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The 1948 College All-Star Game |
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Arch Ward College All-Star Game Founder Written for Pro Football Illustrated 1948 Edition
Then I recalled that last year- for this same magazine- I started off my piece on the All-Stars' 16 to 0 shutout of the Chicago Bears by suggesting it might well prove to be the big upset of the 1947 season.
See here, Mr. Ward- I have just told myself- just what is an upset? Don't we toss that word around too promiscuously? You've heard the story ascribed to a dozen baseball pitchers in showing their disdain for fearsome sluggers they are to meet: "Shucks, those guys put their baseball pants on just like I do!"
So in calm retrospect, there was no valid reason why the victory of the red shirts should be placed in the files of sports surprises. Perhaps the score- those 28 points were the biggest victory margin in the competition- but surely not the outcome.
This game perhaps will be one of the most discussed of the series. The fodder is there for all-night arguments. There will be hot debate on the wisdom of splitting the All-Star squad into separate T formation and single wing groups. They had won 16 to 0 shutouts the two previous years by adhering to the T attack.
The double setup, the brain child of the All-Star coach, Notre Dame's Frank Leahy, was dictated by the large delegations from his own 1947 squad and from Michigan, which plays the single wing. The two units then were constructed around players from these key schools.
Leahy and his coaches knew this was a daring experiment. But it created more preliminary discussion than perhaps on any previous All-Star contest.
Most amazing to me, and perhaps to most of the others among that mammoth crowd of 101,220, was the failure of any one of the many college backs or ends in either system to come up with a spectacular play. The All-Stars tried three different T formation quarterbacks and the same number of single wing tail backs in a desperate effort to catch up with their full-of-fire opponents. Actually the Cardinals made more ball handling mistakes than the All-Stars- losing possession three times on fumbles. Even with this encouragement the collegians couldn’t capitalize.
The game was similar to the one last year when the Chicago Bears were beaten, 16 to 0. They were sluggish and their veteran line out-charged by the collegians. It was just the reverse this time, with the All-Stars surprisingly impotent both on offense and defense. That's football, I guess.
The Cardinals’ mobile line paved the way for holes through which Charley Trippi, Elmer Angsman and Pat Harder made good yardage. Paul Christman mixed up effective passes with the running game against the usual 5-3-3 line thrown up by the All-Stars. Then when the college lads had the ball, the Cards kept the passes, including those of Notre Dame's Johnny Lujack, well in check, and ably contained their running attack.
The All-Stars early had a chance to show what they could do against the Cardinals when Navy's Dick Scott recovered Trippi's fumble on the pros' 48-yard line. But two passes by Lujack missed connections and Mississippi's Charley Conerly punted over the goal line. From their 20 the National league champions relentlessly moved down the field on an almost exclusive running attack. They pounded 14 times on running plays and Christman completed only two passes in the series- one for a loss of a yard. Angsman barged over from the 2-yard line for the score and Wisconsin's Pat Harder booted the first of four extra points. (And that reminds me. The All-Stars had a point kicking specialist for the first time, Michigan's Jim Brieske, who, of course, never had an opportunity to show his skill!)
Early in the second quarter, the All-Stars' attack again sputtered, this time on the Cardinals' 32. But on the first play thereafter, Scott recovered his second fumble and the single wingers, with Conerly running the attack, were given their first chance. They, too, failed, losing the ball on the pros' 17. From there the Cardinals, with Christman stepping up his pitching attack, rolled to a touchdown on nine plays. The payoff run was a 14-yard lope down the middle by Vic Schwall on a trap play. A few minutes before the half ended, Michigan's Len Ford, a giant end, picked up a Cardinal fumble and rambled 55 yards across the Cardinals' goal. But the ecstasy of college fans turned to dismay when the ball was returned to the point of recovery, called for by college rules.
Herman Wedemeyer, St. Mary's spectacular tail back, had his chance early in the third quarter as spearhead of the single wing unit, but on the first play Bob Dove chased him from the All-Star 20 to the 1-yard line. It wasn't until late in this period that the Cardinals were forced to punt for the second time. This put the All-Stars in possession on their 15 and now the offense was turned over to Illinois' Perry Moss, a T quarterback. Moss gave the college section some hope when he gave Notre Dame's Bill Gompers a pitchout for a 20-yard gain. Then came the All-Stars' most spectacular play of the game. Moss lateraled to Lujack, who then hurled the ball to Georgia's Dan Edwards for 44 yards to the Cardinals' 21. Then Lujack took over at quarterback. They reached the 2-yard line, where it was fourth down and goal to go. Lujack sent his Irish teammate, Floyd Simmons, against the converged Cards and it was Marshall Goldberg, the old campaigner from Pitt, who brought down Simmons a yard from the goal line.
Early in the fourth quarter, Michigan's Bob Chappuis completed a 24-yard pass to Ford, but finally had to punt, a 10-yard effort which went out of bounds. Later, Moss passed deep in his own territory and the Cardinals' center, Vince Banonis, plucked the ball out of the air, running 31 yards for a touchdown.
The All-Stars' woe continued when Bobby Layne of Texas fumbled on his own 12-yard line, the Cards recovering. The payoff play for the final score was Ray Mallouf's 13-yard pass to Trippi.
Out of the vast assemblage of All-Stars, Jay Rhodemyre, University of Kentucky center and an outstanding student, was voted the most valuable player by his teammates. Runner-up for the honor was Scott, who in addition to falling on two fumbles which gave his team a chance to show its offensive skill early in the game, tossed Christman for a 17-yard loss. Scott will not play professional football. Rhodemyre is a member of the Green Bay Packers.
The professionals now have won eight of the 15 games, losing five and tying two. It was the first appearance for the Cardinals in the big show and what a night they made of it!
It also was a big night for Chicago's underprivileged. Net receipts, after taxes, were $330,000. All profits were equally divided among the United, Catholic, and Jewish charities. That makes a football game mean something- whether your sentiments are with the pros or the All-Stars!
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Charlie Trippi played in his fifth College All-Star Game, this time as a Cardinal.
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All-Star, Zeke O'Conner, carries the ball to the one yard line. |
Floyd Simmons of Notre Dame carries against Cardinals. |
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Tom Fears of UCLA (right) moves in to take away fumble from Cardinal Garrard Ramsey (20).
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Michigan's Bob Mann (24) has pass knocked away (left) and Chicago's Pat Harder stopped by USC's Gordon Gray (right).
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Television guide from Chicago featuring 1948 game preview.
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