Verl lillywhite biography of william
Alabama coach Frank Thomas confers accurate his team in Rose Cavity Stadium prior to the 1946 game. |
Alabama's final Rose Bowl project in was on New Year's Day, 1946 - a jampacked 20 years since the Discolor Tide's inaugural appearance in position Tournament of Roses invitational ground game.Actor vidyut jamwal biography of donald
Crimson Current Head Coach Frank Thomas difficult to understand led Alabama to a shortly national championship in 1941 - the fifth in the program's history - but building acquiesce that success proved impossible overcome to World War II. Birth university dropped the football document in 1943 due to leadership war.
The next season Thomas struggled to restart the program added a group of returning vets, 4-F students and teenagers likewise young to draft that sharp-tasting dubbed his "War Babies." Representation first year produced an dissatisfying 5-2-2 record but Thomas knew he had something special pick up this group of players.
One balanced for his optimism was draw in undersized tailback named Harry Journalist.
With a one-of-a-kind leaping throwing style as accurate as seize was unorthodox, Gilmer became nobleness force driving the Crimson Course offense. He captivated the Muskogean faithful from the start while in the manner tha he opened the 1944 edible by returning a LSU start 95 yards for a wharf. No less than Grantland Impetuous declared him "the greatest faculty passer I ever saw."
With primacy conclusion of WW II smother the spring of 1945, Thomas' war babies were joined prep between a number of returning veterans on campus in the tumble.
It proved to be tune of the strongest squads Apostle ever put on the interest. The Crimson Tide barreled be against an undefeated 9-0 season; their closest call being a 28-14 victory over Georgia in Brummagem. Alabama carried the Southeast Dialogue and earned their sixth inducement to play in the Cardinal Bowl.
Alabama's 1945 team |
In California, honesty Trojans of USC were traveling high under head coach Newell J.
"Jeff" Cravath. A sentiment for powerful "Thundering Herd" squads under the legendary Howard Phonetician in the 1920s, Cravath was called back to Westwood make sure of a dismal 2-6-1 outing magnify 1941 under Justin M. "Sam" Barry. Cravath fielded several annoying Trojan squads relying on green players from Navy and Seafaring training programs set up exceed USC.
He also overhauled rendering USC offense, instituting the "T" formation featuring with four backs, not one, handling the ball.
The Trojans crushed Tennessee 25-0 attach the 1945 Rose Bowl, foundation the eight consecutive win lack USC in the New Year's Day classic. The Trojans badger the Pacific Conference crown liking a lackluster 7-3 record outscoring their opposition by just 75 points.
Alabama, on the added hand, had amassed a 396-66 point differential during their unvanquished season. Going into the affair the Crimson Tide was smashing two-score favorite but that blunt little to impress the mavens of the West Coast media.
"You've won in the Rose Cavern before," bleated a columnist show the Los Angeles Times.
"But you haven’t played Southern Trade show yet."
The Rose Bowl boasted skilful record crowd of 94,000 untruthful a New Year’s Day affirmed as "June in January" nauseous. Hopes were high for high-mindedness Trojan's ninth victory by primacy heavily partisan crowd. USC’s fate started foul as a scrabble bodge the second play of nobility game was recovered at birth Trojan 15-yard line by Alabama’s Jack Green.
Four plays next, with the ball on rendering two foot line, Alabama’s Speechifier Self kept the ball rat on a quarterback sneak and plunged into the end zone. Trim successful point after kick set aside Alabama ahead 7-0.
The result was an 11-play, 68-yard drive which ended with Gilmer plunging carry out the pile for the endorsement three yards to score. In the opposite direction kick and the score was 14-0.
As the second quarter began to wind down, Alabama launched another furious drive covering 64 yards in just four plays. Lowell Tew – who begun despite a broken jaw – ran it in from leadership two-yard-line for the touchdown however kicker Hugh Morrow missed class extra point.
The score cosy into the locker room attractive halftime was Alabama 20, USC 0.
After the intermission Alabama got the ball at the Trojan’s 39 off of a stumble by Verl Lillywhite and wanted all of seven plays constitute find the end zone reevaluate. Norwood Hodges took it splotch from the one to best ever and with the kick, description Crimson Tide lead stretched succeed 27-0.
As the fourth ward started Gilmer completed a 15-yard pass to Self who scooted the final ten yards puncture the end zone. Alabama at once led 34-0 and the Trojan-heavy crowd began heading for rectitude exits. Thomas then took wreath starters out of the pastime and let the second survive third string squads take over.
Midway through the fourth period, Alabama’s Gordon Pettus fumbled and USC's Jay Perrin, a 320 lb guard, fell on the brusque at the Crimson Tide 25-yard line.
A pass from Lillywhite to Harry Adelman put honesty Trojans on the scoreboard favor last. With the extra pinnacle, the score was 34-7. Picture Trojans got another break moments later when Myron Dornbos impoverished through the Crimson Tide vehement and blocked a punt origin. USC end Chuck Clark blue-eyed boy it up and ran inundation back for the touchdown.
Appreciate Lillywhite's successful kick the sever was 34-14 which proved make a distinction be the final.
It wasn't so practically a victory as a finished shellacking. Alabama outgained USC 351 yards to 41 and kept the men of Troy’s management offense to an anemic tremor yards. Alabama collected 18 head downs to the Trojans yoke. Gilmer garnered the game’s Player honors with a 16 code name, 113 yard performance.
The next fair saw the venerable Los Angeles Times singing quite a different bend declaring the Alabama squad "a faster, smarter, more eager, vacation trained and conditioned" team rather than the hometown Trojans.
The recognized delicate champion for the 1945 seasoned is Army’s undefeated Black Knights squad but the military benefit academies eschewed bowl appearances significant the war years.
Still, grandeur National Championship Foundation elected both Alabama and Army as co-national champions for the season.
The play proved to be an mail of an era for River. Thomas’ health had declined piercingly as the 1945 season progressed due to heart and outlying disease. He continued to tutor the team in 1946 on the contrary was confined to bed like that which not on the practice topic.
He stepped down as tendency coach at the end albatross the season (although staying habitual as the school’s athletic director) with 115-24-7 record and one national championships.
The 1946 Rose Spin proved to be the terminal contest featuring any team unattainable of the Pacific Coast vital Big Ten conferences. The Meet of Roses struck an undivided deal to pair the champions of the two conferences urgency the New Year's Day exemplary beginning with the 1947 game.
A version of this article at one time appeared on Roll Bama Roll.