst
was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game. This was the first appearance for Arizona State in the Rose Bowl.
and SMU
. He threw five interceptions in the third game of year against Washington State
, which ended in a 21-21 tie. A 16-9 win for Arizona State over UCLA in Pasadena on October 4 later proved to be the deciding game in the race for the Pac-10 Conference title. The Sun Devils then defeated Oregon
in Eugene
and returned to Southern California
to defeat USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
, becoming the first Pac-10 team to beat both Los Angeles
area conference members on their home turf.
With three straight wins at home over former WAC
nemesis, Utah, Washington
, and Cal
, combined with a UCLA loss to Stanford
, Arizona State clinched the Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl berth on November 8. The Sun Devils dropped their final game of the regular season to in-state rival Arizona
, 34-17, in the annual battle for the Territorial Cup
.
. Then they won their home opener, 31-12, over Oregon State
and beat an up and coming Florida State
squad ranked #20, 20-18. The Wolverines then handily defeated Wisconsin
and Michigan State
to begin Big Ten play. Michigan then faced #8 ranked Iowa
. A #1 versus #2 matchup the previous season between the two schools, which the Wolverines lost, had decided the race for the Big Ten title and the 1986 Rose Bowl
. Michigan won the 1986 showdown, 20-17, and then rolled over Illinois
, Indiana
, and Purdue
to improve their record to 9-0 and ascend to #2 in the rankings.
Michigan's next opponent, Minnesota, had not beaten the Wolverines since 1977 and came into Ann Arbor
as a 25-point underdog. A Michigan touchdown tied the game at 17-17 with just two minutes to go, but Minnesota quarterback Rickey Foggie
scrambled to put Chip Lohmiller
in position to kick the winning field goal. The Gophers prevailed, 20-17, for their first win at Michigan since 1962.
The loss dropped the Wolverines to #6 as they prepared to face their arch rival, #7 ranked Ohio State
, for a trip to the Rose Bowl. Jim Harbaugh
guaranteed a Michigan victory. "We don't care where we play the game," said the senior quarterback early in the week. "I hate to say it, but we could play it in the parking lot. We could play the game at 12 noon or midnight. We're going to be jacked up." With Arizona State having already locked up a Rose Bowl berth, and the Fiesta Bowl
and Citrus Bowl
scrambling to host a #1 versus #2 showdown between Miami
and Penn State, the Cotton Bowl struck an agreement to take the loser of the Michigan-Ohio State game. Michigan running back
Jamie Morris
led the Wolverines to a 26-24 victory on the strength of his 216 yards rushing, the most by any player in the rivalry's 89-year history. The Wolverines were Pasadena-bound.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
played on January 1, 1987 at the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. It was the 73rd Rose Bowl Game. The Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wolverines
1986 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1986 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1986 college football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler...
, champions of the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
, 22-15. Arizona State quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Jeff Van Raaphorst
Jeff Van Raaphorst
Jeffrey Richard Van Raaphorst is a former American football quarterback. After going to high school at Grossmont High School in La Mesa, California, Van Raaphorst attended Arizona State University. He led the Sun Devils football team to the PAC-10 championship in his senior year, where they won...
was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game. This was the first appearance for Arizona State in the Rose Bowl.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona State quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst looked uncomfortable in the first two games of the season, wins over Michigan StateMichigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
and SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
. He threw five interceptions in the third game of year against Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
, which ended in a 21-21 tie. A 16-9 win for Arizona State over UCLA in Pasadena on October 4 later proved to be the deciding game in the race for the Pac-10 Conference title. The Sun Devils then defeated Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
and returned to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
to defeat USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, becoming the first Pac-10 team to beat both Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area conference members on their home turf.
