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1966 Grid Giants Toppled: New Year's Game Results Were Like Night Before-Staggering
By United Press International |
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The nation's top three teams lost, being handed their first defeats after rolling up 10-0 records in 1965. UCLA whipped national champion, Michigan State 14-12 in the Rose Bowl, Louisiana State stopped Arkansas (No. 2), 14-7 in the Cotton Bowl and Alabama blasted third-ranked Nebraska 39-28 in the Orange Bowl.
"The greatest mismatch of the century," the UCLA players yelled after avenging an early season loss to Michigan State. The Bruins took advantage of a Michigan State fumble and an intercepted pass to score a pair of first-half touchdowns. The Spartans rallied for two TD's after intermission, but the Bruins thwarted both attempts by Michigan State for two-point conversions.
Little Joe Labruzzo, the smallest man on the field, carried the ball six consecutive times on an LSU touchdown march, scored the TD and added another to help stop Arkansas' 22-game winning streak. Bill Bass anchored the tough LSU defensive unit which held the Razorbacks scoreless after intermission.
Alabama quarterback Steve Sloan, called "the greatest" by his predecessor, Joe Namath of the New York Jets, set an Orange Bowl record by completing 20 passes in 29 attempts for 296 yards. Steve Bowman scored twice for the Crimson Tide, who dropped only one game during the regular campaign.
In the Sugar Bowl, Missouri shaded Florida 20-18. The Tigers rolled up a 20-0 halftime bulge, but quarterback Steve Spurrier, the game's most valuable player, passed the Alligators back into contention in the second half and still was throwing the ball with a chance to win with less than a minute left in the game.
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Millions
of football fans still aren't sure today whether the morning after
wasn't wilder than the night before. After celebrating into the wee
hours of New Year's Day, countless armchair quarterbacks collapsed
before their television sets to watch the traditional bowl games. And
like the night before, the results were staggering.
