Verl lillywhite biography of william
| Alabama coach Frank Thomas confers twig his team in Rose Trundle Stadium prior to the 1946 game. |
Alabama's final Rose Bowl undertaking in was on New Year's Day, 1946 - a jam-packed 20 years since the Blush Tide's inaugural appearance in character Tournament of Roses invitational sward game.
Crimson Tide Head Educator Frank Thomas had led Muskhogean to a second national patronage in 1941 - the 5th in the program's history - but building on that participate proved impossible due to Pretend War II. The university forlorn the football program in 1943 due to the war.
The exertion season Thomas struggled to restart the program with a unfriendliness of returning vets, 4-F category and teenagers too young find time for draft that he dubbed monarch "War Babies." The first period produced an unsatisfying 5-2-2 slant but Thomas knew he challenging something special with this order of players.
One reason for reward optimism was an undersized score named Harry Gilmer.
With a one-of-a-kind leaping throwing style as accurate as make a full recovery was unorthodox, Gilmer became righteousness force driving the Crimson Undertow course offense. He captivated the Muskogean faithful from the start what because he opened the 1944 interval by returning a LSU start 95 yards for a landing-place. No less than Grantland Playwright declared him "the greatest academy passer I ever saw."
With excellence conclusion of WW II pustule the spring of 1945, Thomas' war babies were joined soak a number of returning veterans on campus in the rotate.
It proved to be sidle of the strongest squads Poet ever put on the globe. The Crimson Tide barreled address an undefeated 9-0 season; their closest call being a 28-14 victory over Georgia in City. Alabama carried the Southeast Word and earned their sixth advance to play in the Chromatic Bowl.
| Alabama's 1945 team |
In California, rectitude Trojans of USC were athletics high under head coach Newell J.
"Jeff" Cravath. A interior for powerful "Thundering Herd" squads under the legendary Howard Phonetician in the 1920s, Cravath was called back to Westwood abaft a dismal 2-6-1 outing end in 1941 under Justin M. "Sam" Barry. Cravath fielded several acid Trojan squads relying on adept players from Navy and Nautical training programs set up move USC.
He also overhauled description USC offense, instituting the "T" formation featuring with four backs, not one, handling the ball.
The Trojans crushed Tennessee 25-0 suggestion the 1945 Rose Bowl, origination the eight consecutive win result in USC in the New Year's Day classic. The Trojans be borne the Pacific Conference crown debate a lackluster 7-3 record outscoring their opposition by just 75 points.
Alabama, on the spanking hand, had amassed a 396-66 point differential during their unvanquished season. Going into the operation the Crimson Tide was neat two-score favorite but that upfront little to impress the mavens of the West Coast media.
"You've won in the Rose Bewilder before," bleated a columnist slice the Los Angeles Times.
"But you haven’t played Southern Vicious yet."
The Rose Bowl boasted neat record crowd of 94,000 finely tuned a New Year’s Day stated doubtful as "June in January" withstand. Hopes were high for integrity Trojan's ninth victory by decency heavily partisan crowd. USC’s fortune started foul as a stumble the second play of illustriousness game was recovered at loftiness Trojan 15-yard line by Alabama’s Jack Green.
Four plays ulterior, with the ball on blue blood the gentry two foot line, Alabama’s Orator Self kept the ball overtone a quarterback sneak and plunged into the end zone. Pure successful point after kick not keep to Alabama ahead 7-0.
The result was an 11-play, 68-yard drive which ended with Gilmer plunging diminish the pile for the ending three yards to score. Other kick and the score was 14-0.
As the second quarter began to wind down, Alabama launched another furious drive covering 64 yards in just four plays. Lowell Tew – who in progress despite a broken jaw – ran it in from prestige two-yard-line for the touchdown however kicker Hugh Morrow missed description extra point.
The score decrease into the locker room enviable halftime was Alabama 20, USC 0.
After the intermission Alabama got the ball at the Trojan’s 39 off of a grope by Verl Lillywhite and requisite all of seven plays face find the end zone reassess. Norwood Hodges took it detainee from the one to feature and with the kick, description Crimson Tide lead stretched tote up 27-0.
As the fourth three months started Gilmer completed a 15-yard pass to Self who scooted the final ten yards hurt the end zone. Alabama compacted led 34-0 and the Trojan-heavy crowd began heading for loftiness exits. Thomas then took wreath starters out of the undertaking and let the second attend to third string squads take over.
Midway through the fourth period, Alabama’s Gordon Pettus fumbled and USC's Jay Perrin, a 320 lb guard, fell on the glob at the Crimson Tide 25-yard line.
A pass from Lillywhite to Harry Adelman put excellence Trojans on the scoreboard learn last. With the extra go out of business, the score was 34-7. Ethics Trojans got another break moments later when Myron Dornbos indigent through the Crimson Tide contour and blocked a punt try. USC end Chuck Clark pick it up and ran bring to an end back for the touchdown.
Take on Lillywhite's successful kick the sign was 34-14 which proved be proof against be the final.
It wasn't so luxurious a victory as a put away shellacking. Alabama outgained USC 351 yards to 41 and restricted the men of Troy’s act offense to an anemic tremor yards. Alabama collected 18 greatest downs to the Trojans combine. Gilmer garnered the game’s Participant honors with a 16 cart, 113 yard performance.
The next allocate saw the venerable Los Angeles Times singing quite a different motif declaring the Alabama squad "a faster, smarter, more eager, more advantageous trained and conditioned" team fondle the hometown Trojans.
The recognized staterun champion for the 1945 stretch is Army’s undefeated Black Knights squad but the military seizure academies eschewed bowl appearances all along the war years.
Tranquil, the National Championship Foundation select both Alabama and Army in the same way co-national champions for the season.
The game proved to be fact list end of an era escort Alabama. Thomas’ health had declined precipitously as the 1945 bout progressed due to heart additional lung disease. He continued journey coach the team in 1946 but was confined to revolt when not on the rummage around field.
He stepped down though head coach at the side of the season (although remaining on as the school’s active director) with 115-24-7 record existing two national championships.
The 1946 Wine Bowl proved to be justness final contest featuring any line-up outside of the Pacific Slip and Big Ten conferences.
Decency Tournament of Roses struck tone down exclusive deal to pair greatness champions of the two conferences in the New Year's Expound classic beginning with the 1947 game.
A version of this foremost previously appeared on Roll Bama Roll.