The 1943 Rose Bowl game, played on January 1, 1943, was the 29th Rose Bowl game. The University of Georgia Bulldogs defeated the UCLA Bruins 9-0. The game returned to the Rose Bowl stadium after being played at Duke Stadium the year before. Charley Trippi of Georgia was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game when the award was created in 1953 and selections were made retroactively.

After the 1942 Allied victory in the Battle of Midway and the end of the Japanese offensives in the Pacific Theater during 1942, it was deemed that the West Coast was no longer vulnerable to attack, and the Rose Bowl game continued on in the Rose Bowl Stadium. Few Georgia fans were able to make the trip because of travel restrictions. There were a large number of military servicemen in attendance. The Tournament of Roses parade itself still was not held due to the war. Due to the number of American servicemen stationed in Australia, the game was broadcast live on Australian radio.

UCLA won the Pacific Coast Conference title for the first time in school history. The Bruins also won their first victory in the UCLA-USC rivalry. This Rose Bowl game was the first appearance for the Bruins in any post season matchup.

The previous season saw UCLA and USC tie 7-7 in a matchup of lower tier teams. They had played that year on the eve of America's entry into World War II, on December 6, 1941.

In 1942, the Bruins and Trojans met with the Rose Bowl on the line for both teams. On December 12, 1942 UCLA defeated USC for the first time 14-7.

The Tournament of Roses committee were responsible for selecting and inviting the opposing team. Georgia was the number two team in the nation behind number 1 Ohio State. The Western Conference, forerunner of the Big Ten Conference, did not permit their teams to play in bowl games until the 1946 agreement between the Big Ten and Pacific Coast Conference. The Bulldogs featured 1942 Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich, Maxwell Award winner Charley Trippi, and Jim Todd (Laurens, SC) backing up Trippi. The Bulldogs had been named national champions by the Berryman, DeVold, Houlgate, Litkenhous, Poling, and Williamson polls. Georgia had played their first bowl game the previous year, the 1942 Orange Bowl.

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