A Weekend in Time

This feature discusses the results of one weekend of college football action from the past. Since the archives of Time magazine are a source for these reports, the title has a double meaning.

October 18, 1924

"An agile QB (one Mickey Dooley) hard to hold as a peeled potato, a giant blond HB (Swede Oberlander) did well for Dartmouth against Yale, but they made one fumble apiece. That was why the Scoreboard bore the deadlock legend: '....14, ....14.' To Yale went the moral victory, always the property of the weaker team when a tie occurs; to the spectators went the impression that the Blue was a team alert rather than capable."
"Had it not been for the toe of a Sophomore substitute, the Princeton-Navy game would have tied. Up and down the field the teams had maneuvered, Princeton light and speedy, the Navy ponderous and smooth." With the score tied 14-14, a substitute, Ewing, deftly kicked a FG for the victory.
"Two huge men, each a captain, each a center, met on New York's Polo Grounds, shook hands, tossed up a penny – Garbisch of the Army, Walsh of Notre Dame. For the rest of the afternoon, they battered each other bloody; at the end, Walsh was the bloodiest, but his team had won – 13 to 7. With a backfield – Struhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden – who ran 'like the Four Horseman'; a line whose defense was adamant, whose assault was clockwork – they undid those Army men."

The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame

1924 College Football Game

Cornell, after starting the season by trouncing St. Bonaventure 56-0 and Niagara 27-0, lost to Williams 14-7 last week and then to Rutgers this week, 10-0.
"When Pennsylvania kicked off to Columbia, the unsoiled pigskin, barely lifted from the ground, bounced and jounced into the arms of QB Pease, who carried it 90y for a TD. But Pease-porridge-hot was soon Pease-porridge-cold, for Coach Haughton's line could not stand against the Quakers' plunges, nor could Captain Koppisch or the speedy Pease get away to score. Penn played strudy football, carried off the day 10 to 7."
"Harvard and Holy Cross muddled through a ragged contest. In the first period, Miller, Crimson half, was tackled so eagerly that the ball flew from his arm. Crowley of Holy Cross scooped it up and scored. In the last period, Miller kept the ball by him, raced 60y, brought in the TD that won for Harvard – 12 to 6."
Syracuse's "big team" downed Boston College 10-0 on a TD and FG by FB McBride.
"Westward, the sun shone on a redhaired, eel-hipped runagate, Grange by name. He, all-American HB of last season, running and dodging with fabulous agility, scored five of the six TDs that Illinois piled up against Michigan for its 39-14 victory. He ran through a broken field like a thoroughbred through a bog, supported always by superb interference." (Read more about this game.)
"Nebraska welcomed Colgate with such a display of feints, line-bucks, cross-bucks and hidden ball plays that after the first quarter the game was not a game. Concentrating on Tryon, Colgate star whom they had been told to fear, the Cornhuskers battered him into helplessness, left their visitors off gently at 33 to 7."
Purdue visited Northwestern and escaped with a 7-3 triumph. "One FG for the Purple, far from dampening the ardor of these young gentlemen [from Purdue], inflamed them to such an extent that they touched off numerous forward passes, one of which fulminated behind the Northwestern goal line."
"Badgers from Wisconsin and Gophers from Minnesota spent a fruitless afternoon gnawing at one another. At the outset, with tackle Schwarze, biggest Badger, ripping open large holes in the Gopher colony, it looked as though he and his fellows must win. But the biting of other Badgers fell short of their barking; the Gophers squeaked over a TD in the last period; the score stood 7 to 7."
"On Stagg Field, there was carnage. All unwitting, a team from Indiana strayed in and fell prey to the fierce Chicago backfield, the potent Chicago line. When all was over, folk said Chicago is fiercer this year than any conference eleven – except Illinois. The score, which could have been worse: Chicago 23, Indiana0."

Stagg Field

John Heisman

In the South (an area continually neglected by Time), Mike Donahue's LSU Tigers ran their record to 4-0 with a win at Rice. Owl coach John Heisman let the grass grow to slow down the ball carriers and keep punt rolls to a minimum. As a result, defense dominated, but an INT return helped the visitors win 12-0.

Weekend in Time Archive | Top of Page

October 14, 1933

Cliff Montgomery, Columbia
Cliff Montgomery

Howard Jones

Izzy Weinstock

"When restrictions were lifted from the use of the forward pass 20 years ago, the pass began to supplant the dropkick as a scoring maneuver. When the goal posts were moved 10 yd. behind the goal line (so that scrimmaging players would not crash into them), the field goal, especially the dropkick, became more difficult and rare. Last year only four field goals were dropkicked in major intercollegiate football. Last week saw the beginning of what may be a dropkick renaissance. The National Professional League, believing that the dropkick makes a faster, more spectacular game with less chance of tied scores, restored the goal posts to the goal line this season. The first dropkick FG in ten years of Pacific Coast Conference play was scored a fortnight ago by UCLA in a 21-0 victory over Utah." Incidentally, the record for dropkicks in a single game is 17, booted by Forest Peters, Montana freshman, in 1924.

Humiliated at Ohio State 75-0 last week, Virginia traveled to New York and gave Columbia all it could handle. After trailing 6-0 at the half, Lion captain Cliff Montgomery rallied his team to victory, "racing brilliantly for two TDs and making possible a FG," 15-6.

FB Regeczi started Michigan off on the right foot with a 77yd TD gallop through Cornell. HB Everhardus had to run only 52yd through T for the next one, but followed with one from 85. "Michigan went over, around and through Cornell's line about as it pleased before it was done, 40-0."

