1954 Orange Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1954 Orange Bowl was a postseason American college football
bowl game
between the first-ranked Maryland Terrapins
and the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners
. It was the twentieth edition of the Orange Bowl and took place at the Orange Bowl
stadium in Miami, Florida
on January 1, 1954.
The game was the first Orange Bowl to feature tie-ins between the Big Seven Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) champions. It was the first-ever meeting of the two teams. Maryland and Oklahoma were head coached by former colleagues Jim Tatum
and Bud Wilkinson
, respectively, who had previously coached together at the United States Navy
's Iowa Pre-Flight School
and the University of Oklahoma
.
in which the players were required to play on both the offense and defense. This was a result of the NCAA's newly-instituted "one-platoon
" rules that limited player substitutions. It also featured the Orange Bowl's first conference tie-in between the Big Seven and the ACC.
. To that point, he had compiled a record of 56–11–3. Before that, he spent one year as the Oklahoma head coach in 1946, where Bud Wilkinson
had served as his assistant coach. The team was ranked first in the nation in the final rankings of both the Associated Press
(AP) Poll
and the United Press
Coaches' Poll. Maryland had finished the regular season
with a perfect 10–0 record with the narrowest win being a 20–6 victory over Don Faurot
's Missouri
. They also recorded wins over 11th-ranked Mississippi, 38–0, and 11th-ranked Alabama, 21–0. Tatum said, "this is the greatest team I ever coached."
During the regular season, the Maryland defense had allowed opponents to score 31 points in ten games and recorded six defensive shut-outs. Only Georgia had been able to score more than seven points. No ACC team has since held opponents to an equal or lesser amount of points. Maryland's rushing defense (83.9 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (3.1 points allowed per game) ranked first in the nation. Maryland had outscored its opponents 298–31. No ACC team scored more total points until 1967. Maryland's star quarterback, Bernie Faloney
, had been injured midseason and saw limited game action for the remainder of the year. Back-up quarterback Charlie Boxold filled in for the majority of the Orange Bowl.
for the Iowa Pre-Flight
football team under Don Faurot
. Faurot had pioneered the split-T
offense that both Tatum and Wilkinsons' teams employed. Since taking over at Oklahoma, Wilkinson had achieved a 62–8–3 record. Oklahoma entered the game on an eight-game winning streak with a single loss in the season-opener to Notre Dame
and a tie in Week 2 against Pittsburgh
. Oklahoma also had an injured quarterback, second-stringer Pat O'Neal had separated his sternum at Miami and would miss the game.
Wilkinson reportedly compiled fake playbooks and had them distributed where they would be discovered by Maryland personnel. Wilkinson later admitted that he had indeed used the ruse on occasion, without specifically stating it was employed before the 1954 Orange Bowl.
kicked a punt
that pinned Oklahoma on their own one-foot line. Oklahoma quarterback Gene Calame rushed
twice to gain some breathing room before the Sooners punted it away. Maryland took over on the Oklahoma 37-yard line. Quarterback Charlie Boxold completed a nine-yard pass
to Dick Nolan. Halfback Chet Hanulak
then connected with Nolan again. That was followed by a first down by fullback Ralph Felton
on the Oklahoma four-yard line. Hanulak rushed to pick up two yards. Nolan then ran to the left but was stopped by Oklahoma back Larry Grigg for no gain. Hanulak rushed again to pick up one more yard. Felton rushed from the one-yard line, but was stopped six inches shy of the end zone
, and Maryland turned over on downs
. Maryland again drove inside the Oklahoma 10-yard line. Wilkinson sent in the alternate line-up
and Oklahoma again stopped Maryland short. The Sooners fumbled at their own 20-yard line, but the Terrapins again failed to capitalize.
