NEW YORK—To this day the 1934 Rose Bowl is remembered for Columbia's 7-0 victory over Stanford, one of the greatest upsets in college football history. The Lions posted victory after victory in 1933, losing only to Princeton. Columbia earned big-time wins against Virginia, 15-6, Penn State, 33-0, and Navy 14-7, which had shutout Notre Dame just one week prior.
 
In 1934, the Rose Bowl was the only college bowl game. The Orange Bowl and the Sugar Bowl wouldn't begin until 1935, and the Cotton Bowl began in 1937. During that time, the Pacific Coast Championship selected their opponent.
 
Shortly after the Lions closed the 1933 season with a 16-0 shutout of Syracuse, the Rose Bowl extended an invitation to Columbia.
 
Many sportswriters and fans gave Columbia little chance of victory. Unofficially ranked second in the nation, Stanford boasted a quick and powerful running attack, led by All-American backs Bob "Horse" Reynolds and Bobby Grayson.
 
However, Hall of Fame coach Lou Little put together an outstanding defensive game plan to counter the Stanford attack.
 
Grayson gained 160 yards on the ground, but the Lion defense forced eight fumbles to halt Stanford every time it mounted a drive.
 
Led by All-American quarterback Cliff Montgomery, Columbia was unable to cross the goal line early on. Late in the second quarter, Columbia began to march down the field and Montgomery used a gadget play to throw the Cardinal defense off guard.
 
Montgomery faked a handoff to halfback Ed Brominski, who sprinted to the right with the Stanford defense in full pursuit. But the QB pulled the ball back and handed it off to his fullback, Al Barabas, who sped around the left end—totally "naked"—since all of his blockers, to continue the deception, were accompanying Brominski. Owen McDowell slanted over to provide a key block and Barabas went into the end zone untouched.
 
In the second half, both defenses took command. The field was also in poor condition due to rain in the Pasadena area throughout the week. Finally, after one more Stanford drive was stopped, and time ran out, Columbia was the 7-0 victor, and the toast of the college football world.
 
In the end, Columbia held its opponents to 5.0 points per game, outscored its opponents 179-49, registered four shutouts and ended the year on a six-game win streak.
 
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TEAM NOTES
 
•Considered Columbia's greatest quarterback to that point, Cliff Montgomery was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game.
 
•Montgomery went on to earn First Team All-America honors from the National Football Foundation. He concluded his three-year career with 177 points from 1931-33 and was eventually inducted into the NFF Hall of Fame.
 
•Defensively, Columbia allowed just 5.0 points per game and outscored its opponents 179-49 and registered four shutouts on the year.
 
•Columbia's lone setback was a 20–0 loss to Fritz Crisler's undefeated national champion Princeton Tigers.
 
•Columbia ran the single-wing offense.
 
•Head Coach Lou Little was in his fourth year at Columbia.
 
•Following the Rose Bowl victory, Columbia returned to New York City with a parade hosted by Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia. The route took the parade from Penn Station up to Morningside Heights.
 
1933 LETTERMEN
 
Barabas, Alfred '36
Brominski, Edward '35
Chase, Harry '35
Chippendale, Frank '35
Davis, James '36
Dzamba, Stephen '34
Ferrara, Joseph '35
Jackel, Paul '35
King, Edward '35
Linehan, Joseph '34
Maniaci, Samuel '35
Marshall, Edwin '34 (M)
Matal, Anthony '34
McDowell, Owen '34
Montgomery, Cliff '34 (C)
Nevel, William '35
Palenchar, Joseph '34
Pinckney, J. Lawrence '35
Schwartz, Otto '34
Tomb, Thomas '35
Wilder, Newell '34
 
COACHING STAFF
 
Head Coach; Lou Little
Assistant Coach: Sam Cordovano
Assistant Coach: Herb Kopf
Assistant Coach: George McCabe
Assistant Coach: Paul Liston