Maryland Terrapins football under Jim Tatum (1947–1955)
Encyclopedia
From 1947 to 1955, Jim Tatum
served as the head coach of the Maryland Terrapins football
team, which represented the University of Maryland
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) college football
. Maryland hired Tatum to replace Clark Shaughnessy
after the 1946 season. Tatum had created both success and controversy during his one season as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football
team. During his nine-year tenure, Tatum became one of the most successful head football coaches in Maryland history, and the Terrapins compiled two national championships
, three conference championships, and five bowl game
appearances. His teams compiled a 73–15–4 record without a single losing season, and to date, he remains the winningest
Maryland coach of the modern era. In 1954, the University of Maryland appointed a new president, Dr. Wilson Elkins
, who chose to de-emphasize football. Following the 1955 season, Tatum took a pay cut to coach at his alma mater, North Carolina
, and he died four years later.
During Tatum's tenure, several Maryland players were awarded prestigious individual honors. Two Maryland quarterback
s were runners-up for the Heisman Trophy
, which is awarded to college football's most outstanding player. In 1952, Jack Scarbath
was a first runner-up to Oklahoma running back Billy Vessels
. In 1953, Bernie Faloney
was a third runner-up, with John Lattner of Notre Dame
winning the award. Dick Modzelewski won the 1952 Outland Trophy
, the annual award given to the nation's most outstanding interior lineman.
Seven Maryland players received first-team All-American
honors: Bernie Faloney, Stan Jones
, Dick Modzelewski
, Bob Pellegrini
, Mike Sandusky
, Jack Scarbath, and Bob Ward
(twice honored). Seven Maryland players received second-team All-American honors: Tom Cosgrove
, Chet Hanulak
, Ray Krouse
, Dick Modzelewski, Ed Modzelewski
, Ed Vereb
, and Bill Walker
(twice honored). Also during this period, the Southern Conference
(through 1952) and Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) (since 1953) bestowed all-conference honors upon Maryland players twenty-seven times. In later years, two of these players were honored as part of the ACC's 50th Anniversary Team and five were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
.
on July 22, 1913. He played football as a left tackle like four of his older brothers. Tatum attended the University of North Carolina where he played for Carl Snavely
's Tar Heels
and earned All-American
honors during his senior year in . The following season, he became Snavely's assistant coach and followed him to Cornell
in 1936. Tatum returned to North Carolina in 1940 as an assistant coach under Bear Wolf
. In 1942, Tatum was promoted into the head coaching job himself and compiled a 5–2–2 record. The next year, during the Second World War, he enlisted in the United States Navy
and served as an assistant coach for the Iowa Pre-Flight School
football team under Don Faurot
, the inventor of the split-T
. Future Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson
worked as an assistant coach alongside Tatum.
In 1946, with the recommendation of Oklahoma athletic director Jap Haskell, Tatum was hired as the Sooners' head coach and brought Wilkinson as an assistant. Tatum replaced Dewey Luster
, who resigned due to ill health. Luster had struggled in the position as the Second World War put a continuous and heavy drain on athletes at the University of Oklahoma
. The final game before Luster's resignation was a 0–47 loss at the hands of Oklahoma A&M
, which rounded out Oklahoma's 1945 season with a 5–5 record.
In Tatum's one season
at Oklahoma, he led the Sooners to an 8–3 finish and a share of the Big Six Conference
championship. Tatum and his staff also recruited nine players who became All-Americans: Plato Andros
, Buddy Burris
, Jack Mitchell, Jim Owens
, John Rapacz
, Darrell Royal
, George Thomas, Wade Walker
, and Stan West
.
In addition to his team's success on the gridiron, Tatum caused controversy. Buddy Burris, the first three-time All-American at Oklahoma, said, "Jim Tatum was a con-man, a dictator, a tyrant, and one hell of a football coach." Tatum greatly surpassed his allocated budget and linked players with sponsors who sometimes paid or bought clothes for their sponsored players. After a 34–13 Gator Bowl
victory over N.C. State, University of Oklahoma president George Cross
discovered that Tatum had paid the fifty Sooners players $120 each ($, adjusted for inflation
). Cross had explicitly warned Tatum not to do so, as it was a violation of conference rules. With further investigation, it was discovered that $60,000 ($ in inflation-adjusted terms) was unaccounted for in the athletic department budget, which resulted in the relief of athletic director Jap Haskell.
Meanwhile, Tatum resigned to take the head coaching job at Maryland with a $12,000 salary, one-third more than he made at Oklahoma, ($, adjusted for inflation). Oklahoma filled the open coaching job with Tatum's former assistant, Bud Wilkinson
.
In Tatum's initial season at Maryland, his results were similar to those at Oklahoma. After compiling a 3–6 record the year prior, the Terrapins improved to 7–2–2 under Tatum. Whereas his predecessor Clark Shaughnessy
had pioneered the T-formation, Tatum installed the split-T
offense that his former colleague Don Farout had invented. The team's two losses came at the hands of two ranked period powerhouses, Duke and North Carolina. Maryland's star running back, Lu Gambino
, scored three touchdowns against West Virginia
to lead the team to their first victory in the third meeting of the series. The Terrapins' regular-season play earned them a berth in their first postseason game.
in the 1948 Gator Bowl
. The Terrapins scored first when Gambino broke a 35-yard run for a touchdown in the second quarter. On the first series of the second half, Georgia quarterback John Rauch
led an 87-yard drive capped by a one-yard dive into the end zone. Maryland responded with an 80-yard drive for another score by Gambino. Georgia turned the ball over with a fumble on its own 40-yard line and Maryland capitalized with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Gambino. In the final quarter, Georgia came from behind with a one-yard touchdown rush by Joe Geri
and a nine-yard touchdown pass to John Donaldson. Georgia missed the extra point and the final result was a 20–20 tie. Gambino recorded all three Maryland touchdowns and 165 rushing yards, which set a school bowl-game record that stood for 60 years until broken by Da'Rel Scott
in the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl
.
