Catholic Cardinals football
Encyclopedia
The Catholic University Cardinals football team represents the Catholic University of America in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division III college football
competition as a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference
(ODAC). The team played its first game in 1895 and was a major college team in the first half of the 20th century, into the 1940s. The football program was put on hiatus during World War II
, and then discontinued shortly afterwards. In 1965, football returned to the university at the club level, and, in 1977, re-entered NCAA competition as part of Division III. The Cardinals have participated in the Division III playoffs three times in the late 1990s and have secured two ODAC championships.
, November 28, 1895, in Emmitsburg, Maryland
. They faced Mount Saint Mary's, of which six of the eleven Catholic players were alums. A contemporary article in The Mountaineer, the Mount Saint Mary's student newspaper, described it as being "rather warm for hard foot-ball playing, and consequently neither team seemed to play with much snap or vim." The Mountaineers scored a touchdown
immediately before halftime to take a 4–0 lead. Catholic recovered a blocked field goal
attempt and ran it back 92 yards for the equalizing score. Mount Saint Mary's later pulled away with a safety and a touchdown with two-point kick. The final result was 12–4.
In the 1920s, the Catholic "Red and Black" became known as the "Cardinals", sometimes expanded to the "Flying Cardinals" or, less often, the "Fighting Cardinals". Brookland Stadium opened on October 4, 1924, and helped to increase the prominence of the football team. In 1930, Catholic secured former Minnesota
assistant Arthur "Dutch" Bergman as their new head coach. During his tenure, Bergman scheduled teams farther afield such as , , , and .
In 1935, the Cardinals finished the regular season with a 7–1 record. The Catholic defense recorded three shutouts, allowed only 34 points, and no rushing
touchdowns. The performance impressed the Orange Bowl committee enough for it to extend an invitation to play against Mississippi
. During the game, Bill Adamaitis caught a pass for the first touchdown and then threw for another score. He became the first of only three players to score both receiving and passing touchdowns in the same Orange Bowl. Ole Miss responded when Ned Peters ran for a 67-yard touchdown for a 13–6 halftime mark. In the second half, the Cardinals blocked a punt
and returned it 20 yards for the score. Ole Miss recorded two more touchdowns, but missed the penultimate extra point
, which proved Catholic's margin of victory, 20–19.
In 1939, Catholic achieved five shutouts in its 8–1 regular season record, and secured its second bowl game appearance. They faced Tempe Normal Teacher's College
(now Arizona State) in the 1940 Sun Bowl. The result was a scoreless stalemate, unusual in the fact that the teams had scored a total of 512 points during the season. After the game, both coaches claimed to have the superior team to the media. Dixie Howell
of Tempe said, "I believe we had the better team ... and would have won if we had gotten a break at the right time." Bergman responded, "Tempe is a fast, powerful team, but we didn’t play our top game by any means ... I think we are capable of beating Tempe six days out of the week."
From 1941 to 1946, football was discontinued due to World War II
. Bergman finished his career at Catholic with a 59–31–4 record as the winningest
coach in school history. He later coached the Washington Redskins
in 1943, when they made an NFL
playoff appearance. When the team was resurrected after the war, the Cardinals could not replicate their previous success. In four seasons, three different coaches posted a combined 7–18–2 record. The team was disbanded in 1950. A trial game was played against Saint Peter's College in 1965, and football revived the following year at the club level.
In 1977, varsity football returned to Catholic with its entry into NCAA Division III competition. In 1997, the Cardinals under head coach Tom Clark
made their first appearance in the Division III playoffs
, losing 44–33 against Trinity
. They returned to the playoffs in 1998, where they lost to Lycoming College
, 49–14, and in 1999, when they made their third consecutive NCAA playoff appearance. That season they also secured the Old Dominion Athletic Conference
(ODAC) championship with a 6–0 conference record. They lost those NCAA playoffs to Western Maryland College (now called McDaniel College
) 20-16.
In 2008, the Cardinals finished 4–2 in the ODAC and earned a four-way share of the conference title. Catholic earned a bid to the ECAC
Southeast Bowl against Johns Hopkins
and won, 18–17. It was the first postseason victory for the Cardinals since 1936.
