1984 Rose Bowl - Aftermath

Aftermath

Illinois finished with 0 rushing yards on 17 carries. Jack Trudeau completed 23 passes on 39 attempts for 178 yards with 3 interceptions. Trudeau's 3 interceptions tied a Rose Bowl single-game record (set in the 1963 Rose Bowl) which still stands as of 2008. Rick Neuheisel completed 22 of 31 passes for 298 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. Terry Donahue was later to state that the man-to-man pass coverage by the Illini was one of the reasons that they were able to be successful. Karl Dorrell in particular was able to beat Illinois freshman cornerback Keith Taylor. Rick Neuheisel's 4 touchdown passes tied the Rose Bowl record, set by Pete Beathard in 1963, and later tied by Chad Henne in the 2005 Rose Bowl. Don Rogers two interceptions tied eight other individuals, and has been tied again by four more. Jack Trudeau would later go on to set an NCAA record of 215 pass attempts without an interception in the 1985 football season.

The loss by Illinois paved the way for the #5 Miami Hurricanes, who defeated the #1 Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Orange Bowl, to win their first national championship.

The international broadcast of the Rose Bowl also helped introduce the world to the audience wave, as UCLA and Illinois fans kept the wave going around the Rose Bowl stadium.

Eventual Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster was the captain of the Fighting Illini. Rick Neuheisel would eventually become coach of the Washington Huskies and coach them to victory in the 2001 Rose Bowl, the first time a Rose Bowl MVP coached a Rose Bowl winning team. Neuheisel eventually became the coach of the UCLA Bruins, replacing Rose Bowl teammate Karl Dorrell.

It was the first time that an unranked team defeated a top five team in a bowl game. The only other time this has happened was in when Purdue won on an 80 yard drive led by Drew Brees with 1:25 left in the 1998 Alamo Bowl versus #4 ranked Kansas State. Drew Brees and Purdue would later meet the Washington Huskies coached by Rick Neuheisel in the 2001 Rose Bowl.

On June 27, 1986, Don Rogers died of a cocaine overdose at his mother's home, only eight days after Maryland basketball player Len Bias died also of a cocaine overdose.