Hall of Fame in 1992 for his achievement as the bowl game's "first superb running back." Lu Gambino received All-Southern Conference honors.
s and lost two of their games by a combined three points. Two of their four losses came against ranked conference opponents, and a third was a 34-point shutout at the hands of Vanderbilt. Future two-time Heisman runner-up Charlie Justice helped North Carolina to a 29-point romp over the Terrapins.
and Missouri
under Tatum's former boss, Don Faurot. Maryland finished the regular season with a final AP ranking of 14th. The Terrapins again traveled to the Gator Bowl for their finale, and they defeated 20th-ranked Missouri. Ray Krouse was named All-Southern Conference and an AP second-team All-American.
The Terrapins started off as the 15th-ranked team in the preseason AP Poll
. At Georgia, Maryland lost its season-opener, 7–27. Tatum said, "We weren't ready for Georgia in a game as early as September 23 ... We weren't in shape and the [92 °F (33.3 °C)] heat killed us." The loss, however, did not affect Maryland's poll ranking as the situation surrounding the game was generally understood.
In Week 2, the Terrapins played the inaugural game at the newly-completed Byrd Stadium
. It was the first game against the Naval Academy
in 16 years. The series had been canceled in 1934 after Maryland accused Navy of an illegal game-winning play. In 1950, Maryland agreed to fill a vacancy in the Navy schedule left open by a Georgetown cancellation. The high-scoring game was the 12th meeting of the intense in-state rivalry and resulted in just the second-ever Maryland win.
After upsetting second-ranked Michigan State
, 34–7, Maryland climbed to an AP Poll ranking of eighth in the nation and then defeated Georgetown. The following game they met N.C. State at Byrd Stadium for Homecoming weekend. In the first quarter, a Maryland fumble rolled out of the end zone
for a safety, and soon after, another fumble set up a touchdown rush by NC State. Maryland advanced inside the N.C. State five-yard line three times but was unable to score. In the third quarter, NC State scored again to expand their lead, 0–16. Maryland scored on a 21-yard pass from Jack Scarbath
to Bob Shemonski
. With three minutes remaining, Shemonski connected with a pass to Pete Augsburger for another touchdown. A 47-yard drive into Wolfpack territory ended with an interception in the end zone with seconds remaining. The loss effectively ended the Terrapins' hopes for a bowl game bid. The second loss dropped them out of the AP Poll for the remainder of the year.
Bob Ward
was named a first-team All-American. Ward and Elmer Wingate
were named All-Southern Conference.
Maryland entered the season at number-16 on the AP and Coaches' polls, and remained ranked for the duration. A 40-point trouncing of conference foe George Washington
in the season-opener propelled the Terrapins to a number-nine ranking in both polls. Other wins included games against Southeastern Conference
powerhouses: a romp over Georgia and a shutout against LSU. Before the Georgia game, Tatum showed his team that Georgia had charged only $5 for tickets, instead of the usual $7.50 ($ instead of $, adjusted for inflation). Tatum said, "They don't think very much of you, do they?"
The Terrapins finished the regular season with a 9–0 record and the Southern Conference championship. They achieved a final ranking as the number-three team in the nation.At the time, both the AP Poll and Coaches' Poll published their final rankings, and declared the national champions, before the postseason bowl games. They secured a berth in the Sugar Bowl
to face the number-one team in the nation, undefeated Tennessee
led by head coach "General" Robert Neyland
.
called the 1952 Sugar Bowl
the second "game of the century
," with the first
having been between the undefeated Army
and Notre Dame
teams in 1946. Maryland was viewed as an underdog
against Tennessee, which included five All-Americans on its roster. The Volunteers were led by Heisman runner-up quarterback Hank Lauricella
, and Neyland's offensive linemen were described as not large but "squatty" and "bruiser[s], not flashy, but slightly murderous." Neyland considered the split-T offense used by Tatum gimmicky and relied on the more traditional single-wing formation. For the game, Tatum himself abandoned the split-T in favor of a smashmouth strategy, which he hoped would catch Tennessee off-guard. Neyland's strategy focused heavily on punting the ball to pin the opponent in their own territory with a goal of creating turnovers, and Tatum likewise adopted it.
The game started with both teams exchanging several punts in the first quarter. Maryland gained good field position after Lauricella kicked a short punt. Running backs Ed Modzelewski
and Ed Fullerton
then led an 11-play, 56-yard rushing drive for a touchdown. On the kickoff, Bob Ward hit Lauricella and forced a fumble that Maryland recovered on Tennessee's 13-yard line. After four plays, Jack Scarbath
pitch
ed to Fullerton who then threw a six-yard forward pass
to Bob Shemonski in the end zone and expanded the Maryland lead to 14–0. Scarbath then engineered a 48-yard drive and ran it in himself
for the Terrapins' third touchdown within seven minutes. Late in the second quarter, Tennessee back Bert Rechichar
caught a four-yard pass for a touchdown, but the extra point
was no good. At the end of the first half, Maryland had stunned Tennessee by gaining a 21–6 lead. In the fourth quarter, Fullerton intercept
ed a pass and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. In the final minutes, Tennessee's goal-line quarterback Herky Payne ran it in from the one-yard line. Maryland won the game with a final result of 28–13.
, the College Football Researchers Association, DeVold System, Dunkel System, and National Championship Foundation.
and Ed Modzelewski were named second-team All-Americans. Ward and Ed Modzelewski were named All-Southern Conference.
Maryland was sanctioned for violating a Southern Conference
rule, passed halfway through the 1951 season, that banned postseason play. The punishment, for participating in the Sugar Bowl, disallowed the Terrapins from playing any conference games during the 1952 season. This compelled Maryland to schedule all but three games on the road.
The AP preseason poll ranked Maryland second in the nation. The Terrapins recorded a 37-point shutout of 19th-ranked Georgia and defeated 20th-ranked Navy, 38–7. Maryland finished the season with a No. 13 final ranking. Their loss at Mississippi
ended a 22-game winning streak for the Terrapins. Tatum blamed the Terrapins' late season slide to injuries suffered by star quarterback Scarbath and weariness from the grueling road schedule.
