THE BUILD-UP
Monday’s Herald-Journal had a headline saying “SYRACUSE, TEXAS AGGIES POSSIBLE COTTON BOWL FOES”. The article stressed that “nothing is definitely settled”. The Rose Bowl, of course was locked up by the Big 10 and the Pacific Coast Conference and the Sugar Bowl was out due to “Louisiana segregation laws” some of which were passed after Pitt brought Bobby Grier to the 1/1/56 game. The Orange Bowl had a contract similar to the Rose Bowl’s, but with the ACC and the Big 8. The Cotton Bowl featured the champions of the Southwestern Conference but held one spot open for the best team available and they didn’t have a segregation rule. In the poll that came out that day, 6-1 Syracuse was #9 to the writer’s and #11 to the coach’s. Ahead of them were 7-0 Oklahoma, 7-0 Tennessee, 7-0-1 Texas A&M, Miami 5-0-1, 6-1 Georgia Tech, 6-1 Michigan State, 6-1 Ohio State, 6-1 Iowa, 5-2 Michigan, and 6-2 Oregon State. The Sooners, the Aggies, the Spartans, the Buckeyes, the Hawkeyes, the Wolverines and the Beavers were locked in by contracts, (and the teams in their leagues had to win a championship to go bowling, except that the Rose and Orange Bowls had “no repeat” rules where you couldn’t go two years in a row). The higher ranked teams who might fill that other spot in the Cotton Bowl opposite Bear Bryant’s “Junction Boys” were thus Tennessee, Miami and Georgia Tech. The Sugar Bowl wanted, (and got) Tennessee, who had already played Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets and Hurricanes were Syracuse’s chief completion for the other spot. But Syracuse had the advantage of being a northern team, with the potential to bring higher TV ratings.
Texas A&M was appealing to the NCAA to “pardon” it for “subsidization infractions”. If this didn’t happen there was a chance the second place team in the SWC, Texas Christian, might represent the conference instead. Miami was also under probation. The announcement came on Tuesday that both Texas A&M and Miami would have their probations continued and new bans were issued for Ohio State, Southern California, North Carolina State and California “ranging from 9 months to 4 years”. That put TCU in the Cotton Bowl. But would they play Syracuse or, maybe, Georgia Tech? There was also talk of Pittsburgh, (5-2 with a win over SU) and Navy, (5-1-1) even though Syracuse was atop the Lambert Trophy standings and higher ranked. The Gator Bowl announced that they were no longer going to settle for “leftovers” and intended to invite Tennessee and were also considering Georgia Tech. Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Navy
But first SU had to defeat its greatest rival, Colgate, a team they’d beaten by a mere touchdown (26-19) the year before. Syracuse was going for their 6th straight win, something they hadn’t done since 1935, a streak ended by Colgate, 0-27. They were also going for their 6th straight win in the series, something that hadn’t done since 1916-22. Colgate ended that streak with a 7-16 win in 1923, the only game Syracuse did not win that year. Jim Brown was looking for 17 more rushing yards so he could break George Davis’ 1949 record of 805 yards. Colgate had shown a potent offense but an erratic defense in whipping Cornell 34-6, losing to Holy Cross 6-20, crushing Rutgers 49-6, losing to Princeton 20-28, beating Yale 14-6, losing a surreal shoot-out with Army 46-55 and topping Bucknell 26-12. They were 4-3 but out-scoring foes by an impressive, (for that era) 28-19 per game. Syracuse, by contrast, had out-scored their foes by 20-12.
That Colgate-Army score was on everybody’s mind. From my earlier report on that game, (played the same day Syracuse ground out a 13-9 win over Penn State): “Army and Colgate had played an historical game, the Cadets winning at West Point by the improbable score of 55-46. We have scores like that today but in 1956, to score 46 points and not win by a substantial margin was completely unheard of. In a much more exciting, if less important game than the one in Syracuse, the Black Knights of the Hudson ran for 407 yards and passed for another 137 while giving up 259 yards passing and 176 rushing. The game was 21-20, Army at the half. Colgate took a brief lead at 20-26. But Army responded with three unanswered scores to make it 41-26. They swapped scores after that. Syracuse had to be pleased that they had shut out an Army team that had beaten Columbia 60-0 in their next game and now had scored 55 points on Colgate. But they had to be concerned that Colgate had scored 46 points, (while passing for 259 yards) on an Army team that Syracuse had managed only 7 points against. Syracuse’s Les Dye scouted that game and told Bill Reddy “You had to be sitting there to believe it. “
The Red Raiders had a great passer, Guy Martin. The Old Scout told Arnie Burdick “Martin to me is the best passer we’ll face all fall…..very dangerous on his keeps….he’s a fine ball-handler and faker and he doesn’t expose his hand until the last second, which makes it very tough on the defensive halfbacks….he’s very accurate with his passing and will be tough to stop…I think that he’ll give Syracuse fits most of the afternoon. …It should be a high-scoring, action-packed game, the kind the fans like to see.“ The Post Standard: “In his two showings again Syracuse, the Milwaukee mastermind has been able to penetrate the Syracuse defense with a baffling series of hand-offs and pitch-outs but never approached the aerial artistry he demonstrated in the battle of touchdowns with Army. In that game, Martin completed 24 of 35 passes for 259 yards, setting a host of Colgate records….But Guy is more than just a passer or a signal caller. He kicks most of his teams extra points, does all of the punting, handles kick-off shores when needed and defends with authority at his safety-man position.”
