Written by Katie Ryan, USC blog contributor
USC and Wisconsin are readying for a classic Pac-12/Big Ten battle at the Holiday Bowl on December 30, which is nothing new for these two storied programs. Before the legendary 1963 Rose Bowl, the Trojans and Badgers met in Pasadena a decade earlier.
In 1953, the Trojans conquered the Rose Bowl to end the six-year winning streak of Big Ten teams in the New Year's Day game. In front of a crowd of 101,500, USC defeated Wisconsin 7-0 to finish the 1952 season at 10-1 under head coach Jess Hill. At the time, the game was considered one of the finest defensive performances in Rose Bowl history.Â
After USC All-American quarterback Jimmy Sears broke his leg as he was fielding a punt in the ninth play of the game, the Trojans rallied behind backup quarterback Rudy Bukich (pictured) to lead them to victory. Bukich's 22-yard touchdown pass to Al Carmichael in the third quarter sealed the deal for USC in the gritty, low-scoring game. Sam Tsagalakis kicked the extra point.Â
On the other side of the ball, linebacker Marv Goux led USC's defensive effort with help from Charlie Ane and George Timberlake, who were also instrumental in stopping the running game of the Badgers, which was considered the best offense in the Midwest. Goux would later become a team captain, a legendary Trojan assistant coach and have the entrance to the USC football practice field named after him.Â
This 1953 victory would improve the Trojans' overall Rose Bowl record to 9-2.