(ACC). The schism was due in part to the ban on bowl participation, and the vast geographic dispersion of and disparity between the sizes of member schools. Clemson, another founding ACC member, had likewise been forced to play outside the Southern Conference in 1952.
Tatum considered resigning in order to enter business. University president Byrd, a staunch patron of football at the school, was preparing to campaign for governor
, and Tatum feared his successor would significantly reduce the number of athletic scholarships available. He and Byrd, however, had also disagreed over the decision to participate in bowl games in violation of conference rules. Tatum was opposed to it, as it greatly increased the difficulty of scheduling and had caused the reduction in number of home games.
was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy
, which is awarded to college football's most outstanding player. Scarbath received 367 points, coming behind to Oklahoma running back Billy Vessels
, who received 525 points. Scarbath also was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year. Dick Modzelewski was awarded the Outland Trophy and the Knute Rockne Award. Scarbath and Dick Modzelewski were also both named consensus first-team All-Americans. Tom Cosgrove
was named a second-team All-American. Stan Jones
and Scarbath were named All-Southern Conference. The Associated Press All-South team, which consisted of players from fifteen schools in the Southern U.S.
, included Scarbath, and honorable mentions end John Alderton, tackle Dick Modzelewski, and back Ed Fullerton.
, International News Service
, and United Press
, each named Maryland as the national championship team.
Maryland entered the season ranked ninth in the preseason AP Poll. In the season opener against Missouri
, Chet Hanulak
scored in the first two minutes of play on a 61-yard run. Maryland intercepted four passes while sacrificing three fumbles in the 20–7 win.
Against Washington and Lee, Hanulak made an interception and then on Maryland's possession rushed for a 12-yard touchdown. Ron Waller
dropped a Generals' punt at mid-field, but recovered and returned it for a touchdown. After halftime, Tatum fielded third- and fourth-string players before the final results of 52–0.
At Clemson, quarterback Bernie Faloney
returned the opening kick off 88 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Clemson quarterback Don King was sacked by several Maryland defenders and suffered a game-ending knee injury. With 45 seconds left in the half, Dick Nolan scored on a 90-yard punt return. In the second half, Faloney connected with Nolan for a 65-yard touchdown pass. Clemson finished the game with two pass completions and suffered its first shutout at home in 11 years, 20–0.
Against Georgia, most critics thought Maryland faced its first true test. In the first quarter, the Terrapins took a quick 14–0 lead and held the Bulldogs to six offensive plays, two of which were punts. In the second quarter, Georgia quarterback Zeke Bratkowski
led his team to two consecutive touchdown drives, and the score was 21–13 in favor of Maryland at halftime. Two minutes into the third quarter, Faloney intercepted a Bratkowski pass and returned it for a touchdown. Bratkowski was taken out of the game after numerous sacks by Stan Jones
and Bob Morgan. The 40–13 final result would be the most points the Terrapins allowed during the entire season.
At North Carolina
, the undefeated Terrapins met the undefeated Tar Heels. Two 15-yard penalties against North Carolina set up a quarterback sneak by Faloney for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Bill Walker
caught a pitch at the Maryland 35 and ran it 49 yards to the North Carolina 16-yard line. From there, Charlie Boxold scored another touchdown for the Terrapins. In the third quarter, Hanulak took a pitch and took it 34 yards into the end zone. The 26–0 win was the Maryland's first in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
since 1924. Tatum later called it "the greatest win of any team I ever coached, including the [1952] Sugar Bowl [over national champion Tennessee]."
At Miami, Hanulak scored first on a two-yard rush. Morgan recovered a Miami fumble and on the ensuing possession Faloney scored on an eight-yard rush. By halftime, Maryland led 27–0. Tatum disallowed any passes or trick plays in the second half, and the final result was 30–0.
Maryland next traveled to South Carolina
to face a team coming off of a four-game winning streak. Ralph Felton
scored first to cap a long drive with a short rush. In the next series, the Gamecocks punted it away and the ball was returned by Hanulak 35 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, South Carolina recovered a Maryland fumble on the Terrapins' 14-yard line. In three plays, Maryland had pushed them back to the 32-yard line before South Carolina finally scored. With South Carolina held to 37 rushing yards the final result was 24–6.
After defeating George Washington
27–6, the Terrapins went on to shut out two ranked teams: 11th-ranked Mississippi
and 11th-ranked Alabama
. Maryland secured a share of the ACC championship alongside Duke
and a berth in the Orange Bowl as the only undefeated and untied team in the nation. Maryland finished the regular season 10–0 and were crowned the national champions.
under former assistant Bud Wilkinson. The Sooners handed Maryland their only defeat, 0–7, but—as had happened in 1951 to the Terrapins' detriment—the final rankings were released before the bowls, and for the third time in four years, AP's national champion was defeated in their postseason game. However, unlike Tennessee, who retained their top-rank despite losing to Maryland in 1951, the Terrapins (10–1–0) did indeed finish with the best record, better than the Orange Bowl victor, Oklahoma (9–1–1). Maryland ranked first nationally in terms of rushing defense (83.9 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (3.1 points allowed per game). At the same time, the Terps scored a record combined total of 298 points, a number not exceeded until 1967.
(1,794), and UCLA's Paul Cameron (444). Stan Jones was selected as a consensus first-team All-American. Bernie Faloney was also named a first-team All-American. Chet Hanulak was named a second-team All-American. Four Terrapins were named to the All-ACC first-team: John Bowersox, Bernie Faloney, Chester Hanulak, and Stan Jones. Three were named to the All-ACC second-team: Ralph Felton, Bob Morgan, and Bill Walker.
, Bill Walker, and Ronnie Waller. Two were named to the All-ACC second team: John Irvine and Bob Pellegrini
.
The opener against was a much closer contest than the previous year's record-setting game. Ed Vereb
rushed for a 14-yard touchdown and Tamburello passed for another, but only failed extra-point attempts by Missouri in the second half preserved victory, 13–12.
