Page 1 of 2

SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championship

PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 9:24 pm
by Stallion
I don't know who does this SWC Roundup but its always excellent

"For Fry, he'd been building the Mustangs to compete, but his efforts hadn't yielded a winning record or anything close as evidenced by his 11-29-1 record" after 4 years

https://swcroundup.com/news/2018/2/2/sm ... -swc-title

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 11:11 pm
by mtrout
“Weather forced Fry to adjust his practice schedule, moving indoors. Whether the adjustments effected the Mustangs is anyone's guess.”

What ipf did we use in 1966?

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 7:17 am
by mrydel
We used Moody.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 1:38 pm
by mathman
Those are good memories. I was a sophomore that year and went to all home games and made a road trip to Arkansas with three of my buddies for that game. Mike Livingston was a guy I grew up with and played little league baseball against for several years. He was a tremendous athlete that was really exceptional in several sports. Thanks for posting.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 5:56 pm
by NavyCrimson
Loved the 'reared up' mustang on those helmets those years. Classic & unique!

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 7:02 pm
by Bergermeister
NavyCrimson wrote:Loved the 'reared up' mustang on those helmets those years. Classic & unique!

I believe that was an Eddie Lane initiative.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 8:33 pm
by ponyboy
I was 17 days old for the Illinois game. Don't remember it.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 9:20 pm
by Stallion
SMU v Illinois is one of my earliest memories--I definitely remember the buzz around Jerry LeVias going in to receive what I believe was the opening kickoff. Didn't really understand what was going on but I sensed it was significant. No. 23 soon became my go-to favorite number because of LeVias and then Gene Phillips.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 9:57 pm
by mrydel
My North Little Rock High School team beat Fort Smith Northside to put us in position to win the Arkansas state Championship and our coaches arranged for us to stay over night in NW Arkansas and go to the SMU/Arkansas game on Saturday. Then after completing our final game of the season and officially winning the State Championship they bused our team to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl where we saw SMU lose to Georgia.

So the first two encounters I ever had with SMU were 2 defeats in their best season in several years. I do not know why but somehow that drew me to the school. Or perhaps I am a jinx.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 8:57 am
by Bergermeister
mrydel wrote:After completing our final game of the season and officially winning the State Championship they bused our team to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl where we saw SMU lose to Georgia.

I remember that being a cold, cold day. I stood inside the Fair Park Coliseum until game time to stay warm.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 10:00 am
by mrydel
I recall sitting in the end zone and watching Georgia’s first play from behind their offense. They opened a hole about 5 yards wide and ran 80 yards straight ahead for a TD.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 1:52 pm
by SoCal_Pony
Bergermeister wrote:
mrydel wrote:After completing our final game of the season and officially winning the State Championship they bused our team to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl where we saw SMU lose to Georgia.

I remember that being a cold, cold day. I stood inside the Fair Park Coliseum until game time to stay warm.


At least the weather was nice for their next Cotton Bowl appearance.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 12:46 am
by H-E-B Mustang
SoCal_Pony wrote:
Bergermeister wrote:
mrydel wrote:After completing our final game of the season and officially winning the State Championship they bused our team to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl where we saw SMU lose to Georgia.

I remember that being a cold, cold day. I stood inside the Fair Park Coliseum until game time to stay warm.


At least the weather was nice for their next Cotton Bowl appearance.

Are you talking about the 1983 Cotton Bowl? Temperatures were in the low 30's with light rain and sleet. I believe it was officially a sell out, but plenty of no-shows because of the weather.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:25 am
by Bergermeister
Are you talking about the 1983 Cotton Bowl? Temperatures were in the low 30's with light rain and sleet. I believe it was officially a sell out, but plenty of no-shows because of the weather.

Nope. 1966 Cotton Bowl. There were 2 CB games in 1966. One for the 1965 season and one for the 1966 season. January 1 and December 31, 1966.

Re: SWC Roundup-SMU's Improbable Run to 1966 SWC Championshi

PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 10:00 pm
by ponyboy
Bergermeister wrote:Are you talking about the 1983 Cotton Bowl? Temperatures were in the low 30's with light rain and sleet. I believe it was officially a sell out, but plenty of no-shows because of the weather.


That was a miserable game, which included seeing a guy catch on fire when his small vest heater flamed up inside his vest. Worst ever Cotton Bowl, though, was 1979 with Joe Montana's stupefying comeback against Houston. It was absolutely fricking freezing cold, with an ice storm that knocked out power to a large portion of Dallas.