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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 2043468, member: 289"] [I] The Build-Up[/I] These days we think of Holy Cross as a small-college (FCS) team. I recall a local sportscaster saying several times in recent years when we played an FCS team that we haven’t lost to an FCS team since 1958. He’s talking about Holy Cross, even though there was no FCS in 1958. But in the 1930’s, 1940’s and 50’s they were a major Eastern Independent and a formidable foe for the Syracuse Orangemen. Dr. Eddie Anderson, a disciple of Knute Rockne, no less, was in his second tenure as coach of the Crusaders. His first was from 1933-38 and he went a sterling 47-7-4 in that time, including unbeaten teams in 1935 and 1937. After a long stint at Iowa, where he was Nile Kinnick’s coach, he returned to Worcester from 1950-64, during which he went 82-60-4. We started playing them regularly in this period. The 1957 team was not an exceptional one but they illustrate how good the Crusaders were back then. After tying Virginia Military, (like the Cross a good mid-major at the time), they beat Dayton, then a MAC-type team 32-6, Marquette 26-7, lost to Dartmotuh,7-14, (the Ivys were just starting to de-emphasize), lost to Boston U. 28-35 and crushed the Quantico Marines 33-13, (who played major college football back then). It wasn’t one of Eddie Anderson’s best teams but it was a pretty solid group. The NCAA Guide for 1957 notes that Dr. Anderson is now the “Dean of Mentors”, having the longest career of any head coach in the East and says his team “is capable of causing a stir”. Street and Smiths, which rated SU the 4th best independent in the East – and Holy Cross as #5: “Sophomores proved to be key operators for the Crusaders in their 6-3-1 campaign a year ago. Now, fortified by a flock of candidates from the unbeaten freshman team, Dr. Edie Anderson and his squad are geared for a big year. “ Dick Surette, a senior fullback, who had led them in ground-gaining for two previous years, was “esteemed for his bucking and blocking as well as his line-backing”. Tom Greene as the quarterback showed “keen passing and improved running” and was also the high scorer for their lacrosse team. “Halfbacks are Ed Hayes, who came on spectacularly after early-season injuries and Paul Toland. Jack Ringel and Joe Stagnone are seasoned backfield aids while John Freitas, All-State halfback at Lowell, Mass and the #1 ball carrier for the unbeaten freshmen may be the speedboy Dr. Anderson has been seeking….End Bernie Buzyniski, who glittered on the freshmen team with his pass-catching and defensive play and guard Vin Promuto, 220, from new York, who was an All-Metropolitan schoolboy for two years, are touted as possible starters.” Vince Promuto later had an 11 year career with the Washington Redskins and was twice in the Pro Bowl as a guard. At the other guard spot was Jim Healy, who was regarded as the team’s best player. Anderson: After our inexperience hurt us in early season, the team performed well once it straightened away. Most of the men who helped us are back. We should be good and hope the record shows it.” Syracuse came out of the bruising battle with Pittsburgh relatively unscathed. The team had difficulty getting back to Syracuse, having to stay an extra night in Pittsburgh because their flight was cancelled. SU coaches who had planted to attend the Holy Cross game against the Quantico Marines were similarly thwarted. Somehow, Les Dye managed to get there, having skipped the Pitt game to do so. Newspaper reports the following week said that pass defense was being stressed in practice. This may seem strange since they ran so much in the fifties but that also meant that there were few quality pass defenders available. But they were also concerned about Greene, who would appear on the cover of the 1958 NCAA Guide, where a caption said he had, in 1957, “barely missed the national total offense title when handicapped by rain and mud in the finale against Boston College. ((he would finish 5th with 1,381 total yards, 63 behind the leader). He did lead the country in passing yards per game in 1957 with 144. Green had thrown for 3TDs against Boston U. and 3 more against the Marines. He also had thrown for three scores in the 1956 game against Syracuse. His top target was Dick Bernadino who at this point had caught 20 passes in six games, 4 for scores. Dartmouth coach Bob Blackman called him “The best receiver in the East”. Boston U. Coach Steve Sinko said he was “can’t miss” for the pros. “Great hands, speed and saavy. Definitely will make it as a slot back”. “With the continually improving Chuck Ziimmerman on hand to throw the ball for Syracuse, this game may well wind up the passingest game of the year” reported the Post Standard in an article headed by a shot of Jack Ringel of Holy Cross leaping to