In week two, Maryland met first-ranked for the second half of a home-and-home series in a game dubbed "The Best of the East vs. the Best of the West." It was a rain-soaked defensive contest at Byrd Stadium, where Maryland held UCLA's rushing attack to −21 yards. UCLA quarterback Ronnie Knox
completed 10 of 15 passes for 100 yards but also threw two interceptions. Late in the first quarter, Knox's passing brought the Bruins to the Maryland three-yard line. On the next play, UCLA advanced to the one-foot line before Bob Pellegrini tackled second-string fullback Doug Peters to force a fumble. Maryland made the only score when, in the third quarter, quarterback Frank Tamburello executed an option run
and pitched to halfback Ed Vereb, who ran it 15 yards into the end zone. With the victory, the Terrapins became the first-ranked team.
The following week, Maryland beat 20th-ranked , 20–6, with Tamburello passing for two touchdowns. Maryland then defeated Wake Forest, 28–7, and held them to nine rushing yards. Against , they allowed 18 yards on the ground. Vereb scored three touchdowns and made an interception, but the Tar Heels scored under unusual circumstances when center Jim Jones stripped Tamburello and returned it 35 yards. The final result was 25–7.
scored the most points of any regular season opponent with touchdowns by Jim Brown
and Don Althouse, but Maryland's offense scored a season high and won, 34–13. The Terrapins shutout a mediocre , 27–0, and Louisiana State
, 13–0, against whom they made four interceptions including one in the end zone by Phil Perlo. Clemson took the lead early with a Don King touchdown pass to Dalton Rivers and Joel Wells
breaking away for another score soon after. Maryland's reserve quarterback, Lynn Beightol, threw to Ed Vereb for two touchdowns, and in the second half, Clemson was allowed only 22 yards. Maryland won, 25–12. Maryland posted a fourth shutout against , 19–0. Vereb scored two touchdowns, which tied Lu Gambino
's single-season school record of 16.
The Terrapins, with a perfect ACC record, were named conference co-champions alongside for the second consecutive year. Maryland possessed a perfect regular season record and ranked third in the nation behind (8–1). The Terps secured an Orange Bowl rematch against first-ranked Oklahoma
and a chance to avenge their defeat in 1953. However, the Sooners beat them again, 20–6, and they finished the postseason with a 10–1 record.
was also named a first-team All-American. Ed Vereb
and Bill Walker were named second-team All-Americans. Four Marlyand players were named to the All-ACC first-team: Jack Davis
, Bob Pellegrini, Mike Sandusky, and Ed Vereb. Three were named to the All-ACC second-team: Russell Dennis, Frank Tamburello, and Bill Walker.
resigned as university president in order to enter state politics, and was replaced by Dr. Wilson Elkins
, a Rhodes scholar
and former Texas
quarterback. Elkins worked to improve academic standards at the school, which had been criticized for overemphasizing football. One year during Tatum's tenure, the school awarded 93 football scholarships
averaging $944 each ($ adjusted for inflation
). The Diamondback
student newspaper said that, while Tatum was at Maryland, it "was an era in which an inadequate stadium became ultra-adequate, and an inadequate library became more inadequate."
During his tenure at Maryland, Tatum became one of the most successful head football coaches in school history. In nine seasons, he led the Terrapins to two national championships
, three conference championships, and five bowl game
appearances. His teams compiled a 73–15–4 record without a single losing season. To date, he remains the winningest Maryland football coach of the modern era with a winning percentage
of 0.819.
After the 1955 season, Tatum took an 18% pay cut, from $18,500 to $15,000 (from $ to $ in inflation-adjusted terms), to return to North Carolina
as head coach. There, The Daily Tar Heel
student newspaper was displeased to see Tatum arrive and called him a "parasitic monster of open professionalism." After a few years, however, he was accepted by the student body, the faculty, and alumni. Tatum had said, "I'm going back to North Carolina to die," and the statement proved prescient. Just four years later, in 1959, he died of Rocky Mountain spotted fever
at the age of 46.
Jim Tatum
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...
served as the head coach of the Maryland Terrapins football
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
team, which represented the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
. Maryland hired Tatum to replace Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Daniel Shaughnessy was an American football coach and innovator. He is sometimes called the "father of the T formation", although that system had previously been used as early as the 1880s. Shaughnessy did, however, modernize the obsolescent T formation to make it once again relevant in the...
after the 1946 season. Tatum had created both success and controversy during his one season as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
team. During his nine-year tenure, Tatum became one of the most successful head football coaches in Maryland history, and the Terrapins compiled two national championships
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
, three conference championships, and five bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
appearances. His teams compiled a 73–15–4 record without a single losing season, and to date, he remains the winningest
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
Maryland coach of the modern era. In 1954, the University of Maryland appointed a new president, Dr. Wilson Elkins
Wilson Homer Elkins
Wilson Homer "Bull" Elkins was an American educator and university administrator. He served as the president of the University of Maryland from 1954 to 1978. Elkins received an A.B. and an M.A. from the University of Texas in 1933, where he was also a star college football quarterback...
, who chose to de-emphasize football. Following the 1955 season, Tatum took a pay cut to coach at his alma mater, North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
, and he died four years later.
During Tatum's tenure, several Maryland players were awarded prestigious individual honors. Two Maryland quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s were runners-up for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, which is awarded to college football's most outstanding player. In 1952, Jack Scarbath
Jack Scarbath
John Carl "Jack" Scarbath is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers...
was a first runner-up to Oklahoma running back Billy Vessels
Billy Vessels
Billy Vessels was a standout football player in his hometown of Cleveland, Oklahoma, where he was known as "Curly." He went on to play college football for the University of Oklahoma and win the 1952 Heisman trophy. He was the first Oklahoman to win the award, which is given to the nation's top...
. In 1953, Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney was a professional football player in the Canadian Football League and an outstanding American college football player at the University of Maryland...
was a third runner-up, with John Lattner of Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
winning the award. Dick Modzelewski won the 1952 Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
, the annual award given to the nation's most outstanding interior lineman.
