Today in SMU history...

[ponyinNC]

S.M.U. Mustangs blast Horned Frogs, 20-14

Wilson-Baugh battle thrills 35,000 fans in Cowtown skirmish


November 30, 1935
By GEORGE WHITE / The Dallas Morning News

Editors' note: The following appeared in the final December 1, 1935 edition of The Dallas Morning News.


• • •

FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov. 30 – Southern Methodist University's jazz-tooters Saturday night were throwing all of their lung power into "California here I come." Their red-shirted warriors of the gridiron, as fierce a fighting and as well-drilled band as ever went to the football wars in the Southwest, scoffed at injuries that have harassed them and scored a nerve-tingling 20-to-14 victory over the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs in the wildest and most exciting football spectacle ever pitched on a Southwestern gridiron here Saturday afternoon to clinch a tie for their conference championship and send between 35,000 and 40,000 fans staggering homeward, weak from exhaustion.

It was undoubtedly the masterpiece of all football shows staged in this sector. The setting was perfect with both teams coming up to this point on their schedules untied and undefeated, hailed as two of the greatest machines in the country, and a bright, warm day greeting a thrill-seeking mob that packed and jammed every inch of space in the T.C.U. Stadium. They overflowed out of the concrete stands into temporary bleachers built high on the north end, packed similar auxiliary seats behind the south goal posts and stood on the high knoll overlooking the stadium proper between the main outer entrance and the bowl itself. Official estimates were not available on the exact attendance but it was, at any rate, the second largest gathering ever to see a college combat in this section.

For the marauding Methodists, this much-coveted victory made the eleventh on their schedule and hoisted them into a position from which they can clinch undisputed possession of the Southwest Conference championship even should they be held to a draw by the Texas Aggies in their closing engagement at College Station next Saturday.

Should the Farmers upset the dope with a win in this contest the result will throw the Ponies and their victims of the day, the Frogs, into a tie for the title.

Texas fans, who for years have argued this sector produces the most interesting football played anywhere, had no difficulty after it was over convincing visitors here from all parts of the country on their point. Everything that could be crammed into one afternoon?s combat on the striped greensward was packed into this spectacle that many believe will send the Mustangs on another westward jaunt this year to oppose the Stanford Cardinals in the Rose Bowl game at Pasadena, Calif., New Year?s Day.

Critics from the East refused, after it was over, to take sides for either player and agreed that both Bobby Wilson, the dynamic little idol of Mustang fans, and slinging Sammy Baugh, the rangy bullet passer of the Christians, both were of All-American caliber. And there was plenty of high-class individual play besides that turned in by these two highly touted stars, who didn?t disappoint anyone who came to see them put on a stirring duel for individual honors.


Sammy Baugh The Dallas stalwarts, underdogs and the team that their own coach, Matty Bell, feared was doomed to defeat in the absence of their ace blocking back, Harry Shuford, who was out with a badly wrenched knee, put the Christians on the run early. Bell had asserted he did not know how his team would act if it had to come from behind, something it hasn?t faced this year, and he still doesn?t know for his lads had a 14-point lead well before half time. In the first period they put on a 73-yard march, gaining most of their ground with a baffling assortment of sweeps and reverses, to reach the Purple?s 1-yard stripe, from where Bob Finley scored on a terrific smash through the middle.

Early in the second quarter they were gone again from their own 20-yard marker and Wilson climaxed this 80-yard march by skirting left end on a lateral from Shelley Burt for a touchdown. After both scores, big Maurice Orr converted the extra points from placement.

The Frogs weren?t beaten even when they started at this 14-point deficit, however. Before the rest period they had whittled it in half when Baugh engineered a 26-yard march with a spectacular passing attack that carried to the 2-yard line from where Jimmy Lawrence slashed inside right tackle to score.

Into the fourth period they waged their top-speed, ferocious battle without the sign of a letdown and the Cowtown Christians then threw the game into a deadlock with a 54-yard drive that produced a score when Baugh hit Lawrence?s belt buckle with a swift forward from the 8-yard line. His backfield teammate was astraddle the goal line when he received the ball and he fell over for the touchdown. Walter Roach provided the essential extra point after both these Frog scores by kicks from placement.