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="75%"
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Year
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Conference
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Coach
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Overall record
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Conference record
|- align="center"
| 1999 || Old Dominion Athletic Conference
|| Tom Clark
|| 9–2 || 5–0
|- align="center"
| 2008 || Old Dominion Athletic Conference || Dave Dunn
|| 9–2 || 4–2
|}
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="75%"
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Year
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Bowl
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Opponent
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Result
|- align="center"
| 1936 || Orange Bowl
|| Mississippi
|| W 20-19
|- align="center"
| 1940 || Sun Bowl
|| Arizona State
|| T 0-0
|- align="center"
| 2008 || ECAC Southeast Bowl || Johns Hopkins
|| W 18-17
|}
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="75%"
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Year
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Location
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Opponent
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Result
|- align="center"
| 1997 || San Antonio, Texas || Trinity
|| L 44-33
|- align="center"
| 1998 || Williamsport, Pennsylvania || Lycoming
|| L 49-14
|- align="center"
| 1999 || Westminster, Maryland || McDaniel
|| L 20-16
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
| Season
| Overall record
| Conference (ODAC
) record
|-
| 2011
| 5-5
| 1-5
|-
| 2010
| 4-6
| 2-4
|-
| 2009
| 1-9
| 0-6
|-
| 2008
| 9-2
| 4-2
|-
| 2007
| 5-5
| 1-5
|-
| 2006
| 3-7
| 1-5
|-
| 2005
| 2-8
| 0-5
|-
| 2004
| 0-10
| 0-5
|-
| 2003
| 3-7
| 1-4
|-
| 2002
| 4-6
| 2-3
|-
| 2001
| 3-7
| 1-4
|-
| 2000
| 6-4
| 4-2
|-
| 1999
| 9-2
| 5-0
|}
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division III college football
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...
competition as a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference. Its member schools are located primarily in Virginia, with other members in North Carolina and Washington, DC. Only the American Southwest Conference in Texas is larger in Division III. -History:The conference was...
(ODAC). The team played its first game in 1895 and was a major college team in the first half of the 20th century, into the 1940s. The football program was put on hiatus during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and then discontinued shortly afterwards. In 1965, football returned to the university at the club level, and, in 1977, re-entered NCAA competition as part of Division III. The Cardinals have participated in the Division III playoffs three times in the late 1990s and have secured two ODAC championships.
History
Catholic's first known intercollegiate football game came on Thanksgiving DayThanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
, November 28, 1895, in Emmitsburg, Maryland
Emmitsburg, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,290 people, 811 households, and 553 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,992.9 people per square mile . There were 862 housing units at an average density of 750.2 per square mile...
. They faced Mount Saint Mary's, of which six of the eleven Catholic players were alums. A contemporary article in The Mountaineer, the Mount Saint Mary's student newspaper, described it as being "rather warm for hard foot-ball playing, and consequently neither team seemed to play with much snap or vim." The Mountaineers scored a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
immediately before halftime to take a 4–0 lead. Catholic recovered a blocked 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 and ran it back 92 yards for the equalizing score. Mount Saint Mary's later pulled away with a safety and a touchdown with two-point kick. The final result was 12–4.
In the 1920s, the Catholic "Red and Black" became known as the "Cardinals", sometimes expanded to the "Flying Cardinals" or, less often, the "Fighting Cardinals". Brookland Stadium opened on October 4, 1924, and helped to increase the prominence of the football team. In 1930, Catholic secured former Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
assistant Arthur "Dutch" Bergman as their new head coach. During his tenure, Bergman scheduled teams farther afield such as , , , and .
In 1935, the Cardinals finished the regular season with a 7–1 record. The Catholic defense recorded three shutouts, allowed only 34 points, and no rushing
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...
touchdowns. The performance impressed the Orange Bowl committee enough for it to extend an invitation to play against Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
. During the game, Bill Adamaitis caught a pass for the first touchdown and then threw for another score. He became the first of only three players to score both receiving and passing touchdowns in the same Orange Bowl. Ole Miss responded when Ned Peters ran for a 67-yard touchdown for a 13–6 halftime mark. In the second half, the Cardinals blocked 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....
and returned it 20 yards for the score. Ole Miss recorded two more touchdowns, but missed the penultimate 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...
, which proved Catholic's margin of victory, 20–19.
In 1939, Catholic achieved five shutouts in its 8–1 regular season record, and secured its second bowl game appearance. They faced Tempe Normal Teacher's College
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
(now Arizona State) in the 1940 Sun Bowl. The result was a scoreless stalemate, unusual in the fact that the teams had scored a total of 512 points during the season. After the game, both coaches claimed to have the superior team to the media. Dixie Howell
Dixie Howell
-External links:...
of Tempe said, "I believe we had the better team ... and would have won if we had gotten a break at the right time." Bergman responded, "Tempe is a fast, powerful team, but we didn’t play our top game by any means ... I think we are capable of beating Tempe six days out of the week."
From 1941 to 1946, football was discontinued due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Bergman finished his career at Catholic with a 59–31–4 record as the winningest
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
coach in school history. He later coached the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in 1943, when they made an NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
playoff appearance. When the team was resurrected after the war, the Cardinals could not replicate their previous success. In four seasons, three different coaches posted a combined 7–18–2 record. The team was disbanded in 1950. A trial game was played against Saint Peter's College in 1965, and football revived the following year at the club level.
In 1977, varsity football returned to Catholic with its entry into NCAA Division III competition. In 1997, the Cardinals under head coach Tom Clark
Tom Clark (American football)
Tom Clark is an American college football coach. He served for nine non-consecutive seasons as the head coach at The Catholic University of America, where he compiled a 58–32–1 record and a 0.643 winning percentage. Currently, Clark is the defensive coordinator for Liberty University.-Early...
made their first appearance in the Division III playoffs
NCAA Division III national football championship
The NCAA Division III National Football Championship began in 1973. Before 1973, most of the schools now in Division III competed in the NCAA's former "College Division"....