Seven Maryland players received first-team All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
honors: Bernie Faloney, Stan Jones
Stan Jones (American football)
Stanley Paul "Stan" Jones was an American football guard and defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991...
, Dick Modzelewski
Dick Modzelewski
Richard Blair Modzelewski is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. He also served as interim head coach of the Browns in the final game of the 1977 season...
, Bob Pellegrini
Bob Pellegrini
Robert Francis Pellegrini was an American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Maryland, where he was an All-American as a center. Pellegrini was drafted in the first round of the 1956 NFL Draft...
, Mike Sandusky
Mike Sandusky
Mike Sandusky was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1957 NFL Draft. Sandusky attended the University of Maryland.-External links:*...
, Jack Scarbath, and Bob Ward
Bob Ward (football coach)
Robert "Bob" Richard Ward was an American football coach and player. He played college football for the Terrapins at the University of Maryland. He is considered, alongside Randy White, as one of the greatest linemen to have ever played for Maryland...
(twice honored). Seven Maryland players received second-team All-American honors: Tom Cosgrove
Tom Cosgrove
Tom Cosgrove is a former American football player. He played in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts...
, Chet Hanulak
Chet Hanulak
Chet Hanulak is a former professional American football player who played running back for four seasons for the Cleveland Browns....
, Ray Krouse
Ray Krouse
Raymond Francis Krouse was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the New York Giants , the Detroit Lions , Baltimore Colts and Washington Redskins .He attended Western High School before going on to the University of Maryland .He...
, Dick Modzelewski, Ed Modzelewski
Ed Modzelewski
Ed Modzelewski is a former football player, who played professionally for the Cleveland Browns. His brother, Dick Modzelewski, also played in the NFL and at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft, but did not make the active roster....
, Ed Vereb
Ed Vereb
Edward John Vereb is a former American football halfback in the Canadian Football League with he British Columbia Lions and the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Maryland and was drafted in the first round of the 1956 NFL Draft....
, and Bill Walker
Bill Walker (American football)
William "Bill" Walker is an American former football and baseball player. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park where he played college football as an end and baseball as an outfielder. Wire services twice named Walker to All-America football second teams and he was also selected to...
(twice honored). Also during this period, the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
(through 1952) and Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) (since 1953) bestowed all-conference honors upon Maryland players twenty-seven times. In later years, two of these players were honored as part of the ACC's 50th Anniversary Team and five were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Tatum before Maryland
Jim Tatum was born in McColl, South CarolinaMcColl, South Carolina
McColl is a town in Marlboro County, South Carolina, United States, located within 1.5 miles of the border with North Carolina. The population was 2,498 at the 2000 census.-Geography:McColl is located at ....
on July 22, 1913. He played football as a left tackle like four of his older brothers. Tatum attended the University of North Carolina where he played for Carl Snavely
Carl Snavely
Carl "The Grey Fox" Snavely was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Bucknell University , the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Cornell University , and Washington University in St...
's Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
and earned All-American
1934 College Football All-America Team
The 1934 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1934 college football season...
honors during his senior year in . The following season, he became Snavely's assistant coach and followed him to Cornell
Cornell Big Red football
The Cornell Big Red football team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League. It is one of the oldest and most storied football programs in the nation...
in 1936. Tatum returned to North Carolina in 1940 as an assistant coach under Bear Wolf
Raymond Wolf
Raymond Bernard "Bear" Wolf was an American football player and coach. Wolf was a native of Illinois and an alumnus of Texas Christian University, where he played college football and baseball...
. In 1942, Tatum was promoted into the head coaching job himself and compiled a 5–2–2 record. The next year, during the Second World War, he enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and served as an assistant coach for the Iowa Pre-Flight School
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
football team under Don Faurot
Don Faurot
Donald Burrows Faurot was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, now Truman State University, from 1926 to 1934 and at the University of Missouri from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1956...
, the inventor of the split-T
Split-T
The split-T is an offensive formation in American football that was popular in the 1940s and 50s. Developed by Missouri Tigers head coach Don Faurot as a variation on the T formation, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the Tigers to win all but their season-opening match...
. Future Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
worked as an assistant coach alongside Tatum.
In 1946, with the recommendation of Oklahoma athletic director Jap Haskell, Tatum was hired as the Sooners' head coach and brought Wilkinson as an assistant. Tatum replaced Dewey Luster
Dewey Luster
Dewey William "Snorter" Luster was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1941 to 1945, compiling a record of 27–18–3...
, who resigned due to ill health. Luster had struggled in the position as the Second World War put a continuous and heavy drain on athletes at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. The final game before Luster's resignation was a 0–47 loss at the hands of Oklahoma A&M
Oklahoma State Cowboys football
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as...
, which rounded out Oklahoma's 1945 season with a 5–5 record.
1946 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1946 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in National Collegiate Athletic Association college football. The team was led by Jim Tatum in his first and only season as head coach. Along with first-year backfield coach Bud Wilkinson, who became the head coach...
at Oklahoma, he led the Sooners to an 8–3 finish and a share of the Big Six Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
championship. Tatum and his staff also recruited nine players who became All-Americans: Plato Andros
Plato Andros
Plato Gus Andrecopoulos was a former college All-American and professional football player. A 6'0", 240 lbs. guard from the University of Oklahoma, Andros spent four years in the United States Coast Guard fighting German submarines before coming back to earn All-American honors as a Sooner in...
, Buddy Burris
Buddy Burris
Paul "Buddy" Burris was an American football player. He played college football for the Golden Hurricane at University of Tulsa, and after a hiatus to serve in the Second World War, for the Sooners at the University of Oklahoma. Burris was the first Oklahoma player to earn All-America honors in...
, Jack Mitchell, Jim Owens
Jim Owens
-External links:...
, John Rapacz
John Rapacz
John Joseph Rapacz was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He also played in the All-America Football Conference for the Chicago Rockets/Hornets...
, Darrell Royal
Darrell Royal
Darrell K Royal is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University , the University of Washington , and the University of Texas at Austin , compiling a career college football record of 184–60–5...