catch a Greene pass against Quantico. “When you’re talking about the best in the east, you ‘ve got to start thinking about our boy, Zimmerman, too” said Ben Schwartzwlader. In six games, Zimmerman had completed 38 of 63 passes for 600 yards. Greene was a triple threat for Holy Cross: kicking off, punting and place kicks. Bill Reddy was doing the comparative score thing: Syracuse had beaten Boston U. 27-20 while Holy Cross had lost to them 28-35. He pointed out that the Crusaders were besieged by the flu in their game against the Terriers. He asserted that, despite the score, Syracuse had had a tough time scoring against Boston U. Also deceiving was last year’s score against Holy Cross: SU41 HC 20, which “doesn’t show that Holy Cross led early in the game and might have won it if the Crusader pass receivers, out in the open, hadn’t dropped important pitches.” (They must have dropped a lot of them.) He quoted Eddie Anderson as saying that the Crusaders were “potentially a better team than last year’s”, (this 6 games into a 9 game season), and pointed out that nobody considered the 1957 Orangemen as good as the 1956 team. “They had a great deal more than Green to throw at Syracuse, too. They have a big line, fine pass catchers, led by Dick Bernadino and they get good running from such familiar ball carriers as Jack Ringel, Ed Hayes, Joe Staglione, and Dick Surrette.” Meanwhile, Reddy described the Orange as “chewed up” after the Pitt game. “It’s hard to bring a team back after one of those inspirational battles. “ Holy Cross had scored three touchdowns in 4 of the last 6 games against Syracuse. Pitt had been up for some bowl games and after SU beat them, there was talk about Syracuse going bowling again, although AD Lew Andreas described the chances as “very slim”, despite Syracuse’s 4-1-1 record. The small number of bowls in those days didn’t like repeat appearances by teams. There was talk that Penn State or Syracuse would take on an SEC team in the Gator Bowl. Penn State had already beaten Syracuse and had only 2 losses and Navy also had a loss and tie, (they stayed that way and beat Rice 20-7 in the Cotton Bowl while Tennessee won a 3-0 thriller over Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl.) Les Dye stressed that Holy Cross “can run the ball well enough to keep us honest”. This was the first time all year that all their backs would be healthy. Their stable of running backs included juniors Bob DeFino, who had starred against Dayton and Ed Hayes, as well as four other guys who had gained 100 or more yards: Surrette, Stagnone, Ringel and Paul Toland. Surrette had gained 181 yards on 49 carries. Stagnone had 155 yards, Toland 145 and Ringel 115. For Syracuse Tom Stephens had 233 yards and Ed Coffin had 227. The Herald-Journal praised Syracuse’ sophomore class, especially Roger Davis, “a tall, rangy 215 pounder from Solon, Ohio” who “is one of the best looking lineman to come along on the hill in several years. He has excellent balance and coordination, (he was a star high school basketball player) and he’s also quick and powerful.” They also singled out Gerhard Schwedes, a 190 back who “has also been a terrific plunger and blocker” who was SU’s third leading rusher with 127 yards. Al Gerlick had kicked the first field goal of the Schwartzwalder Era to beat Pitt. Charley Wink was a “peppery center”. Bob Yates was kicking off into the opponent’s end zone, a rare thing for that era. Lou Mautino was “a speedy guard who has provided a valuable rush on passers.” Gerry Skonieczki and Ron Barlett were good pass receivers. Arnie Burdick compared Eddie Anderson to Syracuse’s old coach of the 30’s and 40’s, Ossie Solem. Anderson was being billed as “America’s Senior College Football Coach”. With the retirement of Columbia’s Lou Little the previous year. Anderson was in his 32nd year as a head coach. But Solem, who was still coaching Springfield college, (he was Dick McPherson’s coach), and was in his 36th year. Anderson had won 161 games, compared to 108 losses and 14 ties. Solem was 155-116-18. Both had bene the coach at Iowa. Anderson’s teams passed the ball a lot while Solem preferred to run it. Andersons teams “ usually throw 30 passes in a game against the Orange – and from a variety of formations and spreads and splits and flankers that usually drives a team a team on the defense goofy.” Purple was the new fast in those days. Syracuse was listed as a 7 point favorite. Ben Schwartzwalder predicted four TDs would be needed to win the game. There was concern that winds up to 40mph along with rain and mud could slow down the teams, especially in their passing attacks. Both lines were of comparable size, about 220 pounds per man, so each team had the option of grinding it out in the bad weather, which would hold down the crowd to only about 19,000. [/QUOTE]

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