THE BUILD-UP
Penn State was coming off a strong 6-2-1 season the previous year, in which they’d upset Ohio State 7-6 in Columbus, one of many games in that era which was interpreted as “blow for Eastern prestige”, (something other sections of the country didn’t seem to require). Art Morrow of the Philadelphia Enquirer writing in the NCAA Guide, noted that “Eastern representatives batted well over .500 last season in intersectional competition…..It is true that Coach Rip Engle gloried in Penn State’s 7-6 victory over Ohio State as a triumph for Eastern football, but the Nittany Lion’s climactic game with Pitt provided a more accurate index of the sectional sport. The game wound up 7-7.” In other words, it’s not just that Penn State could compete with the best teams in the country. So could their top eastern rivals.
“Penn State had more than a modicum of success by playing possession football last year. Engle will probably rely even more heavily upon such tactics this season with paradoxically, more passes, albeit of the short or spot variety. Graduation hit the Lions especially hard at guard and tackle but, among their 22 returning lettermen is linebacker Joe Sabol. Ends and centers abound and, of the backs, Al Jacks, Bob Scrabis, Bruce Gilmore, Andy Mococnyi, Emil Caprara and Maurice Schleicher all proved themselves a year ago. “
Penn State had posted 18 winning seasons in a row: they had a loser in 1938, (3-4) and were going for their 19th straight winning season. The streak would extend all the way to 1987 and end at 49, an NCAA record.
Sports Illustrated ran an article entitled “The Elven Best Elevens” by Herman Hickman, (former Tennessee star and Yale coach), in which he picked Penn State as the 11th best team in the country. Hickman was fond of quoting Shakespeare and they had a drawing by one Joe Kauffman of the coaches of the top eleven teams dressed as Shakespearean characters. Rip Engle is dressed as the eternally melancholy Jacques from “As You Like it” and his quote is “My often rumination wraps me in a most humorous sadness.” In other words, he was noted, as many football coaches are, for exaggerating his difficulties and underplaying his advantages. Hickman described Penn State’s 1957 team as having “good depth and experience due to judicial use of two balanced units in 1956. Excellent running game and sharp passing.” Engle was too melancholy to be quoted on the subject.
In the full article on Penn State in the section on “Independents” Engle is pictured with guard Joe Sabol, (I haven’t found anything that suggests a relationship to NFL Film’s Ed and Steve Sabol). “The Nittany Lions may be the bets team in the East. Coach Rip Engle would like a big tackle and maybe a guard or two, but otherwise he’s ready to turn his men loose. The reason for this lies in Engle’s two unit system. In short, the returning boys not only have the talent but have worked together as team. In the backfield three and probably four first stringers move up from last year’s all-sophomore second unit.”
“Most spectacular of them is halfback Bruce Gilmore, an evenly built 175 pound parcel who runs like former Penn Stater Lenny Moore. Al Jacks, top-shelf passer and field general is set at quarter and Andy Moconyi at the halfback post opposite Gilmore. Fullback is uncertain, but it looks as if Maurice Schleicher, a 235 pound jumbo will join his classmates on the first unit. The line picture is spotty. No worries over ends Les Walters and Jack Faris or center, where Chick Rusiavage and Steve Garban return. Engle’s biggest thorn is at tackle, where only Bill Wehmer is back. There are slight guard infirmities but if these are shored up, Penn State will bring home the prizes- and one will be the Lambert Trophy. “
Street and Smith’s rated Penn State the top eastern independent: “A strong, hustling squad, rich in reserves, can more than offset the loss of one star, even if he’s a Lenny Moore. It appeared to surprise white-harried Rip Engle, who has produced seven straight winning teams, that his Nittany Lions could nail down a 6-2-1 season, highlighted by a monumental triumph over Ohio State and come so close to the Eastern pinnacle. More of the same and perhaps a bit better is envisioned at University Park, which obviously leads one to the conclusion that the Lions will be among the East’s best again, battling for the title.”
“We’re better on paper than we were a year ago, but I’ll settle for a repeat of our 1956 season”, says Engle.” He is a kite concerned over newcomers who must prove their varsity stature at tackle and guard. But he has a solid backfield, five quality ends, plenty of centers and some eye-filling sophomore prospects.”
