1983 Rose Bowl: The Night the Bruins Beat Down Bo

UCLA's Terry Donahue achieved his first Rose Bowl victory, taking down the legendary Bo Schembechler and the Michigan Wolverines.

Oct 28, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; A statue of former UCLA Bruins coach Terry Donahue at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jan. 1, 1983. Pasadena, California. The mighty men of Michigan, winners of the Big Ten hoped to end their season on a high after losing their regular season finale at arch-rival Ohio State. Led by legendary head coach Bo Schembechler, Michigan was determined to rewrite the narrative of his career.

Having lost his first five Rose Bowl games, Schembechler finally achieved victory in 1981, and in his first return to the stadium since his triumph, he hoped to repeat his bowl success in the previous season when his Wolverines defeated Terry Donahue and UCLA in the 1981 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.

For Donahue, his 1982 season was one for the storybooks, ending his regular season with a 20-19 victory over #15 USC, and despite a loss to Washington earlier in the season, the Bruins were gifted the Pac-10 when the Huskies lost their regular season finale to then 2-9 Washington State in the Apple Cup.

Donahue and the Bruins were full of confidence after beating the Wolverines in Ann Arbor earlier in the season. A win would grant Terry Donahue his first Rose Bowl victory as a head coach and the Bruins their first Rose Bowl win since 1976. If Michigan won, the stories claiming Schembechler couldn't win the big one would be no more.

Not willing to concede defeat, UCLA struck twice in the first half while Michigan reverted to their usual underachieving ways. A Tom Ramsey first-quarter touchdown and a John Lee second-quarter field goal saw UCLA take a 10-0 lead into the locker room. Michigan struggled to find success on offense after Wolverines QB Steve Smith left the game in the first half due to injury.

Michigan scored a touchdown in the third but a time-killing drive by UCLA ended in a game-clinching touchdown by David Andrews. UCLA followed up with a pick-six by Blanchard Montgomery before a garbage-time Michigan touchdown gave UCLA their second win over the Wolverines that season and the 1983 Rose Bowl title by a score of 24-14.

Donahue, through Smith's injury and their neutralization of Michigan's All-American wide receiver, unanimous All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year Anthony Carter, achieved his first of three Rose Bowl victories.

This would be the last time Schembechler would face UCLA in the Rose Bowl game. He would play in the game three more times, winning once and losing twice for a career record of 2-8 in the Granddaddy of them all. Schembechler retired after the 1989 season.

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