The "strongest Stanford team since the days of Ernie Nevers journeyed to Chicago, plowed to Northwestern's 1-yard line where the half-time gun stopped it, and went home sharing a 0-0 tie."

St. Mary's, the last team to beat Southern California, back in 1931, met Howard Jones' Trojans again. LE Canrinus, who made the winning TD two years ago, snagged a 50-yd. forward pass to tie the score in the second period. With the ball on its 23, St. Mary's sent in a substitute G. "Green and nervous, the substitute immediately began chatting with his teammates – forbidden before the ball was in play. The referee moved the ball to the 8-yd. line whence one play won the game for Southern California, 14-7." During the game SC was penalized 50 yd., St. Mary's nearly 100 yd. for roughing.

"Impotent against Pitt's massive line, Navy filled the sky with forward passes," completing only nine of 31. In Q2, Pitt HB Sebastian "cooly dropped back to his own 1 yd. line, fired a forward pass 60 yd. down the field. Five fast, crashing plays set FB Izzy Weinstock over the Navy line for the first of five TDs. 34-6 was the final.

"Spectators were astonished to find the Yale team wearing white jerseys instead of traditional blue (so they would not toss passes to the blue-clad Washington & Lee players)." Fans were less astonished to see Yale win 14-0.

Nearly every one of Princeton's plays, from spinners to end runs, "clicked with beautiful precision" for 440 yd. while the D held Williams to 19 yd. Sophomores scored all but one of the Tigers' TDs in a 45-0 rout.

"A fiery littleDuke team dealt Tennessee its first drubbing in 27 games, 10-2."

Notre Dame's "green battering-ram out-rammed Indiana" 223 yd to 30 yd but could score only two TDs in a 12-2 victory.

"To practically everyone's astonishment, Illinois punched three TDs throughWisconsin, the prettiest being a 47-yd. sprint by HB Les Lindberg" in a 21-0 trashing.

"Tulane quit fumbling in time to whip Maryland 20-0."

"The fact that it outplayed Georgia Tech failed to save Auburn from its first beating (16-6) since 1931."

"Purdue gazed in bewilderment a Minnesota's forward passes, finally grabbed one in the last period in time to save itself, 7-7."

Pennsylvania "fumbled itself out of anything better than a 9-0 score against a far weaker Franklin & Marshall team."

November 24, 1934

Andy Pilney

Dan Hanley
Jay Berwanger Chicago

Jay Berwanger
Pop Warner

"Pop" Warner

"With five minutes left to play and the score 6-to-6, the biggest crowd of the year (80,000) saw Notre Dame's Andy Pilney drop back for a pass from his own 38-yd. line. The ball sailed across the line of scrimmage in a high arc, landed in the arms of Notre Dame's Dan Hanley who was dragged down by two tacklers on Army's 25-yd. line. Two line plays followed and then Pilney dropped back to pass again. This time, Hanley caught the ball just beyond the line of scrimmage, cut to the left, zigzagged 10y to the goalline." Hanley, a member of Knute Rockne's last team in 1931, missed two seasons because of illness. Dan was the hero of the 12-6 Irish win.
"The Yale bandleader dropped his baton. The Harvard bass drum tipped over at a crucial moment. Incongruous in the smart Bowl crowd were two members of a traveling circus, a giant and a midget in a tall silk hat. In the interval after the third period, a spectator ran the length of the field, threw his hat over the Harvard goal posts, snickered at the crowd. Embellished by such antics, the 53rd Yale-Harvard game went off as expected." Two long Yale TDs in the first half held up as two prolonged Crimson drives stalled inside the 5. 14-0 Yale
Minnesota clinched its first undisputed Big Ten title in 23 years. Not knowing that Indiana spoiled Purdue's hope of tying for the championship with a 17-6 upset, Bernie Bierman's juggernaut trounced Wisconsin 34-0.
Heavy favorite Stanford was held scoreless in the first half of its Big Game with California. Finally, E Keith Topping recovered a blocked punt at the 24 to set up a TD plunge by Robert Hamilton. A FG from the 15 gave the Indians enough points to withstand a last minute Cal TD, 9-7.
Thrice-beaten TCU redeemed itself by handing Rice its first defeat of the season, 7-2, in Houston.
"Anxious to show what it could do to a Dartmouth team that Yale had nosed out by only five points, Princeton rolled up five TDs in the first half, one in the second while Dartmouth got two, 38-to-13."
"Son of a German blacksmith, Chicago's 'Flying Dutchman' Jay Berwanger, who wears a white mask to protect a nose broken in his freshman year, found Illinois backs alert against passes, Illinois lineman on guard against power plays. Galbreath's TD in the first period won for Illinois, 6-to-0."
Glenn "Pop" Warner, onetime Stanford coach who began coaching at Temple last year, watched his Owls preserve their unbeaten record and hopes of meeting his former school in the Rose Bowl by beating crosstown rival Villanova 22-0. Warner's star was "a giant sophomore back named Dave Smukler who passed, kicked and ran like an All-American."
Down South, unbeaten but once-tied (by Vanderbilt) Tennessee shutout Kentucky 27-0. Only Florida in Jacksonville remains on the Vol schedule.

October 16, 1937

Eric Tipton and his Duke coach, Wallace Wade

Clint Frank, Yale

Alabama-Tenn Poster
Ad in The Kingsport (TN) Times
October 17, 1937

Columbia QB Sid Luckman
Sid Luckman, Columbia

Five teams toppled from the undefeated ranks as more than 550,000 fans saw the day's twenty leading games.

