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Football 1943-44 (Undefeated)
1943 (5-0-1)
Coach: Louis Whitman
Asst. coach: Steve Belichick
OIL BOWL CHAMPIONS
Date Loc OPPONENT W/L SF SA O.15 UL Fort Benning (Ga.) W 20 7 O.23 @ Texas State W 27 6 N.6 @ Arkansas A&M (5-2-1) T 20 20 N.13 UL Lake Charles AAF W 75 0 N.27 @ Randolph Field W 6 0 OIL BOWL J.1.44 @ Arkansas A&M (5-2-1) W 24 7
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In what is perhaps the recruiting coup of the century, 1943 saw Louisiana (SLI) participate in the Navy’s (Varsity)-12 program. Over 175 two-year starters from various colleges around the country came to Louisiana (SLI) for the Naval officer training program.
When the V-12 program was instituted, the State board of Education issued an intercollegiate football playing ban on Louisiana (SLI).
In a stroke of genius Athletic Director Bob Browne conceived an in school "All Star" game.
Since SLI had over 175 two-year varsity football players enrolled, he made plans to have a series of in school games, and there were enough players to field “four full teams.” The only one that went off however, (that I have found) was the Texas "All Stars" vs. the mostly Louisiana "All Stars." The SLI Louisiana group was composed of SLI players mostly from Louisiana the likes of Alvin Dark, and sprinkled with players from Oklahoma, Colorado, and Mississippi.
Steve Belicheck, Bill Belicheck’s father coached the SLI TEXAS “All Stars”, as SLI of Texas took on SLI of Louisiana & Co.
This evidently got some attention and the attention of the Louisiana State board of Education, as they suddenly lifted the edict on Louisiana (SLI) participating in 1943 intercollegiate football. Fortunate as this was, it was already half way through the 43 season, and although they tried to play LSU, Rice, Notre Dame, Tulane, and Fordham on what was thought to be open dates, these schools declined and stated “schedule problems.”
Louisiana was forced to play other V-12 participating schools some of these schools were sporting former NLF players on their squads.
Besides any in-house “All Star” games held at McNaspy stadium in 1943, Louisiana was able to play 5 other games and went 4-0-1. According to Alvin Dark’s autobiography SLI played a total of 8 games that year (perhaps three were in house) he also states that SLI was up for the Sugar bowl, but no school would play them.
A second source indicated the mere 5 games as an indication of an untested team.
Another source states that an overriding deal was struck during a bleak period of the game that produced Louisiana’s only tie that season. The deal sent another team to the Sugar Bowl.
Fortunately the Oil Bowl was instituted expressly for the nations best team of 1943.
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When you look at the opponents from Louisiana's undefeated 1943 regular season, you realize how good UL was that year.
60% of the teams on the schedule played in Bowl games.
Texas State - Sun Bowl: Louisiana had defeated Texas State to the tune of 27-6, they went on to play in the Sun Bowl where they defeated New Mexico 7-0
Randolph Field - Cotton Bowl: Louisiana had defeated Randolph Field 6-0. They went into post season play against the Southwest Conference Champions Texas Longhorns. That bowl game finished in a 7-7 tie. After the game the Longhorns dropped to 14th in the polls. The next season -after getting noticed- Randolph Field finished the 1944 season #3 in the country. They were that good the year before.
Arkansas A&M - Oil Bowl, Louisiana's only dent on the 1943 season, a tie. This game could have been called the Redemption Bowl, it was UL vs Arkansas A&M for all the marbles. Louisina won 24-7
UL should have been national champs of the 1943-44 season.
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Athletes were everywhere. Six players from that team made it to the NFL, more would have made it if not for WWII.
At least two players from that team came back and wanted to play baseball instead of football. One went on to play in the MLB World series and one went on to play in the college World Series.
One golfer helped his post war college win a golf title. Later he went on to the PGA, and won the PGA championship.
Who knows how Louisiana’s athletic dept. could have developed if not for being hamstrung in the number of games played in 43?
On the other hand it could have been worse, Louisiana’s State Board of Education could have declined to reverse their unexplained ban on playing. If the reversal had failed to occur, no one to this day would know what could have been.
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ARKANSAS A&M-MONTICELLO
WORLD WAR II was in full-swing. The military draft age had been lowered to 18. “Everyone” was being called into the service. Hundreds of colleges feared economic collapse without adequate numbers of students to fill empty classrooms. VIOLA! THE SAVIOR! A new military program was initiated in 1943 to assist the services in meeting their needs for commissioned officers---and to help the colleges remain open. The “V-12 NAVY COLLEGE TRAINING PROGRAM” was initiated in131 academic institutions ---one being at ARKANSAS A&M-MONTICELLO.
