1954 Orange Bowl
| 1954 Orange Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 20th Orange Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 1954 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | Announcers Red Barber | | |||||||||||||||||||
The 1954 Orange Bowl was a postseason American
The game was the first Orange Bowl to feature
Pre-game buildup
The game was the first postseason
Maryland
Maryland's head coach was
During the regular season, the Maryland defense allowed opponents to score 31 points in ten games and recorded six defensive shut-outs. Only Georgia scored more than seven points. No ACC team has since held opponents to an equal or lesser number of points. Maryland's rushing defense (83.9 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (3.1 points allowed per game) ranked first in the nation. Maryland outscored its opponents 298–31. No ACC team scored more total points until 1967.[8] Maryland's star quarterback, Bernie Faloney, was injured midseason and saw limited game action for the remainder of the year. Back-up quarterback Charlie Boxold filled in for the majority of the Orange Bowl.[7]
Oklahoma
Oklahoma was led by seventh-year head coach Bud Wilkinson. He assumed the position after Tatum resigned to leave for Maryland. The two had also served as assistant coaches in the U.S. Navy for the Iowa Pre-Flight football team under Don Faurot. Faurot pioneered the split-T offense that both Tatum and Wilkinsons' teams employed. Since taking over at Oklahoma, Wilkinson had a 62–8–3 record.[2] Oklahoma entered the game on an eight-game winning streak with a single loss in the season-opener to Notre Dame and a tie in week 2 against Pittsburgh.[9] Oklahoma also had an injured quarterback; second-stringer Pat O'Neal separated his sternum at Miami and missed the game.[7]
Wilkinson reportedly compiled fake playbooks and had them distributed where they would be discovered by Maryland personnel. Wilkinson later admitted that he had indeed used the ruse on occasion, without specifically stating it was employed before the 1954 Orange Bowl.[10]
Game summary
In the first quarter, Maryland started with the wind to their backs.
In the second quarter, Maryland advanced to the Oklahoma 20-yard line, and Tatum elected for a
In the third quarter, Walker attempted to punt for Maryland. Oklahoma tackle Don Brown escaped a block from Stan Jones and closed in on Walker. The punter held onto the ball and attempted to run, but Brown tackled him for a 12-yard loss. Later, Leake punted and Hanulak returned and threatened to score. Leake, the last man between Hanulak and the endzone, made the tackle.[7]
In the fourth quarter, Boxold threw a long pass into the endzone, but it was intercepted by Grigg for a touchback with four minutes remaining. Van Pool led a 41-yard drive to the Maryland 39-yard line before time expired.[7]
Statistical summary
| Statistical Comparison[4] | UM | OU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 13 | 10 |
| Passing yards | 36 | 22 |
| Rushing yards | 176 | 208 |
| Return yards | 25 | 7 |
| Total yards | 250 | 247 |
| Passing (cmp–att) | 5–12 | 4–6 |
| Punts (#–avg) | 5–29.0 | 7–31.3 |
| Penalty yards | 15 | 45 |
| Fumbles (#–lost) | 1–1 | 2–2 |
Oklahoma back Larry Grigg managed to score the only touchdown of the game and Buddy Leake made the extra point. Grigg led the Sooners in rushing with 89 yards on 13
Quarterback Charlie Boxold led Maryland in passing with three
Post-game effects
At the time, the final rankings were declared before postseason games. Therefore, Maryland had been declared the national championship team by the Associated Press, United Press, and International News Service, and remained the consensus national champions despite the loss. Some selectors have retroactively named Notre Dame and Oklahoma the national champions.[11] With a 10–1 finish, Maryland possessed the best record in the nation.[7] It was the first time Maryland had suffered a shutout in 51 games, the last being in 1948 at the hands of Vanderbilt.[7]
For Oklahoma, it was their ninth-straight win, and the team finished the 1953 season with a 9–1–1 record. The game was part of a streak that, under head coach Wilkinson, would last 47 games.[7] To date, that winning streak is the longest compiled by any NCAA major college football team.[12]
Oklahoma head coach Wilkinson declined to declare his team the national champions. He addressed his team in the locker room, saying, "It was a helluva ball game. Desire, spirit, effort—anything you want to call it—won for us today." Maryland head coach Tatum said at the post-game party, "Bud outcoached me."[7]
References
- ^ a b Orange Bowl Results[permanent dead link], Fedex Orange Bowl Official Site, retrieved January 19, 2009.
- ^ a b Maryland vs Oklahoma, 1869–2007 Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, Stassen College Football Information, retrieved January 19, 2009.
- ^ Oklahoma Bowl Recaps Archived 2007-10-27 at the Wayback Machine, Oklahoma Sooners Official Athletic Site, retrieved January 19, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Bowl Results[permanent dead link] (PDF), 2004 Maryland Gator Bowl Guide, p. 56, 2004, retrieved January 29, 2009.
- ^ Records Archived 2011-05-23 at the Wayback Machine (PDF), 2007 Maryland Terrapins Football Media Guide, University of Maryland, p. 55, retrieved January 14, 2009.
- ^ Past Football Rankings: 1950s Archived 2009-02-21 at the Wayback Machine, College Football Poll, retrieved January 29, 2009.
- ^ ISBN 0-8061-3569-7.
- ^ "ACC Year by Year" Archived 2009-03-19 at the Wayback Machine (PDF), 2007 ACC Football Media Guide, Atlantic Coast Conference, 2007, accessed January 14, 2008.
- ^ Oklahoma Historical Scores Archived 2015-08-12 at the Wayback Machine, Stassen College Football Information, retrieved January 19, 2009.
- Palm Beach Post, January 6, 2009.
- ^ Past Division I-A Football National Champions Archived March 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, National Collegiate Athletic Association, retrieved January 29, 2009.
- ^ 47-Game Winning Streak Archived 2010-06-27 at the Wayback Machine, University of Oklahoma Sooners Official Athletic Site, retrieved January 29, 2009.