“Of 16 lettermen, only three were firs team starters but nine others come back from the second team, which operated at times more effectively than the so-called regulars. This was particularly true of Engle’s second-string backfield which returns in tact as the elected varsity foursome. It has Albert Jacks at quarterback, Bruce Gilmour and Andy Mosconyi at the halves and Maurice Schlieicher at full. Running and passing, they accounted for 848 yards. All three running backs are first class. Jacks is a seasoned ball-handler, play-caller and passer. “
Other names mentioned were Jack Farls, Les Walters and Paul North at end, Earl ‘Bud’ Kohlbass, “a brawny sophomore tabbed as Pennsylvania’s best schoolboy two years ago” would compete with another promising sophomore, Sam Stellatella, who was All-New Jersey, at center and “bright sophomore hopes” fullback Pat Batula, (I’ve also seen it spelled Botula) halfback Eddie Caye and quarterback Richie Lucas.
Rip Engle was even more melancholy than usual after Penn State’s first four games. They’ve barely scraped by a bad Pennsylvania team, 19-14, been handled by Army 13-27, beat a William and Mary team that had been winless the year before by only 21-13, and then lost to Vanderbilt 20-32. The last three games were home games. Now the declawed Lions were limping into Syracuse with a disappointing 2-2 record.
Vanderbilt was actually pretty good in the mid-50’s under coach Art Guepe. They’d been 8-3 and won a bowl game in 1955, then went 5-5 and would follow that up with a winning record in 1957, (5-3-2). They were probably better than any of the teams Syracuse had played. They were certainly better than Penn State, at least on October 19, 1957, when they overcame a 13-20 halftime deficit with three unanswered second half touchdowns. One of them was a 77 yard tou8chdown pass from Boyce Smith to Tom Moore, (who later played for the Packers). Smith passed for another score and then, after Al Jacks was intercepted, snuck over for the final one. Vandy had 10 completions for 217 yards and 4 scores.
“The pre-season choice of Penn State as the #1 football team in the East drew from Head Coach Rip Engle a loud cry of dissent. Engle knew best. As he foresaw, Penn State was not the same team the Herman Hickmans and Francis Wallaces had been writing about. The opening game was the tip-off. Penn State had trouble with an Ivy League opponent, Pennsylvania. Against an ivy League opponent the bets team in the East should be able to name the score. Then came an Army game and the Lions were overmatched, Minor League Williams and Mary made them come from behind and Vanderbilt passed them to death….State’s shortcomings are (1) not enough speed in the backfield; (2) not enough size from tackle to tackle and (3) not enough experience beyond the first team”. Fullback Maury Schleicher and halfback Bruce Gilmore both were hurt and when they came back, found they had been displaced. Schleicher found himself with the fourth string. Due to the injuries, Engle had not been able to use the full platoon system he’d so effectively used in 1956.”
Rip Engle, as per usual, had the crying towel out. “I guess you’d say we’re not as strong as we were last year. …but we just don’t have the strong kids. Most of ‘em forgot to grow over the summer. We’ve been outweighed every week thus far…and probably for the rest of the season. We’re improving but we lost an awful lot of good boys and we won’t have the experience that we need for this kind of a schedule. Only three or four of our boys had played 180 minutes, (three games), prior to the start of the season. And we’ve had an awful lot of injuries this fall, whereas a year ago we were very lucky.”
Arnie Burdick reported that Penn State was still angry over the ruling in the 1956 games in which quarterback Milt Plum was erroneously declared to have entered the game illegally under the substitution rules of the time, resulting in a 15 yard penalty. “L’Affaire Plum burned some deep sores in the Mountain Lions and they’ve been licking their chops for a year, just waiting to sink their fangs into the Bold, Brave Saltine Warriors. “
“Bruce Gilmore has bene bothered by injuries most of the year and Dick McMillen, counted on as a starting guard, fractured some ribs and is probably out for the season. I’d say the most pleasant surprise has been Dave Kasperian. He’s just a terrific boy. He gives you 110% effort all the while. He has a wonderful attitude. We’re pleased with a lot of the others. Al Jacks, our new quarterback, is every bit as good or better at this stage than Tony Rados or Plum. And young Bud Kohlhaas is a real good football player He’s our best sophomore lineman a real good linebackers.“
There had been a long tradition in American sports writing of using poetry to describe things and Arnie took his hand at it:
RIP VAN ENGLE
At Mr. Nittany, Like a Tomb
For a Year now, Full of Gloom
Stands Rip Engle, Grid Professor
Making vow for L’Affaire Plum!
The Grey Eagle at Penn State
Circled only one Full Date
Waiting for his Chance at Settling
An Old Score that still is Nettling
Warriors Saltine, Ambushed his Stars
Then Poured Salt into deep Scars
By pointing at a racing sub
Ruled ‘illegal’ Rip said ”‘Flub!”
Full of Fume, White with Rage
Was Rip Van Engle at that stage
Brought his movies to the war
Showed his boy could enter More!