Young Matthews was attending the University of Arkansas and was enrolled in the Marine Corps College Reserve Program. He was promptly assigned to the Monticello A&M V-12 Program along with many other area college students. Included in that group, were football players from Arkansas Tech, Southern Methodist University and other colleges. One among them, from Paris, Arkansas, was a young man who had played highschool football against Matthews.Charles Gray was just completing two years of varsity experience at Arkansas Tech---in one of which, he teamed with Matthews.
During this period, Monticello had no athletic department monies, no regular football coach and no uniforms! BINGO! The University of Arkansas was looking for an opponent to play a football game---exactly 11days hence! They offered to outfit the Monticello team with uniforms---WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN FAYETTEVILLE! The A&M BOLL WEEVILS scrambled to organize a team---practiced in tennis shoes and sweats---but not in football gear---traveled to Fayetteville the following Saturday---and surprisingly, defeated the Razorbacks 20-12, in their first game of the season! WOW!
Success followed the new “MARINE-BOLL WEEVIL” team that year. They posted a 5-2-1 record ---playing other service - college teams. The two losses were to ( Texas State ) --- a team composed mostly of University of Texas “Marine-players” --- and ( University of Louisiana ) boasted backfield star, Alvin Dark, () and later, professional baseball fame --- Weldon Humble, Rice Institute’s giant, All-American lineman and 18 other Rice teammates!
Arkansas A&M had tied the Louisiana “Marine-team” BULLDOGS 20-20 in a “near- hurricane”condition contest, played at old Crump Stadium-Memphis, earlier in the season. That was the only mar on the “DAWGS” record---but the tie hurt the S.L.I. team’s national image, costing them a bid to the Sugar Bowl. However, wealthy Houston businessmen created the 1st Annual OIL BOWL GAME---and invited S.L.I.’s nemesis --- the BOLL WEEVILS as opponents. The rematch was played in Houston, January 1st, 1944. The S.L.I.-MARINES prevailed, 24-7!
The V-12 Program was a “FOOTBALL BONANZA” for the colleges and they showcased scads of All-Americans. “Crazylegs” Hirsch at Michigan, “Barney” Poole at Ole Miss and Heisman Trophy winner, Notre Dame quarterback, Angelo Bertelli---were just a few of the big names. In 1943-’44, thirteen of 25 All-Americans were Marine- affiliated players. SPORTING NEWS’ TOP-10-TEAMS included six that were Marine. Coach George Allen, entertainer, Johnny Carson and Senator, Howard Baker of Tennessee were non-famous persons that served in the V-12 Program prior to reaching their fame.
The preceding was an excerp from a "Tribute To Wilson Matthews" He played for Arkansas A&M in 1943
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On January 1st 1944 the SLI Bulldogs redeemed their only tie with a victory over Arkansas A&M in ankle deep mud. Louisiana’s “Swamp Fox” Alvin Dark was the hero of the game.
Old habits die hard in the media, Louisiana should have been ranked above teams that were ranked with 4-4 records, against inferior competition.
That year the school earned somewhere between $300,000 and $500,000 from the V(arsity)-12 program. However Louisiana state law at the time deemed that moneys in exess of $50,000 earned by an Atletic program were to be confiscated and placed in the States general fund.
About a year year later the Varsity-12 program ended, this was the equivalent of getting the death penalty in football since Louisiana had to start from scratch looking for football players the very next year.
. SIXTY YEARS LATER
Thomas still gets emotional when he recalls the 1943-44
Southwestern football team.
“We beat some of the best players in the country! We beat the Army’s Randolph Field team!” he exclaimed heartily during an interview in October. “We beat them hands down!”
Thomas was at the University of Louisiana's Alumni Center for a reunion of servicemen who had participated in the U.S. Navy’s V-5 aviation cadet program and V-12 officer training program at Southwestern Louisiana Institute during World War II.
SLI’s athletics program benefitted from having the training programs because they brought an influx of exceptional athletes.
“In line with the Marine Corps reputation for toughness and the belief that athletes would best fit their needs, the Marines enrolled a large number of college football players, although they did not slight those who were active in other sports,” wrote James G. Schneider in The Navy V-12 Program, Leadership For A Lifetime.
In the Fall of 1943, schools with Marine V-12 detachments were the ones which had leading football teams, including what he describes as “previously obscure football schools,” such as SLI.
