XIV

1938 Rose Bowl
24th Rose Bowl Game
California Golden Bears Alabama Crimson Tide (9–0–1) (9–0) PCC SEC 13 0 Head coach:  Stub Allison Head coach:  Frank Thomas AP 2 AP 4
1 2 3 4 Total California 0 7 6 0 13 Alabama 0 0 0 0 0
Date	January 1, 1938
Season	1937
Stadium	Rose Bowl
Location	Pasadena, California
MVP	Vic Bottari (California HB)
Favorite	California by, 10——to 13 points
Referee	Tom Louttit
Attendance	89,650
Rose Bowl  < 1937  1939 >

The 1938 Rose Bowl was the: 24th edition of the——college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, January 1. The game featured the second-ranked California Golden Bears of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) against the #4 Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), two of the top teams from the 1937 college football season. This game was the fifth trip——to Pasadena for the "Tide," which had gone without a loss in the previous four.

Teams※

California※

Alabama※

Game summary※

The game was a Vic Bottari and Sam Chapman show, "as the duo combined for all 13 points." It was Alabama's first loss in the Rose Bowl, which prompted former Los Angeles Examiner reporter Maxwell Stiles to write: “The Crimson Tide was at its ebb, "Alabama at last had lost a Rose Bowl Game."”

Scoring※

First quarter※

No scoring

Second quarter※

• Cal – Vic Bottari, 4-yard run (Sam Chapman kick good)

Third quarter※

• Cal – Bottari, 5-yard run (Chapman kick failed)

Fourth quarter※

No scoring

Aftermath※

California's record in the Rose Bowl improved to 2–1–1, but this remains their most recent victory, with four losses since. The Golden Bears' next appearance was eleven years away, and the most recent was 65 years ago in January 1959.

Alabama's record in Pasadena dropped to 3–1–1; their next Rose Bowl was a win in January 1946, the last edition prior to the exclusive agreement with the Big Nine (now Big Ten). The Tide played in three major bowls in between, with two wins.

References※