A golden October sun beat down on 26,000 frenzied spectators who watched Georgia Tech, unscored on while putting up 119 points in its first three games, against Duke's powerful team. Tech completed 11 passes, many of them breath-taking forward-laterals and lateral-forwards, for gains averaging more than 15y. The game see-sawed: Duke 7-6, Tech 13-7, Duke 14-13, Tech 19-14. Finally, in the last five minutes, the Yellow Jacket QB Fletcher Sims fumbled a punt at his 12. Duke recovered and on third down HB Eric Tipton skidded off right end for a TD. Final: Duke 20, Georgia Tech 19.

Cornell, minus the services of George Peck, was spilled by an underrated Syracuse array paced by the Olympic sprinter, Marty Glickman, 14-6.

Army, with its line crumbling at critical stages, bowed to Yale's opponents 13-7, with Clint Frank once more directing the Eli offensive.

Alabama's combined passing and running attack, built around Joe Kilgrow, carried the Crimson Tide to a 14-7 decision on Tennessee's Vols. A crowd of 25,000 fans, one of the biggest ever to watch a game
in Knoxville, saw Bama yield its first TD of the season in the closing minutes.

Notre Dame met its Waterloo on familiar ground and at the hands of a familiar and respected foe – Carnegie Tech. The Engineers won the 15th renewal of the rivalry before 40,000 in Pittsburgh 9-7 on the strength of Coleman Kopesak's FG from the 16y line in Q3. ND outgained Tech 235-7 in rushing and made 15 first downs to 2.

Other undefeated powers suffered ties.

Pitt and Fordham hauled and tugged at one another in gruelling fashion but when it was all over they had played their third scoreless draw in as many years.

Navy and Harvard matched running attack against passing attack without either gaining any score.

Nebraska, early season conqueror of Minnesota, was the victim of another scoreless stalemate with Oklahoma.

Texas A&M, hailed as probably Southwest champions, had to pull a TD out of the air in the last minutes to get a 7-7 draw with Texas Christian.

And other action.

Holy Cross edged out a 7-6 victory over Georgia, whose Bulldogs finally pushed over a TD in the last four minutes of play but "blew" the try for point.

Making up for the Georgia defeat, Tulane nosed out Colgate at Buffalo, also by a 7-6 score.

Sid Luckman's passing and running carried Columbia to an easy 20-6 victory over Penn.

John Wysocki scored three TDs as Villanova upset Manhattan by a surprisingly one-sided 20-0 margin.

Northwestern continued its drive for the Big Ten crown by outpointing Purdue in a bitterly fought battle, 14-7, before 35,000 at Dyche Stadium. Minnesota signalized its return to form with a 39-6 rout of Michigan. The victory was costly for the Gophers, however, for fleet Andy Uram suffered a broken wrist.

Wisconsin remained unbeaten and untied after a 13-6 victory over Iowa while Indiana scored its first victory over Illinois since 1903, 13-6.

Princeton invaded the mid-west and tripped Chicago 16-7, outclassing the Maroon in the second half.

In the Big Six, Kansas surprised Iowa State 14-6; Kansas State won 13-0 from Marquette but Missouri was spilled by Michigan State 2-0.

In the South, Auburn's Plainsmen, after successive scoreless ties with Tulane and Villanova, suddenly found the scoring combination and trounced Mississippi State 37-7 in one of the most amazing results of the day. Florida defeated Sewanee 21-0 in anothe Southeastern conference engagement.

The plague of ties struck in the far west where Washington and Washington State, Oregon State and UCLA battled to 7-7 draws. Southern California, however, buried Oregon under a 34-14 count. California, the apparent powerhouse of the Pacific coast conference, won a "breather" double header from California Aggies, 14-0, and College of Pacific, 20-0.

Duffy Daugherty
Ohio State Coach Woody Hayes

Woody Hayes

Jim Swink

Johnny Majors (45)
Rice E Buddy Dial

Buddy Dial

October 6, 1956
These reports are based on the summary in Sports Illustrated.