Besides Martin the Red Raiders had some fine talent in halfbacks Jack Call, Walt Betts, Walt Carleson and Ted Boccuzzi, Charlie Garivaltus and fullbacks Ed Whitehair and Bob Deming. The ends were Al Jamison, Kevin Conwicke, Dinny Walker, Milt Graham and Fran Angeline. Ray Harding was Martin’s back-up. Les Dye and Roy Simmons had scouted Colgate and said “They really move the ball- it’s amazing the speed with which they score. We should get a few so it should be a high scoring game. …Their scoring potential, plus their mental attitude, (in playing their big rival), makes them capable of licking us on any given day. Jamison at 6-4, 225 and Conwicke, (6-2) were big targets for Martin’s missiles. Martin on the season was 62 of 111 (.558- considered phenomenal in the 50’s) for 810 yards and 8TDs in 7 games. Call was averaging 5.5 yards per carry and scored 11 touchdowns. Jamison had 24 catches- one less than the entire Syracuse team, 5 for scores. Jamison had 10 catches in the Army game alone, tops in the nation for the year. Schwartzwalder: “Colgate can score 46 points against us, just like they did against Army. “ 46 points? That would be tough to top.
The Post Standard reported “ORANGE POLISHES AERIAL ARM FOR COLGATE-Work to plug gaps in own pass defense”. Ben Schwartwalder was encouraged by his team’s passing vs. Holy Cross, when the Orange had completed 6 passes in 11 attempts for a very Syracuse 144 yards and 3 touchdowns. “At least Colgate won’t be able to rely on an 11 man line to stop us after that showing.” He did “indicate that the one game experiment of Jim Ridlon at quarterback probably won’t be repeated.”
Colgate assistant coach Walt Splain said simply, “We’re going to concentrate on Jim Brown.” His boss, Hal Lahar said “We’ll need a team effort is we are to stay in the same stadium with Syracuse this week…Syracuse has a big advantage in physical strength and depth and football is a game where physical strength is the big thing. …Syracuse has as much and perhaps more mobility than any team the Red Raiders will face this year.” Lahar also said that he was concerned with Jim Ridlon and the fact that Syracuse didn’t get all of it’s passing from one man. Both quarterbacks, (Chuck Zimmerman and Ferd Kuczala) and the halfbacks (Brown and Ridlon) could throw, too.
Arnie Burdick channeled his inner Grantland Rice, coming up with this ode to the first of the 44s:
No more Jim Brown to fill your eye
As he blasts away at the other guy
No more raging steel, no slippery eel
To stop and start and show a heel
The (illegible) pushed to meet his rush
No more Jim Brown to fill your eye.
Arnie credited Big Jim with fourth quarter touchdowns to break up ties against Colgate in both the 1954 and 1955 games, both of which Syracuse won (31-12 and 26-19). “But in most of the big ones that the Orange has won the last couple of years, Big Jim has delivered the Big Punch. Against Army and West Virginia and Maryland and Penn State, Brown has been grinding out a tune as steady as the Anvil Chorus….this game looms as a test loaded with the ingredients that could make it one of the greater chapters in an epic series. Syracuse or Colgate…Saltine Warriors or Red Raiders….Orange or Maroon, though Brown is apt to be the favorite of thousands by nightfall.“
The Post Standard described the Colgate game as “the last All-America hurdle” for Jim Brown. The article outlined his accomplishments: rushing for 154 yards vs. Maryland, 165 vs. West Virginia and 125 vs. Army, as well as 100 yard games against Boston U. and Holy Cross. He had a 38 yard TD pass vs. the Crusaders. “Additionally, Brown has come up with a number of strong defensive efforts. He was instrumental in the Orange goal line stand that halted Army just short of a deadlocking score and threw the block that allowed soph Dan Fogarty that got Syracuse even against Penn State. On pass defense, Brown teams with Jim Ridlon to provide a fine one-two punch. Ridlon has picked off six opponent passes, Brown four. “ The article also mentioned his kicking 15 of 18 extra points and said that if he maintained his 112 yard rushing average, he’d wind up with over 990 yards and the SU rushing record would be his. “It might also mean another Syracuse triumph and the words ‘All-American’ after the name of Jim Brown.”
