|
The 1936 College All-Star Game |
||
|
The fan-picked all-stars drew first blood in the second period but the Detroit Lions came from behind in the final period to even the score.
To two University of Minnesota stalwarts, Vernal (Babe) LeVoir and Sheldon Beise, went the honor of collaboration in the first touchdown scored since the series began.
It was a shovel pass from Beise that sent Le Voir, voted Minnesota's most valuable player of 1935, scampering across the goal line with not a Lion near him. Wallie Fromhart of Notre Dame place-kicked the extra point.
Ernie Caddell, Lion halfback, one time Stanford flash, swept wide around his left end for the Detroit touchdown early in the fourth period and Dutch Clark, Lion captain, drop-kicked the extra point.
The two previous games of the series, ostensibly intended to decide the supremacy, if any, of college or pro football, ended with equal dissatisfaction for those who want to hear no more of this argument and would like to see it settled. The first game ended in a scoreless tie and the second was won by the Chicago Bears, 5-0, on a safety and a field goal.
After a weakly played opening period, with the Lions holding a slight edge because the wind was at their backs, the gold-jerseyed all-stars took the whitewashed football to their bosoms and started going places.
Their drive started from midfield after Tuffy Leemans, George Washington university's captain of 1935, failed on a forward pass but took LeVoir's lateral to the Lion 33 yard line. LeVoir, on a reverse, gained 13 yards and then successive line thrusts, carried to within four yards of the goal line. But there the Lions balked and took the ball on downs.
Frank Christensen's punt, on the Lions' second play, was taken by Leemans, passed on a lateral to Frank Loebs of Purdue, and downed on the 20 yard stripe. In three plays the all-stars were on the Lion 17 yard line and there Beise tossed his shovel to LeVoir, who scored cleanly, standing up.
The collegians were threatening again as the half ended, with Bob Wilson of Southern Methodist starting one of his famed forward pass attacks. The college boys continued their drive through the third period, which was played almost entirely in Detroit territory, but lacked the scoring punch and were stopped by the stubborn professionals whenever they caught sight of the goal line.
Then, to open the fourth period, Coach Potsy Clark of the Lions sent in an entirely new line, their silver uniforms unsmirched by the soggy turf. Their line outweighed throughout the game, the collegians felt the impact of this fresh charging material on the first play as Dutch Clark smacked through for five yards and repeated for three more.
The Lions punted and Leemans fumbled as he was tackled. T. Hupke, Lion guard, recovered on the collegians' 28 yard line. Caddell smashed through for 12 yards. Clark took four more. Then three short thrusts brought the ball to the eight yard line. A fake to the right drew the over-eager all-stars in that Caddell took a wide sweep around his left end to cross the line with the greatest of ease. Clark's drop kick was good, and all hope for an all-star victory vanished.
The statistics would indicate the professional team was out played. The all-stars clicked off nine first downs, five of them by rushing, against five for Detroit, all by rushing. Two of the all-star first downs were by forward passes and two by penalties.
The fan chosen team also gained 184 yards against 128 for the Lions, 49 of them by passing against a four yard passing gain for Detroit. The collegians completed six of eight forward pass attempts while the Lions completed only one out of five. |
||
|
|
||
|
The Lions' Glen Presnell about to be wrapped up by Wayne Milner of Notre Dame.
|
||
|
|
||
SOLDIERS
FIELD, Chicago, September 2, 1936 (U.P.)- The cream of the nation's college football stars
and the national professional league champions of 1935 battled to a 7-7
deadlock Wednesday night on windswept Soldiers field, but 76,361 fans
were comforted in that the indecisive spectacle showed them the first
touchdowns in three years of such contests.