Proved Plum Right was Rip Van Engle
So the Hono, he did dangle
But from Belt, he’d rather show
Bill Orange’s scalp, draggin’ Low!
This may be why sportswriters no longer use poetry.
Monday’s Herald-Journal announced “Undefeated Orange Among Nation’s Best”, pointing out that they hadn’t lost in their last 10 regular season games, something only three other major schools- Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Wyoming- could claim. Another win would extend the streak to 11 and tie a school record set in the 1922-23 seasons, when the Orange won 11 in a row. Still, Syracuse was not ranked among the nation’s top 20 teams when that week’s poll came out. Syracuse was third in the Lambert Trophy poll, behind Army and Navy.
Ed Coffin had been Syracuse’ leading rusher with 184 yards in 40 carries with Tom Stephens in second place with 123 yards in 24 runs. Chuck Zimmerman was 21 for 35 for 396 yards. Dan Fogarty led with 3 interceptions and “Ernie Jackson is the best punter”. The paper didn’t list the top receiver.
A headline in Tuesday’s paper said “Schwartzwalder Respects Lions”. It was interesting that that had to be stated. “They’ll be the best team we have faced thus far this season….They’re always a good second half team against us, so if they keep playing the kind of first half football that they’ve bene playing to date, we’ll be in trouble.” It was kind of a left-handed compliment. Rocky Pirro had scouted the Nittany Lions and said their main threats were quarterback Al Jacks and halfback Dave Kasparian. Who had taken the left halfback job away from the highly touted Bruce Gilmore. He reported that Jacks is “ahead of Milt Plum and Tony Rados at similar points in their careers” and Kasparian “hits hard and has good speed”. Jacks was tied for second in the country in completions. Pirro reported “Penn State had good ends. (Jack) Farls has been rated All-East and is real good but I think les Walters is better. He’s their favorite receiver.” “Penn State has a good outfit. Don’t be fooled by their 2-2 record. They could easily be 4-0.” Fumbles had plagued them so far in the season. Army and Vanderbilt had both had to “battle back in the second half to overcome Lion leads”.
But Syracuse had shown in the Nebraska game that they could come from behind as well. “Chuck Zimmerman gave us a real fine game” per Ben. “He is improving every day and I thin k he is our most under-rated football player.” He also praised ends Dick Lasse and Glenn Preising, running back Tom Stephens and tackle Gerry Hersey for their strong play. “Our pass receiving has been the best we’ve had in nine years at Syracuse. In other year’s we’ve tossed the ball out there and hoped it would be caught. This year we expect it to be caught.”
Penn State assistant coach offered this on the Orange: “They got off to a bad start against Iowa State. They moved the ball all over the field, but their own mistakes kept them in hot water. Against Boston U., they started to develop a passing attack and they looked even better against Cornell and Nebraska. Ed Coffin, the fullback is the workhorse. He has the speed to go outside and the strength to go inside and he’s a pretty good pass receiver, too. They have another good runner in Dan Fogarty. Fogarty is an elusive type and eh gives them the opportunity to pitch out. He throws the ball very well and he’s as good a receiver as Coffin. The offense revolves around these tow and Dick Lasse, the end. The line is big and strong an experienced. Last year’s team was better. But if this one continues to improve, by the latter part of the season, there’s a chance it could reach the same level. “ Not without Jim Brown, it wouldn’t.
“Saturdays’ key Archbold Stadium grid clash has been billed as a passing duel between two of the country’s best, Chuck Zimmerman of Syracuse and Al Jacks of Penn State, but it is just possible that a pair of 25 year old running backs may steal a little of the thunder when all the chips are in. Orangemen Ed Coffin and Nittany Lion Dave Kasperian have been their team’s top ball carriers to date and both have proved that they can pick up needed yards when the going is tough. Kasperian and Coffin are both Army veterans and both are noted for their hitting ability.” Kasperian was only 5-9 184 but he knew what to do with those 184 pounds. “When you give him some daylight, he can turn on the juice.” Said Rocky Pirro. Kasparian had gained 244 yards at 4.0 yards per carry and scored four times. While the 195 pound Coffin had gained 184 yards at 4.5 per carry with 3 scores. All those numbers led their respective teams.
“But the surprise of the undefeated Orange squad has been Preisiing, a little-used, unsung senior from Cleveland, Ohio, who crashed the starting line-up after Preisng, a 195 pound, six footer, was installed primarily to strengthen the defense. But, in the three games that he’s started, Glenn has become the top pass receiver on the squad, catching five aerials for a net gain of 135 yards. (Lasse, who leads the overall figures with six for a net of 73 yards, has caught only three in the last three games, when Preising has gotten hot.) In addition to his receiving, Preising’s blocking has been sharp and his defense has been outstanding. It was his tackle of Nebraska quarterback Roy Stinnett Saturday that forced him to fumble, setting up Syracuse’s go-ahead touchdown.”
