11 Players, 0 Points: The 1922 Rose Bowl

Published on June 21st, 2025 4:57 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


The Rose Bowl has seen Heisman winners, national titles, and point totals pushing 100.

But once - and only once - it ended scoreless.

January 2, 1922. Washington & Jefferson vs. California. Final score: 0-0. The first and last time the Granddaddy of Them All failed to produce a single point.

This wasn't supposed to be a close game.

California entered riding a 20-game winning streak. They were undefeated in 1920 and 1921. They had shut out seven opponents in 1921 and outscored teams 312-33.

Washington & Jefferson? Tiny school. No football pedigree. No subs.

Literally - no substitutes.

Only 11 players suited up for W&J. That's not a cliche - they had 11 players available, total. The same 11 played offense, defense, special teams. All 60 minutes.

W&J's defense was phenomenal. They held Cal to just 49 rushing yards - well below their season average of over 250. California crossed midfield just once the entire game.

W&J nearly scored. In the second quarter, they drove inside the Cal 10-yard line before fumbling. That was the closest either team came to breaking the deadlock.

Both punters stayed busy. There were more than 20 combined punts. The game was a field position slugfest. Turnovers and penalties killed momentum.

Charles "Pruner" West, W&J's quarterback, made history as the first Black QB to play in a Rose Bowl. He was a dual-threat long before the term existed. While stats from the era are incomplete, accounts credit him with multiple crucial tackles, a fumble recovery, and consistent gains on the ground.

California finished with 9 first downs. W&J had just 5.

The Rose Bowl crowd? Estimated at 45,000. They watched 60 minutes of football without a single point.

Every Rose Bowl since has had scoring. Even defensive battles-like USC's 14-3 win over Michigan in 2004-produced points. Most games feature 50+ combined.

This one? Nothing.

It remains the only scoreless major bowl game in history. Not just the Rose Bowl-the only 0-0 finish in the history of the New Year's Six bowls.

It was ugly, gritty, and statistically bizarre. But unforgettable.

And unmatched for over 100 years.