, George Thomas, Wade Walker
Wade Walker
Wade Walker is an American former football player, coach, and university administrator. He played college football as a tackle at the University of Oklahoma under head coaches Jim Tatum and Bud Wilkinson. Walker was named an all-conference player all four years and a first-team All-American in 1949...
, and Stan West
Stan West
Stanley Bryon West was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, the New York Giants, and the Chicago Cardinals...
.
In addition to his team's success on the gridiron, Tatum caused controversy. Buddy Burris, the first three-time All-American at Oklahoma, said, "Jim Tatum was a con-man, a dictator, a tyrant, and one hell of a football coach." Tatum greatly surpassed his allocated budget and linked players with sponsors who sometimes paid or bought clothes for their sponsored players. After a 34–13 Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
victory over N.C. State, University of Oklahoma president George Cross
George Lynn Cross
George Lynn Cross was a botanist, author, and the seventh and longest serving president of the University of Oklahoma from 1943 to 1968...
discovered that Tatum had paid the fifty Sooners players $120 each ($, adjusted for inflation
Inflation adjustment
Inflation adjustment is the process of adjusting economic indicators and the prices of goods and services from different time periods to the same price level. To adjust for inflation, an indicator is divided by the inflation index...
). Cross had explicitly warned Tatum not to do so, as it was a violation of conference rules. With further investigation, it was discovered that $60,000 ($ in inflation-adjusted terms) was unaccounted for in the athletic department budget, which resulted in the relief of athletic director Jap Haskell.
Meanwhile, Tatum resigned to take the head coaching job at Maryland with a $12,000 salary, one-third more than he made at Oklahoma, ($, adjusted for inflation). Oklahoma filled the open coaching job with Tatum's former assistant, Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
.
The 1947 season
Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Daniel Shaughnessy was an American football coach and innovator. He is sometimes called the "father of the T formation", although that system had previously been used as early as the 1880s. Shaughnessy did, however, modernize the obsolescent T formation to make it once again relevant in the...
had pioneered the T-formation, Tatum installed the split-T
Split-T
The split-T is an offensive formation in American football that was popular in the 1940s and 50s. Developed by Missouri Tigers head coach Don Faurot as a variation on the T formation, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the Tigers to win all but their season-opening match...
offense that his former colleague Don Farout had invented. The team's two losses came at the hands of two ranked period powerhouses, Duke and North Carolina. Maryland's star running back, Lu Gambino
Lu Gambino
Lucien Anthony "Lu" Gambino was an American football running back. He played college football for Indiana University, and after military service in the Second World War, the University of Maryland...
, scored three touchdowns against West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
to lead the team to their first victory in the third meeting of the series. The Terrapins' regular-season play earned them a berth in their first postseason game.
1948 Gator Bowl
Maryland met GeorgiaGeorgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
in the 1948 Gator Bowl
1948 Gator Bowl
The 1948 Gator Bowl was the third edition of the Gator Bowl and featured the Georgia Bulldogs representing the University of Georgia and the Maryland Terrapins representing the University of Maryland. It was the first-ever meeting of the two teams....
. The Terrapins scored first when Gambino broke a 35-yard run for a touchdown in the second quarter. On the first series of the second half, Georgia quarterback John Rauch
John Rauch
John "Johnny" Rauch was an American football player and coach. He was head coach of the Oakland Raiders in the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II in 1968.-Early life:...
led an 87-yard drive capped by a one-yard dive into the end zone. Maryland responded with an 80-yard drive for another score by Gambino. Georgia turned the ball over with a fumble on its own 40-yard line and Maryland capitalized with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Gambino. In the final quarter, Georgia came from behind with a one-yard touchdown rush by Joe Geri
Joe Geri
Joe Geri was a former American Football quarterback-running back who played four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals from 1949 to 1952 in the National Football League. He was a two time Pro Bowler in 1950 and 1951...
and a nine-yard touchdown pass to John Donaldson. Georgia missed the extra point and the final result was a 20–20 tie. Gambino recorded all three Maryland touchdowns and 165 rushing yards, which set a school bowl-game record that stood for 60 years until broken by Da'Rel Scott
Da'Rel Scott
Da'Rel Scott is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was the starting running back for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland...
in the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl
2008 Humanitarian Bowl
The 2008 Humanitarian Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Nevada Wolf Pack on December 30, 2008. It was the two teams' first meeting. The game featured two conference tie-ins: the University of Maryland represented the Atlantic Coast Conference ...
.
Effects
Gambino finished the year as the NCAA scoring leader with 96 points. He was inducted into the Gator BowlGator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
Hall of Fame in 1992 for his achievement as the bowl game's "first superb running back." Lu Gambino received All-Southern Conference honors.
The 1948 season
The 1948 season saw Maryland slide to a 6–4 record, but they delivered four shutoutShutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s and lost two of their games by a combined three points. Two of their four losses came against ranked conference opponents, and a third was a 34-point shutout at the hands of Vanderbilt. Future two-time Heisman runner-up Charlie Justice helped North Carolina to a 29-point romp over the Terrapins.
The 1949 season
Maryland improved to 9–1 in 1949 to earn their second bowl appearance. Their lone loss came against a ranked Michigan State team and Maryland allowed no opponent to score more than 14 points. They recorded victories over two ranked teams: Boston U.Boston University Terriers
The Boston University Terriers are the nine men's and twelve women's varsity athletic teams representing Boston University in NCAA Division I competition. The men compete in basketball, cross country, ice hockey, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, and wrestling...
and Missouri
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
under Tatum's former boss, Don Faurot. Maryland finished the regular season with a final AP ranking of 14th. The Terrapins again traveled to the Gator Bowl for their finale, and they defeated 20th-ranked Missouri. Ray Krouse was named All-Southern Conference and an AP second-team All-American.
The 1950 season
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. At Georgia, Maryland lost its season-opener, 7–27. Tatum said, "We weren't ready for Georgia in a game as early as September 23 ... We weren't in shape and the [92 °F (33.3 °C)] heat killed us." The loss, however, did not affect Maryland's poll ranking as the situation surrounding the game was generally understood.