With three straight wins at home over former WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
nemesis, Utah, Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
, and Cal
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
, combined with a UCLA loss to Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
, Arizona State clinched the Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl berth on November 8. The Sun Devils dropped their final game of the regular season to in-state rival Arizona
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
, 34-17, in the annual battle for the Territorial Cup
Territorial Cup
The Territorial Cup is a trophy that is awarded to the winner of an American college football rivalry game, commonly referred to as "The Duel in the Desert," played annually between the Arizona State Sun Devils football team of Arizona State University and the Arizona Wildcats football team of the...
.
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines began the season ranked #3 in the nation. They opened their schedule with a close 24-23 win over Notre Dame in South BendSouth Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
. Then they won their home opener, 31-12, over Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
and beat an up and coming Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
squad ranked #20, 20-18. The Wolverines then handily defeated Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
and Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
to begin Big Ten play. Michigan then faced #8 ranked Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. A #1 versus #2 matchup the previous season between the two schools, which the Wolverines lost, had decided the race for the Big Ten title and the 1986 Rose Bowl
1986 Rose Bowl
The 1986 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1986. It was the 72nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 45-28. UCLA tailback Eric Ball was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. He ran for a Rose Bowl record four touchdowns.-Iowa Hawkeyes:Iowa...
. Michigan won the 1986 showdown, 20-17, and then rolled over Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
, Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
, and Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
to improve their record to 9-0 and ascend to #2 in the rankings.
Michigan's next opponent, Minnesota, had not beaten the Wolverines since 1977 and came into Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
as a 25-point underdog. A Michigan touchdown tied the game at 17-17 with just two minutes to go, but Minnesota quarterback Rickey Foggie
Rickey Foggie
Rickey Foggie is a former quarterback. Foggie was the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers for four seasons, before going on to play professionally in – first the Canadian Football League, and then later in the Arena Football League...
scrambled to put Chip Lohmiller
Chip Lohmiller
John McLeod "Chip" Lohmiller is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, and the St. Louis Rams...
in position to kick the winning field goal. The Gophers prevailed, 20-17, for their first win at Michigan since 1962.
The loss dropped the Wolverines to #6 as they prepared to face their arch rival, #7 ranked Ohio State
1986 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1986 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1986-1987. The Buckeyes compiled a 10–3 record, including the 1987 Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas, where they won 28–12 against the Texas A&M...
, for a trip to the Rose Bowl. Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
guaranteed a Michigan victory. "We don't care where we play the game," said the senior quarterback early in the week. "I hate to say it, but we could play it in the parking lot. We could play the game at 12 noon or midnight. We're going to be jacked up." With Arizona State having already locked up a Rose Bowl berth, and the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
and Citrus Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
scrambling to host a #1 versus #2 showdown between Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
and Penn State, the Cotton Bowl struck an agreement to take the loser of the Michigan-Ohio State game. Michigan running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Jamie Morris
Jamie Morris
James Walter "Jamie" Morris is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and a record-setting running back in college for the University of Michigan Wolverines...
led the Wolverines to a 26-24 victory on the strength of his 216 yards rushing, the most by any player in the rivalry's 89-year history. The Wolverines were Pasadena-bound.
Game summary
First quarter
- Michigan – Jamie MorrisJamie MorrisJames Walter "Jamie" Morris is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and a record-setting running back in college for the University of Michigan Wolverines...
, 18-yard run (Gerald White pass from Mike Gillette)
Second quarter
- ASU – Kent Bostrom, 37-yard field goal
- Michigan – Jim HarbaughJim HarbaughJames Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
, 29 run (Mike Gillette kick) - ASU – Kent Bostrom, 17-yard field goal
- ASU – Bruce Hill, 4-yard pass from Jeff Van RaaphorstJeff Van RaaphorstJeffrey Richard Van Raaphorst is a former American football quarterback. After going to high school at Grossmont High School in La Mesa, California, Van Raaphorst attended Arizona State University. He led the Sun Devils football team to the PAC-10 championship in his senior year, where they won...
(Kent Bostrom kick)
Third quarter
- ASU – Bruce Hill, 1-yard pass from Jeff Van Raaphorst (Jeff Van Raaphorst pass failed)