In the second quarter, Maryland advanced to the Oklahoma 20-yard line, and Tatum elected for a field goal
attempt. Now against the wind, the kick failed, with the ball going wide right. The Sooners took over on downs and halfback Jack Ging
completed a pass to end Max Boydston
for a five-yard gain. Ging then rushed for three yards. On the next play, Calame pitched to Grigg who ran to the left and picked up 12 yards for a first down. Calame then completed a pass to back Bob Burris for six yards. Grigg faked a pass and ran to the right for a gain of 12 yards and a first down on the Maryland 39-yard line. The Terrapins stopped two Sooner rushing attempts before Calame connected with Burris again for an 11-yard gain. Burris then rushed for three more yards to advance to the Maryland 25. Tatum called a time-out. On third down with one yard to go, Calame faked a handoff to Ging and executed an option run
to the left. He pitched
to Grigg and threw a block. Grigg was tackled at the goal-line but managed to extend his body into the endzone. Buddy Leake made the extra point
. Shortly before halftime, Calame suffered a separated collarbone. With back-up Pat O'Neal also injured, only third-string quarterback Jack Van Pool remained, and he had little game experience.
In the third quarter, Walker attempted to punt for Maryland. Oklahoma tackle Don Brown escaped a block from Stan Jones
and closed in on Walker. The punter held onto the ball and attempted to run, but Brown tackled him for a 12-yard loss. Later, Leake punted and Hanulak returned and threatened to score. Leake, the last man between Hanulak and the endzone, made the tackle.
In the fourth quarter, Boxold threw a long pass into the endzone, but it was intercepted
by Grigg for a touchback with four minutes remaining. Van Pool led a 41-yard drive to the Maryland 39-yard line before time expired.
. Maryland was led by Felton who gained 51 yards on ten carries.
Quarterback Charlie Boxold led Maryland in passing with three completions
on nine attempts for 42 yards. Dick Nolan led in receiving with two receptions
for 31 yards. Oklahoma's passing was led by quarterback Gene Calame before he was put out of the game by injury. He completed four of four pass attempts for 22 yards. Bob Burris was the Sooners' leading receiver with three receptions for 17 yards.
, and remained the consensus national champions despite the loss. Some selectors have retroactively named Notre Dame and Oklahoma the national champions. With a 10–1 finish, Maryland possessed the best record in the nation. It was the first time Maryland had suffered a shutout in 51 games, the last being in 1948 at the hands of Vanderbilt
.
For Oklahoma, it was their ninth-straight win, and the team finished the 1953 season with a 9–1–1 record. The game was part of a streak that, under head coach Wilkinson, would last 47 games. To date, that winning streak is the longest compiled by any NCAA major college football team.
Oklahoma head coach Wilkinson declined to declare his team the national champions. He addressed his team in the locker room, saying, "It was a helluva ball game. Desire, spirit, effort—anything you want to call it—won for us today." Maryland head coach Tatum said at the post-game party, "Bud outcoached me."
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
between the first-ranked Maryland Terrapins
1953 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 1953 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association college football in its first season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference . Maryland outscored its opponents 298–38 and recorded six defensive shutouts. Jim Tatum...
and the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. It was the twentieth edition of the Orange Bowl and took place at the Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
stadium in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
on January 1, 1954.
The game was the first Orange Bowl to feature tie-ins between the Big Seven Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) champions. It was the first-ever meeting of the two teams. Maryland and Oklahoma were head coached by former colleagues Jim Tatum
Jim Tatum
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...
and Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
, respectively, who had previously coached together at the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
's Iowa Pre-Flight School
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
and the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
.
Pre-game buildup
The game was the first postseason bowl gameBowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
in which the players were required to play on both the offense and defense. This was a result of the NCAA's newly-instituted "one-platoon
One-platoon system
The one-platoon system, also known as iron man football, was a system in American football where players played on both offense and defense. It was the result of rules that limited player substitutions. The alternative system is known as the "two-platoon system", or simply the "platoon system",...
" rules that limited player substitutions. It also featured the Orange Bowl's first conference tie-in between the Big Seven and the ACC.
Maryland
Maryland was helmed by seventh-year head coach Jim TatumJim Tatum
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...
. To that point, he had compiled a record of 56–11–3. Before that, he spent one year as the Oklahoma head coach in 1946, where Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
had served as his assistant coach. The team was ranked first in the nation in the final rankings of both the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(AP) Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and the United Press
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
Coaches' Poll. Maryland had finished the regular season
1953 college football season
The 1953 college football season finished with the Maryland Terrapins capturing the AP, INS, and UPI national championship after Notre Dame held the top spot for the first nine weeks. The #4 Oklahoma Sooners defeated Maryland in the Orange Bowl, but there was no further polling after the November...
with a perfect 10–0 record with the narrowest win being a 20–6 victory over Don Faurot
Don Faurot
Donald Burrows Faurot was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, now Truman State University, from 1926 to 1934 and at the University of Missouri from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1956...
