1942 Rose Bowl - Game Summary

Game Summary

Duke was expected to win by more than two touchdowns and went off as a 3-1 favorite. Some wondered why Oregon State would even make the trip. The weather, however, seemed to favor the visitors. One Duke player claimed that there was more rain than he had ever seen. The Beavers, looking up at the same sky, described the weather as misty. Whatever the case, Duke gave up whatever psychological advantage they had by fumbling the opening kickoff. The Duke defense would hold, but Oregon State would score first on a 15-yard run by Don Durdan later in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Duke would tie the score at seven with a three-yard run by Steve Lach, which concluded the scoring in the half.

The defenses, which would play brilliantly for most of the game let down for a three-drive stretch of the third quarter. Oregon State retook the lead when George Zellick scored on a 31-yard pass from Bob Dethman. Duke would respond by scoring on a one-yard run by Winston Siegfried on the following drive. In the following drive, Bob Dethman would find streaking reserve halfback, Gene Gray, on a 40-yard pass. Gray would outrace two Duke defenders the final 28-yards into the end zone. The extra point would be no good, leaving the door open for a Duke comeback.

The 16-points that Duke scored were the most that the Oregon State's defense had given up all year. The Beaver defense seemed resolved to make sure the 20-points the offense had put up would stand up. Duke's offense would cross into Beaver territory three times in the fourth-quarter, but the Beavers would not break, intercepting two passes and shutting out the Duke offense the rest of the way. Duke's defense would tack on two when Mike Karmazin caught Don Durden in his own end zone, but neither team would muster any more points.