NEW YORK—The 1934 Rose Bowl is still remembered for Columbia's 7-0 victory over Stanford, one of the greatest upsets in college football history.

In 1934, the Rose Bowl was the only bowl. The Orange Bowl and the Sugar Bowl wouldn't begin until 1935, the Cotton Bowl until 1937. The custom of the day was that the Pacific Coast champion got to pick its own opponent in the Rose Bowl.

 
That was fine with Stanford, the coast's top team, which tried to attract another West Coast team. However, Stanford had beaten all of the coast's best teams, and none wanted to chance another shot at the best of the west.
 
Next, Stanford reached across the nation… for Princeton, which had gone 9-0. But the Tigers declined the bid. So did Michigan, the unofficial national champion.
 
At the time, most of the great New York City sports columnists were syndicated nationally, and as the Lions posted victory after victory, they jumped on the Lions' bandwagon. Losing only to Princeton, the Lions topped Virginia, 15-6, Penn State, 33-0, and Navy, 14-7. The latter was the real eye-opener; just one week earlier, Navy had shut out Notre Dame.
 
Reading those New York columnists convinced the Stanford administration. Moments after Columbia closed the 1933 season with a 16-0 shutout of Syracuse, the Rose Bowl extended the bid.
 
Although Columbia's players and fans were ecstatic, the University didn't jump at the bid. There were academic considerations – besides their time out in California, travel would consume two four-day stretches – by train. And then there was the prospect that the Lions were simply lambs being led to the slaughter by powerful Stanford.
 
Eventually, however, Columbia accepted the bid; a reaction, some have said, to the strong urging of former Lion quarterback and World War I Medal of Honor recipient William "Wild Bill" Donovan.
 
Most of the West Coast sportswriters and fans gave Columbia little chance of victory. Perennial Rose Bowl hosts, Stanford was 8-1-1 in 1933, ranked second in the unofficial national rankings. They boasted a quick and powerful running attack, led by All-American backs Bob "Horse" Reynolds and Bobby Grayson, who was considered another Red Grange.
 
They hadn't counted on Columbia's defense, crafted by the great Lou Little, who had only joined Columbia in 1930, but would go on to be a Hall of Fame coach. Little had found weaknesses on the Indian attack and exploited them.
 
Columbia had an assist as well – the weather. It rained steadily for a full week, flooding the field so much that the game was almost postponed, and the fire department had to be called to pump the water from the field.
 
The muddy field hindered Stanford, but didn't stop it. Stanford was still able to gain ground – Grayson gained 160 yards, more than the entire Columbia team – but every Stanford drive was halted by the fierce Lion defense, and Stanford fumbled the ball away eight times.


 
Despite the presence of All-American quarterback Cliff Montgomery, Columbia was unable to cross the goal line early in the game. The Lions had a great chance in the first quarter with a special play Little had devised, a "naked" reverse designed to combat the over-pursuing Stanford defense, but a desperation tackle by the Stanford safety stopped it.
 
Late in the second quarter, Columbia began moving again. Montgomery brought his team downfield, and completed a pass to Tony "Red" Matal for a first down on the Stanford 17. Little pounced on the opportunity, and called his special play again.
 
"KF-79," he called, a combination of letters and numbers that still lives in Columbia football history. 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 left end – totally "naked" – for all of his blockers, to continue the deception, were accompanying Brominski.
 
Barabas's biggest worry was that same Stanford safety. Sure enough, he sniffed out the play, and came after the Lion ball carrier, but left end Owen McDowell slanted over and cut down the safety. Barabas went into the end zone untouched.
 
Newell "Newt" Wilder kicked the extra point, and the Lions entered halftime with a 7-0 lead. In the second half, both defenses took command. It was hard, physical play – don't forget, there was minimal padding in 1930s football, and no face masks – and Stanford needed many substitutes, including some for Grayson, who suffered a broken foot and a broken rib. Columbia, however, played the entire game with just 17 men.


 
Finally, after yet one more Stanford try was halted, time ran out, and Columbia was a 7-0 victor, the toast of the college football world. As the team made its way back across the nation – by train – fans turned out by the hundreds at nearly every station, even ones at which the train didn't stop, just to get a glimpse of the 1933 Columbia Lions football team, vanquishers of mighty Stanford in the nation's only post-season bowl.


 
The 1934 Rose Bowl. –Written by Bill Steinman
 
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