The largest crowd ever to see a sports event in Michigan, 101,001, packed the Big House in Ann Arbor for #2 Michigan State's visit. "Last Saturday each team brought along its blitzkrieg offense, but the game was fought and won up in the trenches where the linemen wage their savage, static combat. When the heat-butting was over, the Michigan State infantry had outlasted Michigan," 9-0. MSU coach Duffy Daugherty said it was "the hardest-fought game I've ever seen." After a scoreless first half that Michigan dominated in yardage, the Spartans got a break on LB Arch Matsos' INT of a FB pass to set up a 30y FG. Another turnover, this time a fumble, led to a TD run by sub HB Dennis Mendyk early in Q4.
Stanford traveled cross-country to Columbus. "Beautiful, rapierlike passing by John Brodie carved the Ohio State defense as deftly as a surgeon's scalpel, but Stanford, its line riddled by injuries to no less than seven players, could not interrupt the momentum of State's ponderous, crushing attack." Brodie's 269y passing sparked three TD drives of 80, 83, and 52y and a 20-20 tie after Q3. But a fumble recovery set up the go-ahead TD for Woody Hayes' Buckeyes and an INT set up the clinching score on OSU's only completion of the day, 18y from HB Don Clark to HB Jim Roseboro.
Converted HB Bob Kyasky took over as Army's QB, leading the Cadets to two Q1 TDs that stood up over visiting Penn State, 14-7. Kyasky also sparkled on D, intercepting a pass from Lion QB Milt Plum and making a saving tackle of Bruce Gilmore "to preserve the fruits of his labor on offense."
"There was hoarse singing in the University of Pennsylvania showers, the first in three years. Beads of happy sweat twinkled on Coach Steve Sebo's forehead as he autographed bits and pieces of goal posts." Penn broke its 20-game losing streak, beating Dartmouth 14-7 at venerable Franklin Field. After several years of playing an independent schedule and losing to the likes of Duke, Navy,Penn State, Notre Dame, Army, and California, Penn joined the Ivy League for this season.
The TV Game of the Week proved to be a dud as TCU larruped Arkansas 41-6 to open defense of its Southwest Conference title. Jim Swink was the backfield star but by no means the only quality performer for the Horned Frogs. Swink gained 71y on the ground and threw a 36y pass. The other HB, Ken Wineburg, caught a TD pass from QB Chuck Curtis and also bolted 46y on a counter for another score.
"Every week Tennessee looks more like a national football power, and Johnny Majors looks more like an All-America football player." Majors led the Volunteers' classic single wing at Duke 33-20, playing only the first 19 minutes, enough to gain 105y in seven "twisting, tightroping carries," with a pass completion for 12 more. He scored the first two TDs on runs of 17 and 28 and set up the third score before giving his excellent backups at TB, Al Carter and Carroll Young, a chance to showcase their wares. "No doubt about it – the Vols proved conclusively that the ancient single wing can still be a murderous instrument in modern football."
LSU lost its second straight to a Southwest Conference foe, this week to Rice in Houston, 23-14, after succumbing to Texas A&M at home 9-6 last week. Owl QB Frank Ryan made two big plays for a 13-7 halftime lead. After a roughing the punter penalty kept a Rice drive alive in Q1, Ryan arched a pass to superb soph E Buddy Dial for a 51y TD. Then Ryan, back to pass, broke free and ran 32y to paydirt. A FG and 55y run by HB Howard Hoelscher finished off the Tigers.
In Mobile, #18 Vanderbilt went to 3-0 with a 32-7 drubbing of overmatched Alabama. However, the Commodores lost star QB Don Orr to a broken jaw. Afterwards, Vandy coach Art Guepe commented: "Alabama will win some games if they play football instead of boxing." The defeat ran the Tide's record under second-year coach J. B. Whitworth to 0-12.
Injury-riddled Maryland suffered its first shutout in 70 games, and on its home field to boot, to Baylor, 14-0.
Former Terrapin coach Jim Tatum, in his first year at North Carolina, also got shutout 14-0 by South Carolina.

November 9, 1957

LSU FB Jimmy Taylor
Jim Taylor

Notre Dame QB Bob Williams
Bob Williams

Lee Grosscup

Army Coach Earl Blaik
Earl "Red" Blaik

Bill Atkins, Auburn

Georgia Coach Wally Butts
Wally Butts

The spirited LSU Tigers outscored #14 Ole Miss in Oxford 12-7 in the first half. FB Jim Taylor's 60y TD run after a fumble recovery by T Lynn LeBlanc put the visitors on top. FB-LB Bill Hurst recovered a Bengal bobble at the 30 which led to QB Ray Brown's TD and a 7-6 Rebel lead. LSU regained the lead on HB J.W. Brodnax's 53y punt return after he took a handoff from soph sensation Billy Cannon. However, the Tigers again missed the PAT. Johnny Vaught's squad dominated the second half, outgaining Paul Dietzel's Tigers 365-62. Ole Missdrove 92y only to lose a fumble at the 7. However, Cannon's weak punt put Mississippi back in business at the Tiger 33. Brown's 9y TD pass to E Don Williams allowed Don to make up for dropping a Q1 TD pass and gave the Rebels a hard-fought 14-12 victory.

HB Brad Myers of #11 Michigan braved the strong, cold wind to punt at Illinoisin Q3. However, his 5y effort led to the Illini's 56y march to take a 20-6 lead. QB Jim Van Pelt, who was injured last week, came off the bench to spark a Q4 rally. Jim completed 6 of 12 for 90y including a last minute 9y TD to E Charles Teuscher. However, Illinois C-LB Gene Cherney's block of Van Pelt's conversion kick after the previous TD left the Wolverines one point short, 20-19.

#2 Oklahoma hammered Missouri 39-14 in Columbia to win its 47th straight and secure an Orange Bowl berth. Sub HB Bobby Boyd threw a key block on fellow HB Dick Carpenter's 19y Q1 TD reverse, then scored himself on a Q2 run. OU talled 28 first downs. However, the Mizzou TDs by QB Phil Snowden and FB Hank Kuhlmann were the first allowed on land by the Sooners all season.

Notre Dame, the squad that OU hosts next week, fell to #4 Michigan State 34-6 in East Lansing. The Spartans led only 7-0 at the half but exploded for 20 Q3 points behind sub HB Art Johnson's 50y TD jaunt. Irish avoided a shutout when QB Bob Williams led a 81y drive that ended with a 20y pass to E Monte Stickles. It was too little too late to avoid ND's sixth loss to MSU in the last seven meetings.

"Cactus" Jack Curtis' air-minded Utah Utes traveled coast-to-coast to take on Red Blaik's ground-oriented Cadets at West Point. Curtis hoped the game would showcase his strong-armed QB Lee Grosscup for the Eastern press. However, the star was HB Bob Anderson, who ran 30 times for 214y and 3 TDs to spark Army's 39-33 triumph. After the teams scored 5 TDs in Q4, Blaik called the game the "worst exhibition of run-sheep-run football I ever saw." #8 Army's 394y on the ground trumped Utah's 316y in the air.