Fridays’ Post Standard had a picture of Guy Martin fading back to pass. The caption was “COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S BOMBADIER…Colgate’s hopes for an upset of mighty Syracuse tomorrow hinge of the fantastic aerial talent of this senior from Milwaukee, Guy Martin…A Jim Brown- Guy Martin duel could be the story Saturday in the 57th Syracuse-Colgate clash in Archbold Stadium….Both boys threaten to set records at their respective schools.” The Post Standard predicted “The Manhasset Mauler….is almost certain to go over the top against Colgate.” Brown had passed for 76 yards and Martin run for 72, so Guy was ahead in total offense, a much referenced stat in those days, 882-865. Martin was 9th in the country in total offense, Brown 11th. Jim had converted 15 of 19 times on extra points, Guy on 17 of 25, (they were not automatic in those days before specialists). Field goal numbers were not quoted. Brown vs. Martin: which one would be remembered for their accomplishments in this confrontation?
Dick Dunkel made Syracuse a 19 point favorite but another, unidentified predictor had Colgate winning 24-28. “If you can pass, you can beat Syracuse and Colgate can pass.” The official line was Syracuse by two touchdowns. A crowd of “close to 40,000” was expected if the weather held up. “Governor (Averill) Harriman is expected to sit in on the affair for the third year running and may set a precedent for all future occupants of the state’s executive mansion o follow.” We were becoming “New York State’s team” and this was, (for now), New York State’s rivalry.
Andy Kerr, the Colgate coach in their glory era, allowed as how Syracuse had “a solid team” but suggested that there “a noticeable” drop in the Syracuse team when Jim Brown and Jim Ridlon were out of the game. “There really isn’t enough difference between the two teams but what a break or two could decide the issue. If the breaks go Syracuse’s way, it could be a rout.” There were interviews with a series of Colgate fans. On barber said “I’ve never let Colgate down. I’ve seen them go to Syracuse in other years without a chance to cop the bacon- and yet they’ve won. I’d like to see the day Syracuse goes to another bowl game!”
“Colgate could hardly have wanted to beat Syracuse more. There have been few times when the Orange presented as big a target for the Raiders to shoot for. Syracuse, nationally ranked and figured by the pundits as the best in the East, has won 6 of 7 this year. What makes blood boil and hearts beat even faster in the valley- their last five trips down city have ended in gloom. Syracuse has not lost to Colgate since 1950….A victory would ensure country-wide attention on the Orange, tighten their grip the Eastern championship, and, perhaps, bring the school their second excursion into post-season play. “
The Herald Journal celebrated the history of the Syracuse-Colgate series with a multi-part series of articles on the history of both football programs and the games better the two schools. It was the first series of articles on one subject that I’ve seen going over the old files at Newspaper Archive.com. Modern print journalism was beginning to emerge. Syracuse and Colgate had first met on the gridiron in 1892 with a 16-22 win by the Red Raiders. SU didn’t get a win until 1895, 4-0, (a common score in those days as a touchdown was worth 4 points: it became 5 points in 1897 and six in 1912). The continuous series didn’t begin until 1912. SU’s biggest win in the early days had been a 38-0 shocker over an undefeated, unscored upon Colgate team in 1915. The Red Raiders got revenge in 1923, pinning that lone defeat on SU’s greatest team prior to the Schwartzwalder Era. Then came the Hoodoo, a thirteen year period from 1925-37 where Syracuse never won, losing 11 times with 2 ties. Four of those Syracuse teams came into the game unbeaten. There series had been back and forth until Ben arrived in 1949, with SU winning 4, Colgate 5 and one tie from 1938-48, (Syracuse didn’t field a team in 1943). Ben had lost to the Red Raiders only once- a 14-19 loss in 1950. But Colgate was still ahead in the series 20-31-5, (they continue to lead through 2013, although it’s now 29-31-5). “There have been so many wildly exciting climaxes but space prevents a resume of but a few. There have never been many dull moments when the Orange and the Maroon warriors have squared off for action and all indications are that another thriller is in the making for Saturday, November 17, 1956.”
