Washington plays Michigan for the national title on Monday night. In another significant episode of past Michigan-Washington matchups, let us examine the Rose Bowl game in 1981.
USC fans know that the Trojans hounded and haunted Michigan and Bo Schembechler in the Rose Bowl. John McKay beat Bo in the Michigan coach’s first Rose Bowl game in January of 1970. John Robinson then beat Bo and Michigan in the 1977 and 1979 Rose Bowls. Schembechler also lost the 1978 Rose Bowl to Washington. When was Bo ever going to break through and win the Granddaddy?
This is where we return to 1981. This was a memorable Rose Bowl for the Wolverines. Schembechler finally got the monkey off his back with a 23-6 win over Washington in the 67th edition of the legendary game.
The only points Washington scored came in the second quarter, and it was all Michigan from that point on.
John Wangler was the quarterback for the Wolverines this season. Butch Woolfolk, a future pro who had a solid NFL career, earned Rose Bowl Player of the Game honors with 26 carries for 182 yards in a massive performance.
The Michigan defense flexed its muscles in this game, limiting Washington to just 105 yards in the second half.
The Wolverines scored 16 unanswered points to finish the game. The infamous Schembechler Rose Bowl drought was snapped. Beyond that, Schembechler won his first bowl of any kind after seven consecutive losses heading into this game. Schembechler lost three Rose Bowls to USC in the 1970s. He also lost the 1972 Rose Bowl to Stanford, the 1976 Orange Bowl to Oklahoma, the 1978 Rose Bowl to Washington, and the 1979 Gator Bowl to North Carolina. The 1981 Rose Bowl lifted a weight off Bo’s shoulders, and his players carried him on their shoulders after the final seconds ticked off the clock in Pasadena.
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