Army's main rival, #7 Navy, settled for its third straight tie with #16 Duke 6-6 in Baltimore. The Middies (6-1-1) penetrated the Devils' 20 five times but scored only once. Duke also bungled chances deep in enemy waters as well. QB Tom Forrestal's Q1 TD pass for Navymatched HB George Dutrow's 14y TD run in Q2.

Texas saw its Southwest title and Cotton Bowl hopes slip away on the one-foot line on a fourth down play against underdog Baylor. Longhorn HB George Blanch was stopped hard by QB Doyle Traylor and G Charles Bennett after attempting to hurdle the line. The Bears trailed until Q4 when FB Larry Hickman scored from the one and Junior Beall kicked the PAT for a 7-7 tie.

Two bad teams "clashed" in Mobile. Tulane moved to 2-6 with a 7-0 victory over Alabama, which dropped to 1-5-1. Your intrepid reporter was in attendance at Ladd Stadium as QB-DB Gene "Mouse" Newton intercepted Bama QB Bobby Smith's pass late in Q2 on the Tide 33. Richie Petibon replaced Newton at QB and directed a 10-play march that was aided by two offside penalties. Petition scored on a 4th down rollout from the 4 with 1:05 left in the half. J. D. "Ears" Whitworth's Crimson squad then drove to the TU 26 but stalled as the half ended, then repeated the feat to start Q3 only to be victimized by Newton's second INT.

#3 Auburn stopped Mississippi State in Birmingham 15-7 to remain unbeaten. Seeking its best record since going 7-3 in 1947, MSU scored first when sub QB Tom Miller threw to E Ned Brooks in the clear at the Tiger 25 on a 57y TD that was only the third allowed by AU this season. The play was also the Bulldogs only other first down of the first half after a 16y run on their first play from scrimmage. Auburn took the second half KO and drove 76y in 11 plays that concluded with FB Billy Atkins' 2y dive and tying kick. Soph C-LB Jackie Burkett stormed through to block Bill Schoenrock's punt which was recovered by John Whatley for a safety and a 9-7 lead. Atkins added the clinching TD after a fumble recovery at the Maroons' 10.

Other results:

Veteran coach Wally Butts' hot seat got hotter as Florida shut out his 2-6 Georgia Bulldogs for the second straight year in Jacksonville 22-0.
#9 Tennessee won its sixth in a row after an opening loss to Auburn. Georgia Tech was the victim in Knoxville 21-6.
William & Mary of the Southern Conference upset #10 North Carolina Stateof the Atlantic Coast Conference 7-6 in Raleigh.
Kansas upended in-state rival Kansas State 13-7 in a Big 8 contest in Lawence.
Friday night Miami hammered "ambitious" Florida State 40-13 in the Orange Bowl behind QB Fran Curci.

October 20, 1973

Most of the top teams in the AP Poll had easy days, but not all.

The Third Saturday in October produced a battle of 5-0 teams in Birmingham. #2 Alabama flattened #10 Tennessee 42-21 with three TDs in a 5-minute span. First, S Robin Cary returned a punt 63y. Then HB Wilbur Jackson ran 80y. Cary recovered a fumble on the kickoff on the 3 to set up the last score. QB Condredge Holloway did all he could for Bill Battle's Vols, accounting for all his team's points with TD passes of 64 to TE Mitchell Gravitt and 20 to WR John Yarbrough and a 6y run. The loss snapped UT's 11-game winning streak.

#3 Oklahoma literally ran over #16 Colorado 34-7. HB Joe Washington alone gained 188y rushing, while FB Waymon Clark added 172 to the Wishbone attack. QB Steve Davis passed 37y to TE Wayne Hoffman for the Sooners' first TD on a flea-flicker that began with Davis pitching to Washington, who lateralled back. Meanwhile the OU D excelled, contributing a score themselves on S Randy Hughes's 96y INT.

Bob Nelson's Q4 INT set up Rich Sanger's 28y FG to rescue #11 Nebraska against visiting Kansas 10-9. The Cornhuskers started strong, driving 80y for an early TD. Then they gave the Jayhawks many gifts, leading to a FG and TD. However, DB Ardell Johnson blocked the PAT to provide what turned out to be the winning margin.

#12 Arizona State rode Danny White's 303y passing and Woody Green's 128y rushing to total 652y in 95-degree heat in a televised afternoon game to trample visiting BYU 52-12. Sun Devil FB Ben Malone added two TDs to the merriment.

UCLA didn't find its #13 ranking unlucky as the Bruins downed Washington State 24-13 in Spokane. The Cougars did a good job of frustrating the Wishbone of the nation's top scoring team to trail only 3-0 at the break. However, the Uclans wore down the Wazoos in the second half. HB Kermit Johnson ran for 2 TDs to pass Kenny Washington as UCLA's all-time leading rusher.

On Friday night, #14 Houston blasted #15 Miami 30-7 in the Orange Bowl. The Cougars broke open the game with 2 TDs within 20 seconds in Q3. QB D. C. Nobles' pass was deflected right to RB Reggie Cherry as he fell into the end zone. DB Greg Ingram fumbled the ensuing kickoff, one of five Canes turnovers. Nobles then threw 20y to WR Bryan Willingham to set up 1y dive by RB Leonard Parker.