That year, the SLI Bulldogs won two games, against ( Texas State ) (27-6) and Lake Charles Army Base (71-0), and tied with Arkansas A&M (20-20).
Their next game, against the Army Air Corps’ Randolph Field team in San Antonio, Texas, was crucial, according to the 1944 edition of L’Acadien, UL’s yearbook.
“By this time, the Bulldog squad was beginning to be known and recognized all over the nation as a potential contender for a bowl invitation. Through the untiring efforts of the Southwestern sports writers, Casey Cohlmia and Jack Murphy, their fame, strength and versatility was brought to the attention of many of the leading newspapers and sports circles of the country. There were many rumors that if they beat the strong Randolph team, they would be invited to any number of open bowl games.
“The team left for the trip with a grim determination to prove that they could lick any combination of 11 men that wore cleats and headgear. . .”
Rain had turned the field into a giant mud puddle. One of the Bulldogs’ star players, tailback Alvin Dark, “slipped, sloshed and slid his way through the game, unable to elude the mud-cleatequipped Ramblers, who were apparently at home in the murky mush. . .” L’Acadien noted.
The Bulldogs had a poor showing in the first half, but were inspired during halftime by a pep talk given by Major Taft, a Marine recruiting officer.
“Uttering the only words that were fired at the Bulldogs during the halftime rest, Major Taft spurred the men to a glorious second half with: ‘I’ve played on Marine football teams and I’ve played on Navy football teams. We were never beaten by an Army team and we never will be! We’ve never been licked so come on and let’s go out there and fight. . .’ And how they did fight!
“SLI’s score came just as much as a surprise to the Bulldogs as it did to Randolph. Alvin Dark quick-kicked from the 50 and the ball dribbled crazily to the one foot line, bounded back, then settled on the one yard Randolph line.
“Dobbs (the Randolph quarterback) dropped deep in the end zone as though he planned to boot the ball out. Sensing the play by the signals and by the way Dobbs began licking his fingers, giving away his actions, (Bulldogs) Wendell Williams and Vincent Buckley warned (halfback Fred) Jacob to watch for the toss. The Dobber drew a bead and fired; the ball bounded high into the air after hitting end Leon Leinwiber’s hands and Jacob scooped it up into his arms. Standing there momentarily, Jacob came out of his daze and romped 18 yards to score and win the game.”
Despite being ranked 13th in the nation, the Bulldogs were not invited to play in an established bowl game. But the Oil Bowl was created, to be played in Houston on New Year’s Day, 1944.
According to L’Acadien, the Bulldogs were so disappointed over being snubbed by the bowls that they were apparently reluctant to accept an invitation to the inaugural Oil Bowl.
“Weldon Humble, the team’s unofficial leader, was picked to present the question to the team. He succeeded in soothing their ruffled spirits and they accepted the bid with a rough and ready outlook,” it states.
Like the Randolph game, the Oil Bowl against Arkansas A&M was played in mud.
L’Acadien reported that before the contest started, Coach Louis Whitman, “convinced the boys that they could play just as well on a muddy field as any other team. They started the game with unsuppressed spirits, and as Coach Whitman stated, ‘I say that no team, and I put emphasis on Notre Dame, could have beaten us that day.’ From the kickoff there was no doubt about the superiority of the combination of the versatile backs and mighty line of the Bulldogs.”
The final score: Southwestern 24, Arkansas A&M 7.
Dark went on to become a player, coach and manager in major league baseball. Weldon Humble later played as a guard for the Cleveland Browns professional football team.
Story from the fall issue of La Louisiane
TALMADGE D.
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The University of Louisiana holds a record that will never be broken. The most players from a single year to make the NFL after playing only one season with a team.
That number is 6 and would have been 7 were it not for the SwampFox's pure love of baseball.
Actually there were many more NFL calibre players on the 43 squad, but with 175 varsity players from around the country they got caught in a numbers game, and with no playing time available, Louisiana in 1943 became the first known example of a talent graveyard.
. Re: Football 1943-44
By now, most UL fans awaiting Saturday night's New Orleans Bowl are well aware of the Ragin' Cajuns' last postseason appearance — in the well-chronicled 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl, against Tennessee State at Baton Rouge.
But what about their first?
That would be the 1944 Oil Bowl in Houston, played on New Year's Day at what was known then as Public School Stadium and what is commonly referred to now as Robertson Stadium.