In Week 2, the Terrapins played the inaugural game at the newly-completed Byrd Stadium
Byrd Stadium
Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium , is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. It is the home of the Maryland Terrapins football and lacrosse teams, which compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. It was the first game against the Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 16 years. The series had been canceled in 1934 after Maryland accused Navy of an illegal game-winning play. In 1950, Maryland agreed to fill a vacancy in the Navy schedule left open by a Georgetown cancellation. The high-scoring game was the 12th meeting of the intense in-state rivalry and resulted in just the second-ever Maryland win.
After upsetting second-ranked Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
, 34–7, Maryland climbed to an AP Poll ranking of eighth in the nation and then defeated Georgetown. The following game they met N.C. State at Byrd Stadium for Homecoming weekend. In the first quarter, a Maryland fumble rolled out of the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
for a safety, and soon after, another fumble set up a touchdown rush by NC State. Maryland advanced inside the N.C. State five-yard line three times but was unable to score. In the third quarter, NC State scored again to expand their lead, 0–16. Maryland scored on a 21-yard pass from Jack Scarbath
Jack Scarbath
John Carl "Jack" Scarbath is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers...
to Bob Shemonski
Bob Shemonski
Bob "Shoo Shoo" Shemonski was an American football player. He played college football as an end and back for the Maryland Terrapins and was selected in the 1952 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.-Biography:...
. With three minutes remaining, Shemonski connected with a pass to Pete Augsburger for another touchdown. A 47-yard drive into Wolfpack territory ended with an interception in the end zone with seconds remaining. The loss effectively ended the Terrapins' hopes for a bowl game bid. The second loss dropped them out of the AP Poll for the remainder of the year.
Bob Ward
Bob Ward (football coach)
Robert "Bob" Richard Ward was an American football coach and player. He played college football for the Terrapins at the University of Maryland. He is considered, alongside Randy White, as one of the greatest linemen to have ever played for Maryland...
was named a first-team All-American. Ward and Elmer Wingate
Elmer Wingate
Elmer Horsey Wingate is a former American football player. Wingate was drafted by the New York Yanks in the fourth round of the 1951 NFL Draft and played for one season with the Baltimore Colts.-Early life and college career:...
were named All-Southern Conference.
The 1951 season
Over the course of the season, Maryland outscored its opponents 381–74, accumulated three shutout wins, and held seven opponents to 7 points or less. It was Maryland's first 10-win season and remains the team's only perfect undefeated season in the modern era.This usage of "modern era" is used to differentiate from Maryland's only other perfect season in 1893.Maryland entered the season at number-16 on the AP and Coaches' polls, and remained ranked for the duration. A 40-point trouncing of conference foe George Washington
George Washington Colonials football
The George Washington Colonials football team represented The George Washington University in National Collegiate Athletic Association major college-level football competition from 1881 to 1966. The Colonials were most successful between the 1930s and 1950s when they regularly played top-level...
in the season-opener propelled the Terrapins to a number-nine ranking in both polls. Other wins included games against Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
powerhouses: a romp over Georgia and a shutout against LSU. Before the Georgia game, Tatum showed his team that Georgia had charged only $5 for tickets, instead of the usual $7.50 ($ instead of $, adjusted for inflation). Tatum said, "They don't think very much of you, do they?"
The Terrapins finished the regular season with a 9–0 record and the Southern Conference championship. They achieved a final ranking as the number-three team in the nation.At the time, both the AP Poll and Coaches' Poll published their final rankings, and declared the national champions, before the postseason bowl games. They secured a berth in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
to face the number-one team in the nation, undefeated Tennessee
1951 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1951 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1951 college football season. In his next to last season as head coach, Robert Neyland led Tennessee to their second consecutive national title and the fourth during his tenure. 1951 was also Neyland's ninth...
led by head coach "General" Robert Neyland
Robert Neyland
Robert Reese Neyland, MBE was an American football player and coach and and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach as the University of Tennessee...
.
1952 Sugar Bowl
The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
called the 1952 Sugar Bowl
1952 Sugar Bowl
The 1952 Sugar Bowl featured the top ranked Tennessee Volunteers, and the third ranked Maryland Terrapins. In the first quarter, Maryland scored on a two-yard touchdown run Ed Fullerton, giving the Terrapins a 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, Fullerton threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Bob...
the second "game of the century
Game of the Century (college football)
The phrase "Game of the Century" is a superlative that has been applied to several college football contests played in the 20th century, the first full century of college football in the United States...
," with the first
1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game
The 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game was a regular season college football game played on November 9, 1946. Army , then ranked Number 1 in the Associated Press college football poll, played the University of Notre Dame, of South Bend, Indiana, ranked Number 2, at Yankee Stadium in New York City...
having been between the undefeated Army
1946 Army Cadets football team
The 1946 Army Black Knights football team represents the United States Military Academy. Led by head coach Red Blaik, the team finished with an undefeated 9-0-1 season. The Black Knights offense scored 263 points, while the defense allowed 80 points. At season’s end, the team ranked second in the...
and Notre Dame
1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1946 college football season. The Irish, coached by Frank Leahy, ended the season with 8 wins and 1 tie, winning the national championship. The 1946 team became the fifth Irish team to win the...
teams in 1946. Maryland was viewed as an underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
against Tennessee, which included five All-Americans on its roster. The Volunteers were led by Heisman runner-up quarterback Hank Lauricella
Hank Lauricella
Francis E. Lauricella, known as Hank Lauricella was a Hall of Fame American football player for the Tennessee Volunteers football team. He served as a Democrat in the Louisiana State Senate from Jefferson Parish in the New Orleans suburbs from 1972 to 1996...
, and Neyland's offensive linemen were described as not large but "squatty" and "bruiser[s], not flashy, but slightly murderous." Neyland considered the split-T offense used by Tatum gimmicky and relied on the more traditional single-wing formation. For the game, Tatum himself abandoned the split-T in favor of a smashmouth strategy, which he hoped would catch Tennessee off-guard. Neyland's strategy focused heavily on punting the ball to pin the opponent in their own territory with a goal of creating turnovers, and Tatum likewise adopted it.
