Jan. 1, 1963

In a Rose Bowl between No. 1 and No. 2, Pete Beathard's fourth touchdown pass boosts Southern Cal's lead to four touchdowns six seconds into the fourth quarter. "When it was 42-14, the kids were congratulating each other on the sidelines," USC coach John McKay says.

But before the game ends, the USC players are biting their fingernails. Wisconsin quarterback Ron VanderKelen puts on one of the most memorable performances in Rose Bowl history. VanderKelen, who ran 17 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, passes for two touchdowns and leads the slightly favored Badgers to 23 unanswered points in the last 12 minutes. He finishes with Rose Bowl records in completions (33), attempts (48) and passing yards (401).

But his aerial artistry falls short as Wisconsin loses the thriller, 42-37, before 98,698 fans in Pasadena, Calif. Despite the narrow escape, McKay throws some darts at the Badgers.

"We're still No. 1 and they're still No. 2," he says. "They're a good team, but they'd finish about sixth in our league."