Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana Wins First Rose Bowl in School History

January 1, 2027

Season Report Posted: January 19, 2019 21:32  

Thanks to a last second Brad Johnson field goal, the Hoosiers took home their first Rose Bowl trophy in a rematch of their first appearance nearly 60 years ago. After capturing their first Big Ten title since the 1967 season, IU sought to improve upon that season and had a perfect stage to do so, taking on the Pac-12 champion USC Trojans, just as the 1967 team had done. The game was one of runs, with the Hoosiers jumping out to a 27-7 lead before the Trojans scored 38 unanswered points to take a 45-27 lead late in the third quarter. Luckily for Indiana, the offense that has been explosive all season found their rhythm again and went on another 27-7 run, this one ending in a field goal with two seconds left that secured the win. Quarterback Sam Roberts, who cracked 5000 yards in the game, threw for over 500 yards and a school record 6 touchdowns in the game, with Rose Bowl MVP Andrew Harper on the receiving end of three of those. Heisman finalist Cecil Smith ran for over 100 yards and added a touchdown on the ground, giving him over 1500 rushing yards on the season. Tight end Scott Vogel also set the IU mark for receptions in a career in the game, finishing his time in Bloomington with 199. The Hoosiers' 11 wins this season set a school record and leave Indiana fans excited for the next year with Roberts, who now owns the Hoosier career records in passing yards and touchdowns, returning along with other key contributors.