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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 374657, member: 289"] The BUILD-UP Strangely, even though they didn’t have a game until September 24th the Orange had a bye the next week. They played their second game of the year against Boston University on October 8th . (The 2012 team, also with a bye, will have played 5 games by that date.) Neither team came into this game with a win, Buff Donelli’s Terriers having lost to Penn State 0-35 and Connecticut, (then a Yankee Conference team), 7-10. This was huge disappointment after their 7-2 1954 season, when they’d beaten the Huskies by four touchdowns. Buff Donelli had declared the 1955 team to be “My best 11”. The Herald Journal: “Reports of scouts indicate that early game breaks have hindered the Terriers in each start with costly fumbles and penalties puncturing morale.” They had had two drives deep into Penn State territory that ended in a fumble and an interception. Donelli: “We just haven’t jelled yet. Maybe we’ll hit our stride against Syracuse.” The Terriers had the second leading receiver in the nation in John Bredice, who had 11 catches for 119 yards and the team’s only score. Bredice had scored twice in Boston’s 19-41 rout of the Orange in Boston in 1954. Halfback Ken Hagerstrom was back and had also scored twice in that game. “They also have such backfield standouts as Frank Chiera, Bob Silva and John Slauson, all speedy individuals who can go all the way from any spot on the field.” Len Hill, a sophomore, was their quarterback. There was concern that Syracuse’s pass defense was untested: Pittsburgh had only thrown the ball five times. Of course, that’s all the needed to throw it with their powerful line. Syracuse wasn’t feeling too badly about being 0-1 since their loss was to one of the best teams in the country, Pittsburgh. Bill Reddy: “There wasn’t a great deal of gloom around town after Pitt beat Syracuse Saturday. Nearly everyone expected the Panthers to win and most fans were pleased that the Orangemen had managed to make it that close. It could have been closer. Syracuse could have won, with a few more favorable bounced of the unpredictable pigskin. Pitt was the better team, for one reason. The Panthers had a better ‘bench‘. The could substitute freely at every position without seriously weakening their team. Syracuse couldn’t make such changes without cutting it’s efficiency and in the end it was greater Pitt manpower which made the difference. Playing 11 men against 11 men, I’d be inclined to take Syracuse over Pitt, but that’s not the kind of game they play.” Nor was it the kind of game Maryland, Army, West Virginia and Penn State played. Like Pittsburgh, they were all ranked in the Top Twenty and were on Syracuse’ schedule. No team out of the Top Twenty was scheduled to play that many teams that were in it. Maryland was the #1 team in the country. Another factor Reddy noted was the injury to Eddie Albright, “because it left the Orange without an experienced field general for the last 15 minutes and it was in that phase of the game that the Panthers sewed it up.” Albright, despite his hand injury suffered while playing defense against Pittsburgh, was expected to be able to play in the game early in the week. A special cast was made for his thumb. Later reports cast doubt on the proposition. Finally it was announced that sophomore Ferdinand “Fern” Kuczala, who had impressed with his passing ability in practice, (vs. a freshman te4am that “offered little resistance”), would start the game for SU. Kuczala, a high school teammate of Lenny Moore, would not be in the same collegiate backfield with Jim Brown. The other back-ups were John Pannucci and Lou Iannicello. Jim Ridlon was moved into the backfield to increase the team’s pass-catching abilities. Don Laacksonen was in competition with a 41.7 yard average. Pete Schwert who had played end, center and tackle for SU, was being tried at guard. He was a football player’s football player at 6-4 and 220 pounds. Ben bemoaned the poor tackling in the second half against Pitt, especially three plays that could have been stopped for losses and wound up in big gains. It was going to be the only night game of the season for the Orange. 18,000 fans were expected for the game, as was Boston’s 120 piece marching band. There was an Old Beanpot trophy to be awarded to the winner. Boston U. had held it since the previous year’s game. Arnie Burdick, the SU SID, claimed it could hold 16,000 beans. Although no one had tested that theory, having better things to do. [/QUOTE]

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