#17 Tulane shutout visiting North Carolina 16-0. Your intrepid reporter watched in person while listening to #9 LSU's 28-21 comeback victory over Kentucky in Baton Rouge (and enduring the Green Wave fans cheering every time the PA gave the score with UK leading). The two Louisiana schools remained undefeated with 5 wins for TU and 6 for the Tigers.

#19 Arizona was the only Top 20 team to lose to a team not in the Top 20. Texas Tech upended the Wildcats 31-17 in Tucson. DE Tommy Crones blocked a punt early in Q4 to set up go-ahead 21y TD drive. FB James Mosley added a clinching TD on a 41y run later in the quarter. AU had fought back from 16-0 deficit in Q2 with 17 straight. Ultimately 5 TOs and the blocked punt toppled the Wildcats from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Vanderbilt snapped a 12-game conference losing streak as Hawkins Golden kicked 4 FGs and QB Fred Fisher threw a 15y TD to TE Barry Burton. The Bulldogs started strong for 14-3 lead in Nashville behind QB Andy Johnson's rushing and passing TDs. The Commodores thus fashioned a 3-game winning streak for first time since 1963. UGa coach Vince Dooley called it "one of the most disappointing losses ... we have had."

Texas hoped its 34-6 rout at Arkansas would restore it to the Top 20. Ahead only 6-0 at the half, the Longhorns unleased FB Roosevelt Leaks on 43 and 59y TD runs as part of 21-point Q3. In addition, WR Jimmy Moore returned a punt 73y to paydirt, and HB Raymond Clayborn scampered 85y to the Promised Land. The Hog O gained 304y but managed only 2 FGs.

Condredge Holloway
Arizona QB Danny White

Danny White

Vince Dooley
Texas RB Roosevelt Leaks

Roosevelt Leaks

September 17, 1983

FSU RB Greg Allen
Greg Allen

Bo Jackson

Mike Tomczak

Rick Neuheisel

The upset of the day occurred in the Superdome where Tulane upended #9 Florida State 34-28. The Green Wave leader was QB Jon English, coach Wally English's son. Jon got the job after starting QB Bubby Brister quit the team. As happens in most upsets, the underdog got big plays, including a 99y INT return by S Treg Songy and a 77y punt return by DB Curt Baham for TU's first two TDs. The Seminoles scored two Q2 TDs to take a 21-14 lead as TB Greg Allen crossed the goal line twice and QB Kelly Lowrey passed 55y to WR Jesse Hester. However, English threw a 15y TD to WR Wayne Smith and HB Elton Veals scampered 39y.

QB Todd Williams rallied #11 Georgia with two Q4 scoring drives culminating in Kevin Butler's 31y FG with 38 seconds remaining to tie Clemson 16-16 at Death Valley. Earlier Williams had connected with TE Clarence Kay on an 8y TD. Tiger K Bob Pauling hit 3 FGs but had two others blocked by DB Trey Hoage. Clemson had built its lead with the aid of two Bulldog fumbles.

Visiting Texas, no longer running the wishbone, used a more varied O to defeat Auburn's wishbone 20-7. The Longhorn D held the Tigers' 1-2 punch of Bo Jackson and Lionel James to a total of 68y. Dominating from the opening whistle, Texas led 20-0 at the half. QB Rick McIvor, replacing the injured Todd Dodge, connected on a 80y pass to WR Kelvin Epps. AU finally cranked up a 95y drive late in Q4 that culminated in Jackson's 2y TD.

Michigan State's P, Ralf Mojsiejenko, a Notre Dame fan who was not recruited by the Irish, averaged 48.8y on 9 punts, including a 71-yarder, as new coach George Perles's Spartans won in South Bend 28-23. The winning TD was set up by S Phil Parker's 42y INT return. QB Dave Yarema then tossed a 5y TD to TE Butch Rolle midway through Q4. It was Yarema's third TD toss of the day, including an 81-yarder to WR Darryl Turner. ND relied on its bruising running attack as TBs Greg Bell and Allen Pinkett combined for 218y.

#6 Ohio State made its first visit to Norman to play #2 Oklahoma and came away with a 24-14 victory. Buckeye QB Mike Tomczak (15-25/234y) tossed a pair of TDs to TE John Frank for a 14-0 Q2 lead. The second tally followed a fumble by Sooner TB Marcus Dupree, who left in Q2 with a bruised knee. FB Spencer Tillman filled the void with 83y on 13 carries, including a 37y TD that cut the deficit to 14-7. OSU returned the second half KO 57y to set up a TD that advanced the lead to 21-7. State won its 17th consecutive road opener. Frank, of Jewish heritage, caused controversy by choosing to play during Yom Kippur.

Colorado and Colorado State renewed their rivalry only because of pressure from the state legislature. The Buffaloes, who had refused to play the Rams for 25 years because they felt they had nothing to gain, gained the victory 31-3 in Boulder.

#16 Washington upset #8 Michigan in Seattle 25-24. Huskie QB Steve Pelleur completed all 14 of his passes in Q4 during two long drives that erased a 24-10 deficit. Pelleur's 7y TD to WR Mark Pattison with 34 seconds left followed by a two-point pass to TE Larry Michael provided the exciting win. QB Steve Smith had a good day in defeat: 18-26/2225y. A 32y FG miss by Todd Schlopy early in Q4 ended up costing UM dearly.

In an early Pac-10 showdown, UCLA scored 16 points in Q4 to tie Arizona State 26-26 in the L.A. Coliseum. QB Rick Neuheisel drove the Bruins 80y to pull within 26-17 on 7y TD to WR Karl Dorrell. A second straight 2-point success created the tie with 1:36 remaining. ASU coach Darryl Rogers chose to run out the clock rather than move downfield to give K Luis Zendejas a chance at a fifth FG.

