Oil Bowl
1944
Southwestern Louisiana 24
Arkansas A&M 7
In retrospect, the first Oil Bowl was a meeting between small college
programs. Today, Louisiana-Lafayette plays in Division I Sun Belt
Conference and Arkansas-Monticello plays in the Division II Gulf South
Conference. For this reason, bowl histories usually include only the two
later Oil Bowls in their historical listings. But, this is a historical
innacuracy. The truth is, when Southwestern Louisiana Institute and
Arkansas A&M (as they were then known) met in the first Oil Bowl on New
Year's Day, 1944, it was a bigtime college matchup.
It was wartime in the USA in the heart of WWII and the college football
scene was turned upside down, No more so than in the Southwest.
Wholesale transfer of Marine and Navy trainees rendered most of the
usual Southwest football powers impotent, while instant monsters were
created at such tiny grid schools as Southwestern Louisiana Institute
(4-0-2), Arkansas A&M (5-1-1), Southwestern of Texas (9-1-1) and North
Texas (3-4-1). Randolph Field suddenly exploded on the scene with one of
the country's mightiest service clubs. Toss in Texas (8-1) and potent
Tulsa (6-0-1), and only the Midwest compared in overall strength to the
Southwest. The difference, of course, is that while it was the Notre
Dames and Michigans and Purdues which reigned in the Midwest with the
aid of service trainees, few football fans were familiar with the new
powers in the Southwest. Southwest area teams participated in all the
bowl games except the Rose Bowl.
The Southwest's two strongest outfits, but not by much, were
Southwestern Louisiana and the Ramblers of Randolph Field. And the two
individual standouts were remarkable Alvin Dark of SLI's Bulldogs and
magnificent Glenn Dobbs of Randolph. Dark, a soph star at Louisiana
State the previous year, decided not to return to college football after
the war, electing to pursue a career in baseball, a sport in which he
became rather well known. An All-America at Tulsa in 1942, Dobbs later
ranked with the finest pro performers of his era.
Southwestern Louisiana Institute's 1943 regular-season schedule
consisted of five game because nobody wanted any part of the Bulldogs.
Texas coach Dana X. Bible stated he wasn't interested in playing SLI,
which is why Randolph Field, and not the Bulldogs, were invited to the
Cotton Bowl. Located at Fayettville, La., less than 100 miles away, SLI
had a lock on the Sugar Bowl if it defeated Randolph Field, which it
did. But Tulsa, the other candidate, insisted a choice be made prior to
the SLI-Randolph tilt, and the bowl committee decided Tulsa was the
safer choice.
The initial Bulldog foe of the year was Fort Benning 176th featuring Bob
Waterfield of UCLA, later an all-pro QB with the Rams. SLI won 20-7. A
much-hearlded war relief fund showdown between SLI and Southwestern of
Texas was billed as a "Marine Trainee Classic" was staged at Rice
Stadium in Houston the evening of Oct. 23. The Bulldogs romped 27-6. The
tie between the Institute and Arkansas A&M was staged in Memphis Nov. 6.
The AP reported, "Southwestern Louisiana Institute and Arkansas A&M
swapped sledgehammer blows for two hours in a driving rain Saturday and
knocked each other from the ranks of perfect teams by struggling to a
bruising 20-to-20 draw. Next was SLI's 75-0 win over Lake Charles Air
Base which no newspaper felt obligated to report. Finally, SLI stunned
Randolph Field in the season finale at San Antonio Nov. 27, 6-0.
Arkansas A&M wasn’t supposed to have a football program in 1943, but the
locating of the Navy/Marine Corps V-12 Officer Training Program at the
school changed all that. The Boll Weevils strapped on shoulder pads for
the first time when they took the field in their opener against
Arkansas, which supplied the uniforms. They traveled to Fayetteville,
dressed in Arkansas’ road white jerseys and proceeded to whip the
Razorbacks 20-12. That was supposed to be the only game that season, but
the Weevils were then asked to assume the schedule of Memphis Navy,
whose players had been shipped overseas. Because A&M assumed the Memphis
Navy schedule, the University of Arkansas refuses to recognize the loss
to A&M. The UA records show a 20-12 loss to Memphis Navy, but that team
was Arkansas A&M. The ’43 Weevils went on to a 5-1-1 record. Only
Southwestern of Texas managed to defeat Arkansas A&M during the regular
season, and just barely, 7-0. The Bollweevils tied SLI 20-20 in a
spectacular, bone-jarring game which set up the rematch in the Oil Bowl.
Arkansas A&M was bolstered by transfers from SMU, Arkansas and Oklahoma
A&M. But its leading performers were fullback Charlie Steed and halfback
Charlie Gray, moved over from little Arkansas Tech.
