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The 1964 College All-Star Game |
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The champion Bears of the National Football League, trailing 10-7 at halftime, rode to a 28-17 triumph mainly on the reliable passing arm of veteran quarterback Bill Wade.
But the big thrill for a Soldier Field crowd of 65,000 came in the final quarter as Coach Otto Graham used two quarterbacks simultaneously- Southern California's Pete Beathard and willo'-the-wisp George Mira of Miami (Fla.).
With Beathard as main ball handler and Mira as a lonesome halfback, the Graham maneuver produced a lively finish just as the game seemed to bog down after the Bears muscled to a 28-10 lead.
Mira kept taking flat passes from Beathard and either scampered for yardage or flipped passes from his wide vantage point.
With 26 seconds of the game left, Mira rifled a five-yard touchdown pass to another brilliant All-Star performer, halfback Charley Taylor of Arizona State.
It took the Bears quite a while to build up steam in their attack which was out-pounded on the ground by the All-Stars 187 yards to 94.
Ron Bull, who must carry the NFL load at the halfback spot he shared with the late Galimore, carried nine times for 35 yards, top Bear rushing effort.
Galimore and end John Farrington were killed in an auto crash 14 days ago. Last night's game was preceded by a moment of silence in memory of the two.
On the other hand, the scampering Mira rambled 56 yards on four carries and two other All-Stars- Taylor and his Arizona State teammate Tony Lorich, also bettered Bull's yardage. Taylor, who was a one-man gang himself, carried seven times for 36 yards and Lorich punched 38 yards on six tries.
Early in the second quarter, the fleet Taylor- headed for the Washington Redskins-streaked for a 29-yard gain on a Beathard pass that set up a 14-yard field goal by Ohio State's Dick Van Raaphorst for a 3-0 All-Star lead.
Later in the second quarter, Taylor recovered a Bear fumble on the Bear 18. Two plays later, he took a pitchout from Mira and hurled a 14-yard touchdown pass to Georgia Tech end Ted Davis for a 10-7 All-Star lead at halftime. And it was Taylor scoring himself on a five-yard shot from Mira just before the game ended.
Mira, signed with the San Francisco 49ers, began entrenching himself as darling of the huge crowd late in the third quarter. He popped a dozen passes, completing six for 48 yards, to lead the All-Stars on a vain 75-yard march to the Bear four.
The eventual difference was pro savvy and the marksmanship of Wade, who completed 15 of 23 passes for 217 yards, including a 13-yard scoring shot to Mike Ditka in the second quarter and a 20-yard touchdown flip to Gary Barnes in the third quarter for a 21-10 Bear lead.
Wade also scored on a one foot sneak to move the Bears ahead 14-10 in the third period after pumping pass-after-pass, including a 38-yarder to Johnny Morris, in an 80-yard payoff drive.
Sub Rudy Bukich looped a 30-yard TD pass to Charley Bivins for the final Bear score.
The Bear triumph gave the pros a 20-9 victory edge with two ties in the All-Star series.
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Mira thrilled the crowd at the end of the game. |
Ditka catches TD pass. |
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Coach Graham's used two quarterbacks, Beathard (above) and Mira (below), to challenge the Bears. |
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CHICAGO,
Aug. 7 (AP)- The victorious Chicago Bears missed Willie Galimore and the
scrappy collegians discovered the "Graham Cracker" too late in Friday
night's 31st All-Star game.