's Missouri
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
. They also recorded wins over 11th-ranked Mississippi, 38–0, and 11th-ranked Alabama, 21–0. Tatum said, "this is the greatest team I ever coached."
During the regular season, the Maryland defense had allowed opponents to score 31 points in ten games and recorded six defensive shut-outs. Only Georgia had been able to score more than seven points. No ACC team has since held opponents to an equal or lesser amount of points. Maryland's rushing defense (83.9 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (3.1 points allowed per game) ranked first in the nation. Maryland had outscored its opponents 298–31. No ACC team scored more total points until 1967. Maryland's star quarterback, Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney was a professional football player in the Canadian Football League and an outstanding American college football player at the University of Maryland...
, had been injured midseason and saw limited game action for the remainder of the year. Back-up quarterback Charlie Boxold filled in for the majority of the Orange Bowl.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma was led by seventh-year head coach Bud Wilkinson. He had assumed the position himself after Tatum resigned to leave for Maryland. The two had also both served as assistant coaches in the U.S. NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
for the Iowa Pre-Flight
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
football team under Don Faurot
Don Faurot
Donald Burrows Faurot was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, now Truman State University, from 1926 to 1934 and at the University of Missouri from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1956...
. Faurot had pioneered the split-T
Split-T
The split-T is an offensive formation in American football that was popular in the 1940s and 50s. Developed by Missouri Tigers head coach Don Faurot as a variation on the T formation, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the Tigers to win all but their season-opening match...
offense that both Tatum and Wilkinsons' teams employed. Since taking over at Oklahoma, Wilkinson had achieved a 62–8–3 record. Oklahoma entered the game on an eight-game winning streak with a single loss in the season-opener to Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
and a tie in Week 2 against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
. Oklahoma also had an injured quarterback, second-stringer Pat O'Neal had separated his sternum at Miami and would miss the game.
Wilkinson reportedly compiled fake playbooks and had them distributed where they would be discovered by Maryland personnel. Wilkinson later admitted that he had indeed used the ruse on occasion, without specifically stating it was employed before the 1954 Orange Bowl.
Game summary
In the first quarter, Maryland started with the wind to their backs. Bill WalkerBill Walker (American football)
William "Bill" Walker is an American former football and baseball player. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park where he played college football as an end and baseball as an outfielder. Wire services twice named Walker to All-America football second teams and he was also selected to...
kicked a punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
that pinned Oklahoma on their own one-foot line. Oklahoma quarterback Gene Calame rushed
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
twice to gain some breathing room before the Sooners punted it away. Maryland took over on the Oklahoma 37-yard line. Quarterback Charlie Boxold completed a nine-yard pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
to Dick Nolan. Halfback Chet Hanulak
Chet Hanulak
Chet Hanulak is a former professional American football player who played running back for four seasons for the Cleveland Browns....
then connected with Nolan again. That was followed by a first down by fullback Ralph Felton
Ralph Felton
Ralph Dwaine "Rass" Felton was an American football linebacker and defensive back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins....
on the Oklahoma four-yard line. Hanulak rushed to pick up two yards. Nolan then ran to the left but was stopped by Oklahoma back Larry Grigg for no gain. Hanulak rushed again to pick up one more yard. Felton rushed from the one-yard line, but was stopped six inches shy of the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
, and Maryland turned over on downs
Turnover on downs
In American football, a turnover on downs occurs when a team fails to convert a fourth down into a first down by gaining the required yardage.A team has four chances to gain ten yards or to score. Any ground gained during one down short of these ten yards is kept for the next chance...
. Maryland again drove inside the Oklahoma 10-yard line. Wilkinson sent in the alternate line-up
One-platoon system
The one-platoon system, also known as iron man football, was a system in American football where players played on both offense and defense. It was the result of rules that limited player substitutions. The alternative system is known as the "two-platoon system", or simply the "platoon system",...
and Oklahoma again stopped Maryland short. The Sooners fumbled at their own 20-yard line, but the Terrapins again failed to capitalize.