The innaugural Oil Bowl on New Year’s Day of 1944 would provide the site
of the rematch of these two small programs suddenly thrust into the
national light. To get an idea of the importance of the game and the
perception of these two programs at that time, read what The Associated
Press reported from Houston on Jan. 1, 1944, the day before the game:
“The mighty offensive machines of Arkansas A and M and the Southwestern
Louisiana Institute- their lineups studded with former Southwest
Conference grid greats- collide here today in the first Oil Bowl game.
“Thirteen of the 22 starters played at Southern Methodist, Rice or
Arkansas University before assignment to marine training units at the
Lafayette, La., and Monticello, Ark., schools.
“SLI relies on speed and passing with Alvin Dark, an All-American of
Louisiana State University as the No. 1 runner and passer. A and M
specializes in a power attack featuring Charlie Steed, bone-crushing
fullback from Arkansas Tech.
“The teams ignore all normal defensive tactics in their desire to score.
SLI has tallied 148 points in five games for an average of 29.6. A and M
has counted 185 in seven games for an average of 26.5.
“It will be the second meeting of the teams. Their first game at Memphis
ended in a 20-20 deadlock."
The game was played on a muddy field that made traction a problem. But,
this did not deter Dark. In the first quarter, Dark returned a punt 23
yards to the Boll Weevil’s 21 yard line. A&M held from there and Dark
kicked a 17 yard field goal. Shortly after the beginning of the second
quarter, Dark flipped an 18 yard touchdown pass to Moe Richmond.
Richmond went high in the air to make a sensational fingertip grab. The
Bulldogs also drove inside the Aggies 4 yard line in the first half, but
were held. The halftime score was 10-0
The Aggies mounted a comeback in the third quarter when Dark’s pass was
intercepted by Wayne Marshall, who returned it to midfield. The Bulldogs
held but were guilty of roughing the kicker on the punt, giving the Boll
Weevils the ball on the SLI 45. Two plays later, Charley Gray hit
All-American Bill Cromer with 28 yard touchdown pass. Cromer gathered
the ball in at the ten and sidestepped defenders into the endzone. But,
the Bulldogs responded when Dark returned a punt 16 yards to the Boll
Weevils’ 34. From there, Bob Pillow carried the ball to the 21 and Dark
took it to the seven. Pillow scored two plays later from the three.
Finally, Dark returned another punt 26 yards, weaving through the A&M
defenders, carrying the ball to the 24. Vincent Buckley carried the ball
to the twelve and Dark followed with a 12 yard touchdown run through the
center of the A&M line.
In this game, Dark punted six times for an average of 42 yards,
including a 61-yard quick kick. He returned eight Weeveil punts a total
of 118 yards., threw for one touchdown, ran for one and kicked a field
goal and all three PAT's. A&M quarterback, Charley Gray, passed for 117
yards, but had three intercepted. Meanwhile, the brutal Arkansas A&M
ground attack led by Steed was limited to 23 net yards by a defense
anchored by Weldon Humble and Johnny Magee.
Today, these schools play in the shadows of much larger programs. But,
in 1943, they were at the pinnacle of the college football world. Alvin
Dark, one of the most versatile athletes to come out of Louisiana, went
on to a sterling career as shortstop and manager for the New York
Giants. He provided Houston with its first Oil Bowl superstar
performance. Two more of football's all-time great were waiting on the
Oil Bowl horizon.
The Oil Bowl was cancelled the following season due to World War II. The bowl had actually scored a large coup by securing powerful Randolph Field with an invitation. The Oil Bowl Committee thought it had a major military battle locked up with the Norman (OK) Navel Air Station Zoomers to meet Randolph. But, the War Department, citing increased urgency in the war effort, denied service teams from competing in the postseason past the date of the Treasury Bond Bowl in New York City in mid-December. That left only inferior teams available, according to Oil Bowl Chairman, Holly Brock. The Oil Bowl would resume on January 1, 1946.
(Some excerpts taken from: The Southwest meets the Institute, 1943 By
Bernie McCarty)
Alvin Dark
Bill Cromer
A&M's V-12 Team made history at the little school
Alvin Dark carries in Oil Bowl
Oil Bowl Action
Field shot
Newspaper graphic explains game results
Alvin Dark went on to become a superstar
Attendance- 12,000
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
SLI- FG Dark 17
Second Quarter
SLI- Richmond 18 yard pass from Dark (Dark kick)
Third Quarter
A&M- Cromer 28 yard pass from Gray
SLI- Pillow 3 run (Dark kick)
Fourth Quarter
SLI- Dark 12 run (Dark kick)