Arnie Burdick had a column praising two local kids who had excelled at quarterback for Syracuse: Pat Stark, the starting QB in 1952-53 and Chuck Zimmerman, who started 1956-57, (and would in 1958 as well). Ben Schwartzwalder: “They are the two best quarterbacks that I have had here. I’d have to rate Stark a little higher offensively but Zimmerman would be the pick if you consider everything. Zimmerman is the most under-rated player that we have. He calls a good game. He’s a good ball-handler, a good runner and he’s bene passing very well. And his defense has been outstanding, too.” In 1957, quarterbacks had to play defense, too.
“Most observers will agree that the T-quarterback is the key performer in football these days and it’s not often that college elevens that go to post-season bowls find top-flight quarterbacks right in their very own backyard. Schwartize has been lucky.” Stark in his two years as starter, completed 151 of 292 passes (.517) for 2,080 yards and 19 touchdowns in 19 games. Chuck Zimmerman so far was 39 for 77 (.506) for 668 yards and 4TDs in 12 games. But the big stat was this: Syracuse had lost only 6 of their combined 31 games. Ben Schwartzwalder was 22-21 and without Stark or Zimmerman behind center.
A Wednesday article said that Syracuse was “working mainly on the defensive tactics they will use to stop the passing thrusts of Penn State’s Al Jacks on Saturday”. Ben Schwartzwalder: “There aren’t too many better passers around than Jacks. He’ll certainly be the best we’ve faced so far and we probably won’t see a better one this season.“ The Post Standard concluded “if Jacks isn’t shackled to some degree the Orange will have a hard time winning their fourth contest of the season without defeat.” Jacks ranked “just a whisker from the top in the national pass-throwing figures. Al has clicked on 43 of 84 passes for 477 yards and three touchdowns. His passing accuracy is .512. In Syracuse, on the other hand, the talented Penn State quarterback will be running up against an array that has a knack of pilfering enemy aerials. With Danny Fogarty leading the way, Bill Orange has put the snatch on 10 opponent passes, thus far. …The Orangemen have another long drill on tap today. They know that a win over Penn State will put them in the thick of the battle for Eastern championship laurels.”
Bill Reddy: “The Lambert Trophy., emblematic of major college football championship of the East, rests uneasily in the grasp of the Syracuse University Every Saturday, beginning this week against Penn State, the grip of the Orangemen on that prized trophy will be tested to the limit. Let any team defeat the Orange, and several of them can do it, and the trophy goes elsewhere.”
The same paper has picture of a confident Rip Engle and Captain Joe Sabol holding a football and looking off to an imagined victory over the Orange. The next day it was a picture of Penn State’s fine collection of ends, looking just as confident: Jack Farls, Romeo Pannozzo, Paul North, Ron Mankiewicz and Les Walters. Each carried a football with a letter on it that spelled out “State”.
Jim Brown paid a visit to the offices of the Herald Journal They’d just played the Eagles in Philadelphia and absorbed their first loss of the season, 7-17. Pro Football reference.com doesn’t have individual game stats for the 1957 season but it does have a touchdown log and Jim had scored twice, both in games against the Eagles, from 5 and 1 yards out. In fact, his next two scores were also from a yard out and then he had a 9 yarder vs. the Redskins on November 3rd. He didn’t really break out until November 24th vs. the Rams in Cleveland when he set the NFL single game rushing record with 237 yard and 4 touchdowns in a wild 45-31 win. The first TD, which you see in all the highlight films, (he breaks a tackle in the backfield and then out-runs everyone to the goal line from 69 yards out- although he was caught and tackled in the in the end zone), broke a 7-7 tie. His second and third TDs came when the Browns trailed by 11 and then 4 points and the final one clinched it. A star was born.
