Oil Bowl
1947
Georgia Tech 41
St Mary's (CA) 19
In 1945, the St. Mary’s Gaels of Moraga, CA with a total student body
of 167, stunned the college football world. The team was small in size
and numbers. The average age of the players was 18 and they did not have
enough men suited up to comprise a second team. St Mary’s had not won a
game the previous season. Street and Smith's football annual thought so
little of St. Mary's prospects for 1945 that it didn't even bother to
preview the club.
But, the "Whizz Kids" as they were known by West Coast fans, were led by
the Hawaiian sensation, Herman Wedemeyer. Coach Jimmy Phelan created an
intricate, wide-open attack employing speed, passing and multiple
laterals.
Famed sportswriter
Grantland Rice tabbed Wedemeyer the nation's finest all-around athlete.
They stunned both Southern California and Cal before dropping their last
game to UCLA. It was an amazing turnaround season that led to a Sugar
Bowl appearance.
The Gaels of 1946 were expected to be tougher, but the team never quite
jelled. Still, St. Mary's compiled a 6-2 record with victories over
Nevada and Washington. Wedemeyer's drawing power and the Gael's
admirable record prompted Oil Bowl officials in Houston to invite St.
Mary's to face Georgia Tech on New Year's Day. They were to square off
against Georgia Tech. Tech was led by quarterback Frank Broyles and
All-American center Paul Duke. The Ramblin Wreck had compiled a 8-2
record, losing only their opener on the road to Tennessee, 13-9 and to
#3 Georgia.
The press was drooling at the prospect of the match-up and it garnered
national headlines:
The game, given a fair shake by the weather, will provide the 31,000
customers a spectacular duel between two artists of opposite talents,
Pual Duke, one of football's greatest defensive centers, and the
fabulous Wedemeyer……Houston claims Georgia's Charlie Trippi as the
greatest football player it has ever seen, Chas, having performed here
last January 1, when his outfit splattered Tulsa in the second Oil Bowl.
Houston is quite willing to be shown that squirmin' Herman can do
everything Trippi can do, and perhaps a little better.
The field had been covered the days leading up to the game, so the field
was fast early. But, the steady downpour of sleet and rain turned the
field muddy and slippery soon after the contest started. A pass
interception of a Wedemeyer pass by Broyles and return of 9 yards led to
the first touchdown of the game. Starting from the Gaels 37, the
Engineers drove to the four and Broyles found George Brodnax alone in
the endzone for a touchdown. The score was 7-0 after the first period.
On the last play of the first quarter, Jack Bills intercepted a
Wedemeyer pass and returned it 39 yards to the Gaels’ 35 yard line. With
Jimmy Jordan and Johnny McIntoch alternating carrying the ball, Georgia
Tech drove to the three where McIntosh carried it over. Later in the
second, Pat McHugh intercepted a pass from Packard Harrington and ran it
back 73 yards. The score was 20-0. Wedemeyer fumbled the kickoff and it
was recovered at the Gaels’ 19 by Ralph Slaten. It set up Jim Still’s
one yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown and the score was 27-0. St
Mary’s finally came to life in a spectacular way just before the half.
Paul Crowe took the ensuing kickoff and raced 85 yards for a touchdown.
The score was 27-7 at the half.
The Ramblin’ Wreck received the third quarter kickoff and, starting from
their own 37, drove 63 yards for another score. Brodnax scored on a 16
yard touchdown pass. Late in the third quarter, St. Mary’s drove 35
yards for a score with Wedemeyer carrying it in from the one. The final
Tech touchdown came when Paul Duke picked off a Denis O’Connor pass at
the St. Mary’s 33 and returned it 6 yards to the 27. Tech’s George
Mathews hit Walter Kilzer with a 6 yard scoring pass and the score was
41-13. On the ensuing kickoff, St. Mary’s Gonzalez Morales took the ball
from his own 23, broke into the clear behind great blocking, but somehow
fumbled the ball at Tech’s 24 yard line, picked it up at the 20 and
fumbled again at the five. As he fumbled the ball the second time,
Morales inadvertently kicked it into the endzone where it was recovered
by Tech for a touchback. On the first play from scrimmage at the 20,
Tech fumbled and St. Mary’s Bill McPartlin recovered at the 8 yard line.
Two plays later, Wedemeyer carried the ball in from the 5. The final
score was 41-19.
St. Mary’s had been dominated by the much larger Georgia Tech squad. The
weather didn’t help matters for the Gaels as the sloppy conditions
rendered Phelen’s offense immobile. On the afternoon, Tech picked off 8
St. Mary’s passes. The Rambling Wreck finished with a 9-2 record and
ranked 11th by the Associated Press. At that time, no one realized that
the Oil Bowl appearance marked St. Mary's last foray into big time
college football. They would reduce their program over the years to play
at a small college level, completely eliminating football in 2004.
Frank Broyles would go on to coach mighty teams at the University of
Arkansas in the Southwest Conference and become Athletic Director,
leading the Hogs into the SEC. Wedemeyer would go on to a stellar
professional career, but is best known for his part in the cast of the
"Hawaii Five-O" television series. He played a Hawaiian policeman, "Duke
Lukela," from 1968 until the popular series ended in 1980.
St. Mary's O'Connor, Crowe, McPartland and Wedemeyer sing and Coach Phelen speaks on the eve of the game at the Rice Hotel in Houston
Wedemeyer carries in Oil Bowl
Tech's Brodnax catches third quarter touchdown pass
McIntosh scores Georgia Tech's second touchdown in the 2nd period
The 1947 Oil Bowl champions
Wedemeyer went on the star with Jack Lord on Hawaii 5-0
Attendance: 22,000
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
GT- Brodnax 4 yard pass from Broyles (Bowen kick)
Second Quarter
GT- McIntosh 3 run (Kick failed)
GT- McHugh 73 interception return (Bowen kick)
GT- Still 1 run (Bowen kick)
SM- Crowe 85 yard kickoff return (Crowe pass from Wedemeyer)
Third Quarter
GT- Brodnax 16 yard pass from (Bowen kick)
SM- Wedemeyer 1 run (Kick failed)
Fourth Quarter
GT- Kilzer 6 yard pass from Mathews (Jordan kick)
SM- Wedemeyer 5 yard run (Kick failed)
