IU to play at Rose Bowl for first time in over 50 years

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana’s game at the Rose Bowl on Saturday night against UCLA will be only the second time the Hoosiers have ever played at one of college football’s most iconic venues.

“To walk out on New Year’s Day and there’s almost 105 thousand people, takes your breath away,” said Doug Crusan from his home in suburban Indianapolis.

Crusan was there for the first time as a captain for the 1967 Big Ten Champions as Indiana made its only apperance in the Rose Bowl.

“We really did work hard and were in great shape,” Crusan said. “Coach [John] Pont was big on the physical part of it and speed. The combination put it all together for us.”

Pont’s Hoosiers won one game in 1966 before turning it around the next year. They started 8-0 before losing to Minnesota, making the annual Bucket Game against Purdue a must-win.

“Thank goodness it was at home,” Crusan remembered. “They had LeRoy Keyes, who was a tremendous running back. He went on to the pros. All week we worked on stopping him and we did.”

The Hoosiers won 19-14 to finish in a three-way tie with the Boilermakers and Golden Gophers, but went to Pasadena because they had never played there as Big Ten champions. Indiana faced USC led by All-American running back, O.J. Simpson.

“It was 7-3 at halftime and USC was good,” said Crusan. “They had six number one draft choices. O.J. was a junior. He wasn’t drafted until the next year.”

Simpson ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns as the Trojans came away with the win, but the loss didn’t diminish that magical season.

“Very proud of my teammates and myself on what we had accomplished,” Crusan said. “When they say it’s the granddaddy of the bowl games, it is.”

The ’67 Hoosiers weren’t the only great team Crusan played on in his career. He was also a starter on the ’72 Miami Dolphins, the last NFL team to go undefeated. He still keeps tabs on teams creeping close to that record.

“When they get to about 12-13 games, I start to peek and see who’s got what coming up and how good somebody is,” Crusan explained. “I still watch it.”

And he’ll be watching his Hoosiers on Saturday night.

“Complete nostalgia,” said Crusan of what he’ll be seeing. “An IU team is stepping back on that turf and bless them and they will win.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 59.