SMU Heritage Hall Famous Moment #2

[50's PONY]

With only two games remaining in the 1935 Southwest Conference football season the SMU Mustangs were still undefeated. Next up for the Mustangs would be a trip to Ft. Worth to play the also undefeated TCU Horned Frogs. The Mustangs had many stars that year but the greatest was our All-America running back Bobby Wilson. The Frogs were led by their All-America Quarterback Sammy Baugh. The game was going to be played in TCU’s practically new stadium that seated 32,000. It was common knowledge that the winner would probably be invited to the Rose Bowl. The game was going to be the first to be broadcast from coast to coast. The announcers would be Bill Stern nationally and Kern Tips locally. The legendary Grantland Rice would be in Ft. Worth to cover the game. On the day of the game $1.00 tickets were being scalped for $100.00. People were actually crashing the fence around the stadium with their cars to try and get in. By game time it was estimated that there were nearly 40,000 people inside the stadium.
A few weeks before this game SMU had gone to Los Angeles where they easily defeated the UCLA Bruins. The Los Angeles and California press loved the Mustangs (and the Mustang Band) and were hoping that SMU would be the team that would be coming back to the Rose Bowl. In the UCLA game our great fullback, Harry Shuford, suffered a leg injury that would keep him out of the game. This meant that Bob Finley would move into the lineup to replace Shuford. This also meant that four of our starters (Wilson, Finley, Billy Stamps, and Maco Stewart) were all from Corsicana. Long time Mustang Coach, Ray Morrison (who had left at the end of the 1934 season to return to his alma mater, Vanderbilt) returned for the game and sat next to Shuford on the bench)
The game was a classic and was tied 14-14 in the fourth quarter. SMU began a march that stalled on about the TCU 40 and now faced fourth down. The team came out of the huddle and lined up in punt formation. But, instead of punting, Finley took the direct snapped and dropped back to pass. Wilson was streaking down the sideline and Finley hit him with a perfect pass in between two TCU defenders and Wilson jumped across the goal line. TCU had one more chance but on the last play of the game Baugh’s pass was deflected in the end zone and the Mustangs were on the way to Pasadena.
http://youtu.be/Pi96aDO89Ao

[Treadway21]

Absolutely great. Thanks for putting these up. It is fantastic to see these old highlights.

Bobby Wilson is the man.

[Rayburn]

Great stuff! One of the most significant games in Mustang history.

[skurtn]

I love looking at the old styles of play. Especially the extra point kicks.

[Rayburn]

I love looking at the old styles of play. Especially the extra point kicks.

Some of those formations have made a come back in style. Notice how Sammy Baugh took his helmet off to hold for the PAT.

[Stallion]

full house backfield-looks very much like wishbone