"In another league":
Regarding pro football: “I like it and I like it a lot. It’s quite a bit different from what I had expected. It’s not as rough or dirty. And don’t let anybody fool you. There’s quite a bit of spirit. Boy, nobody up there likes to lose. Everyone has been good to me. The fans, the press, the coaches and the other players have all been great. Take Ed Modzelewski, for instance. He’s been more helpful than anybody he’s been helping me all the time and, of course, it’s his fullback spot that I’ve been playing. I’d also like to say that the fullback training and experience that I received her at Syracuse has come in mighty handy. It gave me the opportunity to break in immediately after I joined the Browns after the All-star game in Chicago….Pro ball isn’t as tiring. You get all that rest when the other fellow has the ball. And, it being more of a passing game, you don’t take the beating you do when you are grinding it out. But there are some sharp differences. I think the first thing I noticed was the speed of the big men and how they all seem to hit harder the pros also like to gang tackle you. . They’re hoping, of course, that they might be able to hurt you or take something out of you under the pile. It also seems that passing is more complex and that the receivers can resort to more tricks and imagination to shake their defense. And it seems you can’t be just a power back of a tricky runner. You have to be able to do everything, either elude somebody or try to ‘level’ or run over them, as the situation develops.” Many such situations would develop for Jim Brown.
He was asked about Paul Browns’ reputation for running every aspect of the show himself. Arnie Burdick, who wrote the article, says that “Jim chirped nonchalantly, “Well, Mr. Brown simply tells the public if you had a business, you’d like to run it yourself, wouldn’t you?” When asked what he does with his money, Jim said “Oh, I just wait for the mailman to bring the check every week and then I take it down and put it in the bank.” No direct deposit in those days.
This sounds like a very different Jim Brown from the glowering, intimidating guy we have often seen in recent years. Part of it is probably because he’s being filtered through the mind and typewriter of Arnie Burdick. Sportswriters wanted our sports heroes to be likable on those days. But we forget that Jim Brown was only 21 years old at the time. He wasn’t always the man he became. He grew into that role. But I refuse to believe that he ever “nonchalantly chirped” anything.
Onn the same page was an article, reprinted from Football Digest, remembering Syracuse’s long ago victory over Jim Thorpe’s Carlisle Indian team of 1911, a team that would have won the national championship, save for this 12-11 shocker, the first great victory in Syracuse football history and the first one in then three year old Archbold Stadium, as well. SU’s leading ball carrier that day was Lewis Castle, also our first basketball All-American. Our quarterback was Preston Fogg. Perhaps a relative of Phileas?
On Thursday it was announced that Syracuse was a prospect for the Gator Bowl, along with 11 other teams they were looking at: Army, Navy, Pittsburgh, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas, Texas, Texas A&M and Rice. (Tennessee would wind up beating Texas A&M 3-0 in what must have been a thriller.) Bill Reddy reported rumors of a home and home series with Notre Dame, “either in 1959 or 1960”.
Friday’s paper had a headline “Mountain Lions on Prowl in Archbold Tomorrow”. “They say never fool around with the cat family when their backs are too the wall. The Pennsylvania Nittany version of the mountain lion will be in Archbold tomorrow, it’s back figuratively arched claws and fangs bared and hissing a tune that would be #1 on the Hades Hit Parade. Against the wall that two losses this season and experience here last October, (yes, SU and Penn State played twice in a row in Archbold), have built flails a well-kinked tail.”
Saturday’s paper had, as was often the practice back then, matching shots of the starting line-ups and the head coaches. For SU it was Dick Aloise at left end, Ron Luciano at left tackle, Gerry Hersey at left guard, Mike Bull at center, Al Benecick at right guard, Chuck Strid at right tackle, Tom Stephens at left half, Ed Coffin at fullback, Chuck Fogarty at right half and Chuck Zimmerman at quarterback. Penn State had Les Walters at left end, Bill Wehmer at left tackle, Joe Sabol at left guard, Charlie Ruslavage at center, Williard Smith at right guard, Joe Bobart at right tackle, Jack Farls at right end, Dave Kasperian at left half Emil Caprara at fullback, Andy Moconyi at right half and Al Jacks at quarterback. The paper warned that Penn State’s fastest back, Bruce Gilmore was in the wings ready to “bust out”. But it also noted that SU reserve Dave Baker had caught Cornell’s sprinter, Bo Roberson, from behind a couple of weeks previously. Syracuse was reported to have a “beef advantage” up front. Both coaches stated they planned to use alternate teams.
The game was to be played on “Parent’s Day” and a crowd of 35,000 was expected to fill Archbold Stadium. “Forecasts indicate snappy temperatures but this is meat for the football fan. Other thousands throughout the East will get a look on NBC television.” Red Grange offered color commentary. Dick Dunkel listed Syracuse as a 12 point favorite but the Herald said “Syracuse’s undefeated eleven, perhaps deeper and better balanced than the Pennsylvanians, are rated as one touchdown favorites to defeat the Mountain Lions. “ They reported that Penn State “Was hopeful of playing a game today free from a host of mistakes. If this is so, Bill Orange had better watch out.”