These Mustangs didn?t come to Fort Worth to play any tie ball game. They were here to win or lose. They wanted to prolong their perfect record but, if they couldn?t, they didn?t want it marred by a stalemate. There was still plenty of time left, but they weren?t wasting any and they got busy immediately after the tying score to put this game on the win side of their ledger, where it would have company with ten previous conquests. Jack Rabbit Smith was in the game as fresh as a daisy and more than rearing to go. He pulled Roach?s ensuing kick-off into his bosom on the run, whirled, sidestepped, plowed ahead and drove it back 25 yards to his own 47. Finley could get only 3 yards, so Jack Rabbit decided to show ?em his heels again and around the left wing he went on a reverse that was working beautifully and consistently to make it first down on the Christians 43. He and Finley collaborated again for 7 yards and Finley tried again only to be held for no gain.

It was fourth down on the 36-yard line with three to go. Bobby Wilson getting the thrill of his life in playing his second full sixty-minute game in college football, wanted just one more chance to unknot the tie and he got it but not on a ground play. They sent him down the east side line. He got behind Kline in the death corner and made one of those catches they write headlines about big league outfielders as Finley sent the pigskin zooming 35 yards through the air. Bobby got control of it on the one-yard stripe and then it was merely a matter of taking one more step for the winning touchdown. This time, Orr, who seemed to sense that it might not be needed anyhow, missed his placement boot for the extra point.


Bobby Wilson This score by the Ponies was the signal for the setting off by T.C.U. of one of the wildest passing forays ever seen in this section. Lawrence, their best running back, was on the sidelines, injured as he caught the pass that pulled his team even, 14 to 14. It was by the airways or nothing now but that defense Matty Bell devised to head these sorties by the Frogs had been functioning quite effectively all day and it wasn?t going to fail in this pinch. The Christians couldn?t penetrate the Methodists? 25-yard line. They had to give up possession of the ball on downs and the red-shirted Methodists, never slacking a bit in their pace, loosened another vigorous ground attack that carried to the Purple 26 before a fumble by Wilson gave the leather to the enemy. The Frogs pounded and passed their way out only to the S.M.U. 35 when time expired.

To attempt to single out heroes in this game would be a rank injustice for both teams as a whole played great, inspired football and gave every ounce they had to it from whistle to gunshot. Baugh?s passing was all that it had been pictured by the Frog supporters. Visitors sat back and marveled at his accurate throws, but especially in the first half, his over anxious receivers could not hold his bullet throws and time and again they dropped throws that would have meant much precious yardage. Then, too, there was that defense Matty Bell set up. His backs played a great defensive game against the opposition?s overhead attack. They simply wouldn?t let the Purple ends and backs get behind them but kept the play always in front where they could come in and break up Sammy?s pegs. Kline and Lawrence did some fine running in the Purple backfield and Manton was doubtless the star of the day as a carrier on power plays.

Shelley Burt did a brilliant fill-in job as backing back for the Ponies while Bob Finley was a star kicker and a constant ground gaining threat in addition to throwing the pass for the winning touchdown. Sprague?s blocking and defensive play was outstanding. Both lines played commendable ball with Spain. Stewart and Tipton perhaps scintillating most for the Methodists and Kellow, Roach and Groseclose most noticeable for the Christians. Darrell Lester met the most opposition he has faced this year but even then, he was in his share of plays and had a loud voice in the Purple defense.

Statistics of the game showed the Frogs made twenty-five first downs to seventeen for the Ponies and also that Baugh shaded Finley punting with an average of 47? yards to 42, but both were doing some tremendous booting. The Frogs outgained the Ponies on line plays inside the ends, 178 yards to 161, but the Dallasites had a big advantage outside the wings, 81 yards to 4. While Baugh was turning loose forty-five passes, the Mustangs kept their aerial game well under cover and tried only five, four of which were completed for 96 yards. The Frogs clicked with seventeen of theirs and a gain of 177 yards. In the final summing up, Matty Bell?s athletes had an advantage of 322 yards to 299 net gain from scrimmage end, what?s more important, 6 points on the scoreboard.

[SMU Kilmer]

Hopefully at some point in my lifetime this version of Mustang football will be referred to as the "marauding Methodists."