November 26-28, 1992

Thanksgiving Day Games

#2 Alabama moved to 11-0 with a whitewash of Auburn 17-0 in Tuscaloosa to qualify for the first-ever SEC Championship Game. After scoreless first half, Bama DB Antonio Langham ran back an INT 61y for 7-0 lead. After a 47y Michael Proctor FG, Tide TB Sherman Williams ran 45y for clinching TD. Gene Stallings' squad improved its nationwide #1 ypg defense by holding th Tigers to 139y.

#4 Texas A&M belted Texas 34-13 in Austin to finish its regular season 12-0. Aggie TB Rodney Thomas scored 3 TDs, and DB Aaron Glenn contributed a 95y INT TD. Longhorns' only shining moment came when QB Peter Gardere caught 18y TD pass on a flea-flicker.

Friday Game

5-3-2 Oklahoma started strong at home against #12 Nebraska, outgaining the Huskers 142-6 in Q1. However, NU led 7-3 thanks to LB Ed Stewart's 50y INT for TD. After leading only 10-9 at halftime, Tom Osborne's contingent started quickly in Q3 on QB Tommie Frazier's 24y TD pass to TE Gerald Armstrong. The visitors finally prevailed 33-9 as Owen Field boobirds expressed their displeasure with coach Gary Gibbs.

Saturday Games

Although not undefeated, 10-1 Florida State ranked ahead of A&M at #3. The Seminoles walloped archrival Florida, 45-24. QB Charlie Ward passed for 331 and ran for 70 in 38-point first half. Bobby Bowden lobbied for rematch with Miami in a bowl for national championship. However, that would require the Gators to upset Alabama in Birmingham next week. Steve Spurrier pulled QB Shane Matthews in second half to save him from further pounding by the Seminole rush.

RB Garrison Hearst set an SEC record with his 21st TD, after which he struck the Heisman pose in the end zone, in Georgia's 31-17 triumph over Georgia Tech in Athens. Tech's K Scott Sisson tied ACC career FG record with his 60th 3-pointer to cut UGa's lead to 10-3 at the half. 5-5 Tech, playing for bowl eligibility, tried an onside kick after scoring to trail by only 7, 24-17, with 2:28 to go. But kick didn't go the required 10y and the Bulldogs capitalized on short field for clinching TD with the last of Hearst's 3 TDs with 0:29 left.

#5 Notre Dame upended Southern Cal 31-23 in the Coliseum. Irish TB Tony Brooks shook off pregame stomach sickness to run for 227 and 3 TDs. Trying to break ND's nine-game streak in the series, SC pulled to within 24-23 in Q3 on QB Rob Johnson's TD pass. However, only score in Q4 was FB Jerome Bettis' 8y run set up by Brooks' 44y scamper.

Rice achieved its first winning season since 1963 with its sixth win last week but may have blown a bowl bid by losing to crosstown rival Houston 61-34 in typical high-scoring Southwest Conference clash. QB Jimmy Klinger ran the Cougar run-and-shoot to perfection: 46-71 for 613 and 7 TDs. Owl TB Trevor Cobb gained 121 to finish season with 1,386 and his career with 4,948. He probably won't get a chance to surpass 5,000y.

Anticipated Heisman showdown between Miami QB Gino Torretta and San Diego State RB Marshall Faulk didn't materialize because of Faulk's knee sprain. The Hurricanes blew away the homestanding Aztecs 63-17 as Gino completed 19-35 for 310 and TD in only three quarters. Miami WR Lamar Thomas broke Michael Irvin's school career record with his 144th reception. Two bench-clearing brawls further spoiled the disappointing contest.

The fact that Ole Miss and Mississippi State were both bowl-bound in the same season for the first time since 1963 added zest to the Egg Bowl. The Rebels spotted visiting State 10 points, then scored 17 straight for the victory. Last minutes of the game saw the Maroons fail to score on 1st-and-goal series at the 8, 8, and 2.

Rodney Thomas
Nebraska QB Tommie Frazier

Tommie Frazier
FSU QB Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward
Miami QB Gino Torretta

Gino Torretta

September 16, 1995

Danny Wuerffel
Tennessee QB Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning
Ohio State RB Eddie George

Eddie George

Many games were influenced by what happened on November 5, 1994. Penn State ran up a 35-14 lead at Indiana with six minutes to play. When the Hoosiers scored two TDs against subs to make the final 35-29, pollsters dropped the Nittany Lions to #2 behind Nebraska.