, losing 44–33 against Trinity
Trinity Tigers
The Trinity Tigers is the nickname for the sports teams of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The school mascot is LeeRoy, a Bengal Tiger...
. They returned to the playoffs in 1998, where they lost to Lycoming College
Lycoming College
Founded in 1812, Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. One of the 50 oldest colleges in America, Lycoming enrolls 1400 undergraduate students from over 28 states and 12 foreign countries. Eighty percent of the college's students live on campus...
, 49–14, and in 1999, when they made their third consecutive NCAA playoff appearance. That season they also secured the Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference. Its member schools are located primarily in Virginia, with other members in North Carolina and Washington, DC. Only the American Southwest Conference in Texas is larger in Division III. -History:The conference was...
(ODAC) championship with a 6–0 conference record. They lost those NCAA playoffs to Western Maryland College (now called McDaniel College
McDaniel College
McDaniel College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland, located 30 miles northwest of Baltimore. The college also has a satellite campus located in Budapest, Hungary. Until July 2002, it was known as Western Maryland College...
) 20-16.
In 2008, the Cardinals finished 4–2 in the ODAC and earned a four-way share of the conference title. Catholic earned a bid to the ECAC
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
Southeast Bowl against Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
The Johns Hopkins University's intercollegiate sports teams are called the Blue Jays , and they compete in the NCAA's Division III, except for the lacrosse teams that compete in Division I. They are primarily members of the Centennial Conference. The team colors are Columbia blue and black, and...
and won, 18–17. It was the first postseason victory for the Cardinals since 1936.
Conference championships
{| border="0" width="100%"| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="75%"
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Year
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Conference
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Coach
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Overall record
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Conference record
|- align="center"
| 1999 || Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference. Its member schools are located primarily in Virginia, with other members in North Carolina and Washington, DC. Only the American Southwest Conference in Texas is larger in Division III. -History:The conference was...
|| Tom Clark
Tom Clark (American football)
Tom Clark is an American college football coach. He served for nine non-consecutive seasons as the head coach at The Catholic University of America, where he compiled a 58–32–1 record and a 0.643 winning percentage. Currently, Clark is the defensive coordinator for Liberty University.-Early...
|| 9–2 || 5–0
|- align="center"
| 2008 || Old Dominion Athletic Conference || Dave Dunn
Dave Dunn (American football)
Dave Dunn , is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at The Catholic University of America.-Coaching career:...
|| 9–2 || 4–2
|}
Bowl games
{| border="0" width="100%"| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="75%"
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Year
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Bowl
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Opponent
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Result
|- align="center"
| 1936 || Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
|| Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
|| W 20-19
|- align="center"
| 1940 || Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
|| Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
|| T 0-0
|- align="center"
| 2008 || ECAC Southeast Bowl || Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
The Johns Hopkins University's intercollegiate sports teams are called the Blue Jays , and they compete in the NCAA's Division III, except for the lacrosse teams that compete in Division I. They are primarily members of the Centennial Conference. The team colors are Columbia blue and black, and...
|| W 18-17
|}
NCAA Division III Playoffs
{| border="0" width="100%"| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="75%"
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Year
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Location
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Opponent
!bgcolor="#b41100"| Result
|- align="center"
| 1997 || San Antonio, Texas || Trinity
Trinity Tigers
The Trinity Tigers is the nickname for the sports teams of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The school mascot is LeeRoy, a Bengal Tiger...
|| L 44-33
|- align="center"
| 1998 || Williamsport, Pennsylvania || Lycoming
Lycoming College
Founded in 1812, Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. One of the 50 oldest colleges in America, Lycoming enrolls 1400 undergraduate students from over 28 states and 12 foreign countries. Eighty percent of the college's students live on campus...
|| L 49-14
|- align="center"
| 1999 || Westminster, Maryland || McDaniel
McDaniel College
McDaniel College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland, located 30 miles northwest of Baltimore. The college also has a satellite campus located in Budapest, Hungary. Until July 2002, it was known as Western Maryland College...
|| L 20-16
|}
Past records
Latest season's W-L-T records:{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
| Season
| Overall record
| Conference (ODAC
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference. Its member schools are located primarily in Virginia, with other members in North Carolina and Washington, DC. Only the American Southwest Conference in Texas is larger in Division III. -History:The conference was...
) record
|-
| 2011
| 5-5
| 1-5
|-
| 2010
| 4-6
| 2-4
|-
| 2009
| 1-9
| 0-6
|-
| 2008
| 9-2
| 4-2
|-
| 2007
| 5-5
| 1-5
|-
| 2006
| 3-7
| 1-5
|-
| 2005
| 2-8
| 0-5
|-
| 2004
| 0-10
| 0-5
|-
| 2003
| 3-7
| 1-4
|-
| 2002
| 4-6
| 2-3
|-
| 2001
| 3-7
| 1-4
|-
| 2000
| 6-4
| 4-2
|-
| 1999
| 9-2
| 5-0
|}