In the midst of World War II, the 29th edition of the Rose Bowl featured a UCLA team fresh off its first conference championship and the nation’s No. 2 team, the Georgia Bulldogs.

Led by the passing duel of Frank Sinkwich and Charley Trippi, the Bulldogs had recorded 10 wins and suffered its only loss of the season to rival Auburn.

A crowd of more than 90,000 in Pasadena, Calif., expected an offensive challenge from UCLA quarterback Bob Waterfield. Instead, Georgia’s defense held the Bruins to just five first downs and 157 total yards. Georgia’s powerful offensive line led a rushing attack that mustered 212 yards on the ground.

The game was a scoreless tie until the fourth quarter when Georgia’s Willard “Red” Boyd blocked a Bruins punt for a safety.

Sinkwich, the 1942 Heisman Trophy winner, scored the game’s only touchdown. A 1-yard run to seal the, 9-0, victory.

Georgia was named the consensus national champion that season.

His head down, Georgia's Frankie Sinkwich drills through the UCLA line for a five-yard gain in the Rose Bowl Jan. 1, 1943, at Pasadena, Calif.

Credit: Frank Filan

icon to expand image

Credit: Frank Filan

Georgia returns to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2018, in a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners. It is the first meeting against the team. The national championship will be decided Jan. 8, 2018, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Never miss a minute of the Georgia Bulldogs. Subscribe to myAJC

About the Author

Keep Reading

Kirby Smart (left) and Georgia beat Brent Key and Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes last November in Athens. The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets bring Clean Old-Fashioned Hate off campus for 2025, playing at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2024)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Featured

Atlanta art and antiques appraiser and auctioneer Allan Baitcher (right) takes bids during a 2020 auction. Baitcher and his company, Peachtree Antiques, are being sued by a Florida multimillionaire who says he paid them $20 million for fakes. (AJC 2020)

Credit: Phil Skinner / Staff