#4 Florida rang up 62 while Tennessee tallied 37. The Gators trailed 30-14 in Q2 after a Vol fumble return for a TD silenced The Swamp rowdies. Then Steve Spurrier's crew ran off 48 unanswered points. QB Danny Wuerffel threw three TDs to WR Ike Hilliard. Wuerffel (29-39/381y) outdueled Peyton Manning (23-36/326y), who threw 2 TDs to WR Marcus Nash. The teams combined for 1044y.
#1 Florida State did its in-state rival 11 better, creaming North Carolina State 77-17 to extend its ACC winning streak to 27. The 3-0 Seminoles have now scored 192 points in 180 minutes. QB Danny Kanell threw 3 TDs, WR Andre Cooper caught three, and RB Warrick Dunn ran for 101 on only 9 carries.
Stung by a week of questions about the integrity of the football program after star TB Lawrence Phillips was suspended for hitting his ex-girlfriend, #2 Nebraska matched FSU with a 77-28 romp over Arizona State. It was the most points scored by the Cornhuskers since an 84-13 win over Minnesota in 1983. Clinton Childs raced 86y on the first play to start the rout as NU took an average of 1:43 to score in the first half.
#9 Colorado joined in the Multiple of 11 feast with a 66-14 drubbing of NE Louisiana. #3 Texas A&M tried to keep pace with the other Top Ten teams but scored "only" 52 to Tulsa's 9.
There were some close games, including two in the SEC. After winning seven games with Q4 rallies the last two years, #13 Alabama had the tables turned by Arkansas 20-19. On fourth down at Bama 3, QB Barry Lunney rolled left and fired a low pass to WR J. J. Meadors in EZ. Tide fans will never believe Meadors caught the pass at grasstop with six seconds left.
Gerry DiNardo made good on his promise to "Bring Back the Magic" to Tiger Stadium, at least for his first home game. LSU, coming off six straight losing seasons, upset #5 Auburn 12-6. Fired-up Bengal Tigers scored all their points in Q1 on Jamie Howard's TD pass, a measure of revenge for the QB who threw three pick sixes in Q4 the previous year on The Plains, Andre Lafleur's 41y FG, and an end zone sack of QB Patrick Nix. Your nervous reporter looked down from the North EZ as AU came to the 11 in the last minute. But DB Troy Twillie leaped high to INT Nix's fade in the EZ and set off jubilation.
#18 Washington put "eight in the box" to stop TB Eddie George of #10 Ohio State, but he still gained 212 on 36 carries to lead 30-20 win. George scored on runs of 51 and 16. In Q4 OSU miscues allowed Huskies to toss 2 TD passes to make score closer than the stats indicated.
#12 UCLA will drop after losing at home to Oregon, 38-31. Duck QB Tony Graziani threw the game-winner to WR Cristin McLemore with 1:02 left only to see the home team travel 92y but fall a yard short as the OU D stuffed TB Karim Abdul-Jabbar on the last play of the game.

September 5, 1998

Donovan McNabb

Joe Germaine

Tom Brady

Brock Huard

#10 Tennessee visited the Carrier Dome in Syracuse and came away with a thrilling last second victory. Orange QB Donovan McNabb (22-38/330y) threw two TD passes and ran for another score to rally the home team to take the lead after trailing 24-13 entering Q4. Vol QB Tee Martin (9-26/143y, 2 TDs) tossed a TD to regain the lead for th Vols 31-27. 41y FG by Nathan Trout pulled #17 Syracuse to within one and then McNabb threw off blitzing LB Al Wilson to complete a long pass that set up a 19-yarder by Trout for a 33-31 lead. However, UT marched deep into Orange territory for a 27y FG by Jeff Hall as time expired.

Auburn, the team that Tennessee edged 30-28 in the 1997 SEC Championship Game, started the new season with an embarrassing 19-0 loss to visiting Virginia. Tiger QB Ben Leard struggled, completing only 11 of 25 for 146y and one INT. By contrast, Cavalier helmsman Aaron Brooks went 16-28 for 220y and a TD, a 61y strike to WR Kevin Coffey for a 6-0 lead that held up through halftime. UVa controlled the ball for 11:30 of Q3. Auburn suffered its first shutout in a home opener in 71 years to put coach Terry Bowden on the hot seat immediately.

Preseason #1 Ohio State cruised to a 20-3 lead at #11 West Virginia on the way to a 34-17 triumph. Joe Germaine went 18-32/301y, 2 TDs. Mountaineer QB Marc Bulger almost matched him (23-37/232y, 2 TDs). Bulger's TD strike to WR Shawn Foreman late in Q2 cut the lead to 20-10 at the half. However, Germaine's 39y toss to WR David Boston early in Q3 restored the 17-point margin.

North Carolina coach Carl Torbush, D-coordinator for Mack Brown, who departed for Texas, got off to a rough start with 13-10 home loss to Miami (OH). UNC jumped out 10-0 behind heralded frosh QB Ronald Curry. But RedHawks TB Travis Prentice (37/162y) ran for 199 in second half with a TD which, combined with 2 FGs by John Scott, spelled defeat for the home team. One bright spot for the #12 Tarheels was DB Dre Bly's 19th INT, tying the ACC record.

Another ACC first-year coach, George O'Leary of Georgia Tech, also lost his opener at home. Boston College led all the way in a 41-31 shootout. Yellow Jackets QB Joey Hamilton (15-29/227y, 2 TDs, INT) did his part but the D of D-specialist O'Leary couldn't stop TB Mike Cloud, who ran for an even 200.

Defending national champion Michigan ran 31 plays in Q1 to Notre Dame's 6 but could get only 3-3 tie in South Bend. Wolverine QB Tom Brady's sneak put UM ahead 13-6 at halftime. Irish scored 20 straight in second half to take 36-13 lead. Late score made final 36-20.

The Pac-10 schedule began with a 42-38 shootout. Brock Huard (27-47/318y) threw for 4 TDs to lead visiting Washington over #8 Arizona State. Sun Devils led 28-14 in first half behind QB Ryan Kealy (20-35/302y). But Huard's high school teammate, WR Dane Looker, caught two TDs to tie at the break. TD with 2 minutes to play propelled ASU to a 38-35 lead. But Huard threw a 4th-and-17 pass to TE Reggie Davis, who broke tackles and rambled 63y for winning TD at 0:28.

Aaron Brooks

West Virginia QB Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger

Georgia Tech QB Joey Hamilton
Joey Hamilton

Ryan Kealy