In the second quarter, Maryland advanced to the Oklahoma 20-yard line, and Tatum elected for a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
attempt. Now against the wind, the kick failed, with the ball going wide right. The Sooners took over on downs and halfback Jack Ging
Jack Ging
Jack Lee Ging is an American actor best known for his role as General Harlan 'Bull' Fullbright in the NBC television series The A-Team.-Early life:...
completed a pass to end Max Boydston
Max Boydston
Max Ray Boydston was a professional gridiron football end who played in the National Football League , the Canadian Football League , and the American Football League .-College career:...
for a five-yard gain. Ging then rushed for three yards. On the next play, Calame pitched to Grigg who ran to the left and picked up 12 yards for a first down. Calame then completed a pass to back Bob Burris for six yards. Grigg faked a pass and ran to the right for a gain of 12 yards and a first down on the Maryland 39-yard line. The Terrapins stopped two Sooner rushing attempts before Calame connected with Burris again for an 11-yard gain. Burris then rushed for three more yards to advance to the Maryland 25. Tatum called a time-out. On third down with one yard to go, Calame faked a handoff to Ging and executed an option run
Option run
The option run or option is a designed play in American football and Canadian football. In the simplest version of this play, the quarterback receives the ball and runs either to the right or left, accompanied by an additional offensive player...
to the left. He pitched
Lateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
to Grigg and threw a block. Grigg was tackled at the goal-line but managed to extend his body into the endzone. Buddy Leake made the extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
. Shortly before halftime, Calame suffered a separated collarbone. With back-up Pat O'Neal also injured, only third-string quarterback Jack Van Pool remained, and he had little game experience.
In the third quarter, Walker attempted to punt for Maryland. Oklahoma tackle Don Brown escaped a block from Stan Jones
Stan Jones (American football)
Stanley Paul "Stan" Jones was an American football guard and defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991...
and closed in on Walker. The punter held onto the ball and attempted to run, but Brown tackled him for a 12-yard loss. Later, Leake punted and Hanulak returned and threatened to score. Leake, the last man between Hanulak and the endzone, made the tackle.
In the fourth quarter, Boxold threw a long pass into the endzone, but it was intercepted
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
by Grigg for a touchback with four minutes remaining. Van Pool led a 41-yard drive to the Maryland 39-yard line before time expired.
Statistical summary
Oklahoma back Larry Grigg managed to score the only touchdown of the game and Buddy Leake made the extra point. Grigg led the Sooners in rushing with 89 yards on 13 carriesCarry (American football)
In American football, a carry is a statistical term equivalent to a single rushing play. The term is typically used in reference to "yards per carry," meaning yards per attempt rushing the ball. Any offensive player who performs a carry is known as a ballcarrier, regardless of position....
. Maryland was led by Felton who gained 51 yards on ten carries.
Quarterback Charlie Boxold led Maryland in passing with three completions
Completion (American football)
A completion is a term used in American football when a receiver successfully catches a pass. The three possible outcomes of a pass thrown are completion, incompletion, and interception, respectively....
on nine attempts for 42 yards. Dick Nolan led in receiving with two receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
for 31 yards. Oklahoma's passing was led by quarterback Gene Calame before he was put out of the game by injury. He completed four of four pass attempts for 22 yards. Bob Burris was the Sooners' leading receiver with three receptions for 17 yards.
Post-game effects
At the time, the final rankings were declared before postseason games. Therefore, Maryland had been declared the national championship team by the Associated Press, United Press, and International News ServiceInternational News Service
International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...
, and remained the consensus national champions despite the loss. Some selectors have retroactively named Notre Dame and Oklahoma the national champions. With a 10–1 finish, Maryland possessed the best record in the nation. It was the first time Maryland had suffered a shutout in 51 games, the last being in 1948 at the hands of Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
.
For Oklahoma, it was their ninth-straight win, and the team finished the 1953 season with a 9–1–1 record. The game was part of a streak that, under head coach Wilkinson, would last 47 games. To date, that winning streak is the longest compiled by any NCAA major college football team.
Oklahoma head coach Wilkinson declined to declare his team the national champions. He addressed his team in the locker room, saying, "It was a helluva ball game. Desire, spirit, effort—anything you want to call it—won for us today." Maryland head coach Tatum said at the post-game party, "Bud outcoached me."