Crimson halfback
Edward Casey was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game when the award was created in 1953 and selections were made retroactively.[7] It was the first Rose Bowl game following
World War I in which college football returned to the Tournament of Roses. The two previous Tournament games had featured teams from the United States
armed forces.
This game established a pattern of inviting a team from the Eastern half of the United States to face one from the West Coast. Except for the
1944 game during
World War II, this continued until the advent of the
Bowl Championship Series game in January
2002.
Game summary
Following a field goal by future
Oregon Sports Hall of Famer Bill Steers, Harvard scored on a 13-yard run by
Fred Church on a drive that was keyed by two catches by future
College Football Hall of FamerEddie Casey.
Arnold Horween added the extra point, which would prove critical as Oregon could only manage one more score, a field goal from 128-pound (58 kg) Skeet Manerud. Four other Oregon kicks were blocked or missed, including a fourth-quarter Manerud attempt that just missed.[4][5][6][8]
The 1919 Harvard team was undefeated, with two close calls; the only blemish was a come-from-behind tie at
Princeton on November 8.[10][11] Oregon finished with two losses; during the regular season, the Webfoots fell 7−0 to
Washington State in
Portland, also on November 8.[12][13]
Williams, Harry A. – FOOTBALL TITLE SETTLED TODAY. Harvard and Oregon Elevens are Both Primed for the Greatest Game of the Season; General Betting Gives Crimson Players Distinct Edge. Los Angeles Times, January 1, 1920
Hayden, Charles F. – GAME'S COLORFUL SETTING. Huge Crowd Turns Out for East vs. West Football Match—Military Touch. Los Angeles Times, January 2, 1920
Williams, Harry A. – HARVARD WINS BY A POINT. Oregon's Showing a Triumph for Coach Shy Huntington and His Helpers. Los Angeles Times, January 2, 1920
Lowry, Paul – CHURCH'S DASH BRINGS VICTORY Harvard's Crack Half Back Makes a Great Run; Oregon's Defeat Centered on this Desperate Rush; Northerner's Superior Condition was Apparent. Los Angeles Times, January 2, 1920 'Freddie Church, straddling through a mixed mass of players on a wide end run, snipped off the distance that meant victory for Harvard over Oregon yesterday. The score was 7 to 6. Church's dash was for only two yards, measured straight down the field, but before he had stretched his long limbs to a point directly behind the goal posts he had covered something like 70 yards.