First Heisman by Brian E. Cooper

Author:Brian E. Cooper
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780988571617
Publisher: Crestwood Publishing
Published: 2013-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Contrary to some reports, the figure on the Heisman Trophy was not of Berwanger – or was it? The statue design was approved by the Downtown Athletic Club a month before Berwanger won the balloting. Berwanger in 1979 told a Dubuque sportswriter that sculptor Frank Eliscu asked his model to strike a pose like that he had seen in this photo of Berwanger. (Chicago Tribune photo. Reprinted with permission)

The underdogs started out by challenging the Gophers. On their first possession, they advanced to the Minnesota 34, but Lund’s interception halted the drive. Not only did the two head coaches know each other, they used the same offensive formations. “When Minnesota would start running a play we would call our signal for the play,” Berwanger recalled. “You could see what was developing.”98 The Maroons knew what was coming, but they still could not stop it. On its second possession, Minnesota drove to the Chicago 26. Lund lofted a pass to the goal line, where Flinn defended against All-America end Bob Tenner. Chicago partisans were relieved when the ball hit the ground – but then stunned when an official called a penalty. Flinn was flagged for pass interference. Two of the Chicago sportswriters present said the official was the only person among the 46,000 in Memorial Stadium who saw a foul. But his opinion was the only one that counted. Beise then rushed through left guard for a Minnesota touchdown and consensus All-America guard Bill Bevan kicked the extra point to make it a 7-0 game.

Chicago received its own lucky break when Lund fumbled a Berwanger punt and Wright recovered on the Gophers’ 17. Berwanger’s bid for a touchdown pass barely missed and Minnesota’s defense held. However, the Maroons, taking all the Gophers could throw at them, were still in the game, trailing by only seven points at intermission. Berwanger recorded 14 tackles just in the first half.

However, Minnesota broke open the game early in the second half with two long touchdown drives, scoring on rushes by Lund and then Alfonse. Bevan made both point-after kicks to extend the hosts’ lead to 21-0. At this point, Shaughnessy pulled Berwanger and a few other starters. Bierman likewise started sending in reserves. The only questions were the final score and whether the Maroons could beat bettors’ 30-point spread.

Early in the final quarter, backed up to their own 10, the Maroons had to punt from their end zone. Maurice Johnson broke through the line to block the punt by Berwanger’s understudy, Keith Hatter. Bevan jumped on the ball for a touchdown and then kicked the extra point to make it 28-0. A 19-yard end-around by Arthur Clarkson and the extra-point kick by Bud Wilkinson (a future coach of national powerhouse Oklahoma) extended the lead to 35-0, causing some bettors to breathe easier. Their sense of relief disappeared in the game’s closing moments. As sportswriter Warren Brown described it, “Minnesota had an organization composed of players who had probably figured they were there to watch and not to perform themselves.

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