It pitted UL, known then as the Southwestern Louisiana Institute (SLI) Bulldogs, against Arkansas A&M, now an NCAA Division II program known as the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Attendance was 12,000, the program cost 25 cents, SLI won 24-7 and — well — things were different back then.
The world was at war.
But SLI — a World War II V-12 Navy/Marine Corps College Training Program school — was loaded with transfer players/prospective military officers from other schools as a result, including several from Rice, LSU and Tulsa.
Coach Louis Whitman's club went 4-0-1 in 1943, beating Fort Benning (Ga.), Southwestern (Texas) in a war-relief fundraiser and Lake Charles Army Air Field, upsetting Randolph Field (Texas) in what he Associated Press report at the time called "a driving rain," and playing Arkansas A&M to a muddy 20-20 tie in Memphis.
According to bowl historian Mark Bolding's website mmbolding.com , with excerpts taken from Bernie McCarty's "The Southwest meets the Institute, 1943," "Texas coach Dana X. Bible stated he wasn't interested in playing SLI, which is why Randolph Field, and not the Bulldogs, were invited to the Cotton Bowl."
Furthermore, "SLI had a lock on the Sugar Bowl if it defeated Randolph Field. ... But Tulsa, the other candidate, insisted a choice be made prior to the SLI-Randolph tilt, and the bowl committee decided Tulsa was the safer choice."
So the Bulldogs wound up at Robertson Stadium, which was completed in 1942, which is current home to the University of Houston and which has hosted everything from AFL title games in the early 1960s involving the old Houston Oilers to MLS soccer games and even a couple East-West Shrine Games in the 2000s.
According to the Bolding site, AP's pregame report from Houston read, "The mighty offensive machines of Arkansas A and M and the Southwestern Louisiana Institute — their lineups studded with former Southwest Conference grid greats — collide here today in the first Oil Bowl game. "» SLI relies on speed and passing with Alvin Dark, an All-American of Louisiana State University as the No. 1 runner and passer."
And kicker and punter, too.
Dark, nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", was drafted by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in 1945.
But after serving in Asia during the war he wound up playing for six Major League Baseball teams from 1946-60 (the Boston Braves, New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Braves) and managing several others from 1961-77 (the San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres).
About to turn 90 years old in January, Dark was a three-time All-Star in 1951, '52 and '54 while with the New York Giants, and won World Series titles with as both a player (in '54 with the Giants) and a manager (in '74 with the Oakland A's).
According to UL's "History & Record Book," Dark's '43 Bulldogs — "what many consider to be 'The Best Team in Louisiana history" — faced the Boll Weevils "under the same rainy, foggy and muddy as the earlier meeting" in Memphis.
"I say that no team, and I put the emphasis on Notre Dame, could have beaten us that day," Whitman, the SLI coach, said after the win.
From the UL report on the game:
"(SLI) struck in the first quarter when Dark returned (a) punt 24 yards down to the AAM 21 yard-line
"Following an offsides penalty and a first down run by Dark, Dark then split the uprights from 16 yards to give the (Bulldogs) a 3-0 lead.
"(The Bulldogs) upped their lead to 10-0 just two possessions later. Moe Richmond made a sensational leaping catch between two defenders for a 12-yard score from Dark.
"The (Boll Weevils) scored on their first possession of the second half to cut the (Bulldogs) lead to 10-7. A running into the kicker penalty on the (Bulldogs) helped extend the AAM 64-yard drive that ended in a 27 yard touchdown pass from (Charley) Gray to (All-American) Bill Cromer.
"Dark pinned the (Boll Weevils) deep in their own territory with a 48-yard punt and then returned the ensuing AAM kick 15-yards to Cajuns 33 yard-line. Back-to-back first down runs by Bob Pillow and Dark set-up a seven-yard touchdown plunge by Pillow to give the (Bulldogs) back their 10-point cushion.
"Another excellent punt by Dark led to a short field for the Cajuns offense and another touchdown. Runs by Dark and Vincent Buckley set-up a 10-yard touchdown run by Dark to complete the scoring."
The Oil Bowl was not held in 1945 because of the war, and once it resumed in '46 only two more games were played — a Georgia win over Tulsa, and a Georgia Tech victory over St. Mary's.
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. Re: Football 1943-44 (UL's First Bowl)
Mr. Buckley, I think the Jan 1st 1944 Bowl victory counts as part of the 1943 season.
If so UL was 5-0-1 not 4-0-1 and the greatest era collegiate football team ever assembled.
Thanks for pointing out how no team in the country wanted a piece of them.
. Re: Football 1943-44 (UL's First Bowl)
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