The game started with both teams exchanging several punts in the first quarter. Maryland gained good field position after Lauricella kicked a short punt. Running backs Ed Modzelewski
Ed Modzelewski
Ed Modzelewski is a former football player, who played professionally for the Cleveland Browns. His brother, Dick Modzelewski, also played in the NFL and at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft, but did not make the active roster....
and Ed Fullerton
Ed Fullerton
Edward Reno Fullerton is a former American football halfback and defensive back. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1953 NFL Draft and played one season in the National Football League...
then led an 11-play, 56-yard rushing drive for a touchdown. On the kickoff, Bob Ward hit Lauricella and forced a fumble that Maryland recovered on Tennessee's 13-yard line. After four plays, Jack Scarbath
Jack Scarbath
John Carl "Jack" Scarbath is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers...
pitch
Lateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
ed to Fullerton who then threw a six-yard forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
to Bob Shemonski in the end zone and expanded the Maryland lead to 14–0. Scarbath then engineered a 48-yard drive and ran it in himself
Quarterback keeper
A quarterback keeper or keeper in American football is a designed play in which the quarterback does not pass or hand off the ball to another player and instead rushes forward with it in an effort to gain yardage...
for the Terrapins' third touchdown within seven minutes. Late in the second quarter, Tennessee back Bert Rechichar
Bert Rechichar
Albert Daniel Rechichar was an American football defensive back who played with the National Football League's Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers from 1952 to 1960, and the American Football League's New York Titans in 1961...
caught a four-yard pass for a touchdown, but the extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
was no good. At the end of the first half, Maryland had stunned Tennessee by gaining a 21–6 lead. In the fourth quarter, Fullerton intercept
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
ed a pass and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. In the final minutes, Tennessee's goal-line quarterback Herky Payne ran it in from the one-yard line. Maryland won the game with a final result of 28–13.
Effects
With the final polls already closed before the bowl season, Tennessee retained possession of the national championship. In following years, however, several selectors have named Maryland as the retroactive 1951 national champions: Jeff SagarinJeff Sagarin
Jeff Sagarin is an American sports statistician well-known for his development of a methodology for ranking and rating sports teams in a variety of sports...
, the College Football Researchers Association, DeVold System, Dunkel System, and National Championship Foundation.
Awards
Jim Tatum was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year. Bob Ward received the Knute Rockne Award and was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year. Bob Ward was named a consensus first-team All-American and Dick ModzelewskiDick Modzelewski
Richard Blair Modzelewski is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. He also served as interim head coach of the Browns in the final game of the 1977 season...
and Ed Modzelewski were named second-team All-Americans. Ward and Ed Modzelewski were named All-Southern Conference.
The 1952 season
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
rule, passed halfway through the 1951 season, that banned postseason play. The punishment, for participating in the Sugar Bowl, disallowed the Terrapins from playing any conference games during the 1952 season. This compelled Maryland to schedule all but three games on the road.
The AP preseason poll ranked Maryland second in the nation. The Terrapins recorded a 37-point shutout of 19th-ranked Georgia and defeated 20th-ranked Navy, 38–7. Maryland finished the season with a No. 13 final ranking. Their loss at Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
ended a 22-game winning streak for the Terrapins. Tatum blamed the Terrapins' late season slide to injuries suffered by star quarterback Scarbath and weariness from the grueling road schedule.
Effects
After the season, disaffection within the Southern Conference prompted seven former members, including Maryland, to form the Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC). The schism was due in part to the ban on bowl participation, and the vast geographic dispersion of and disparity between the sizes of member schools. Clemson, another founding ACC member, had likewise been forced to play outside the Southern Conference in 1952.
Tatum considered resigning in order to enter business. University president Byrd, a staunch patron of football at the school, was preparing to campaign for governor
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
, and Tatum feared his successor would significantly reduce the number of athletic scholarships available. He and Byrd, however, had also disagreed over the decision to participate in bowl games in violation of conference rules. Tatum was opposed to it, as it greatly increased the difficulty of scheduling and had caused the reduction in number of home games.
Awards
In 1952, Maryland quarterback Jack ScarbathJack Scarbath
John Carl "Jack" Scarbath is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers...
was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, which is awarded to college football's most outstanding player. Scarbath received 367 points, coming behind to Oklahoma running back Billy Vessels
Billy Vessels
Billy Vessels was a standout football player in his hometown of Cleveland, Oklahoma, where he was known as "Curly." He went on to play college football for the University of Oklahoma and win the 1952 Heisman trophy. He was the first Oklahoman to win the award, which is given to the nation's top...
, who received 525 points. Scarbath also was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year. Dick Modzelewski was awarded the Outland Trophy and the Knute Rockne Award. Scarbath and Dick Modzelewski were also both named consensus first-team All-Americans. Tom Cosgrove
Tom Cosgrove
Tom Cosgrove is a former American football player. He played in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts...
was named a second-team All-American. Stan Jones
Stan Jones (American football)
Stanley Paul "Stan" Jones was an American football guard and defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991...
and Scarbath were named All-Southern Conference. The Associated Press All-South team, which consisted of players from fifteen schools in the Southern U.S.
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, included Scarbath, and honorable mentions end John Alderton, tackle Dick Modzelewski, and back Ed Fullerton.
The 1953 season
During this season, Maryland outscored its opponents 298–38, accumulated six shutout wins, and allowed only one team, Georgia, to score more than 7 points. No ACC team scored more total points until 1967 and none has ever allowed fewer points in the regular season (31). Maryland ranked first nationally in terms of rushing defense (83.9 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (3.1 points allowed per game). At the end of the regular season, the three wire services, the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, International News Service
International News Service
International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...
, and United Press
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
, each named Maryland as the national championship team.
Maryland entered the season ranked ninth in the preseason AP Poll. In the season opener against Missouri
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
, Chet Hanulak
Chet Hanulak
Chet Hanulak is a former professional American football player who played running back for four seasons for the Cleveland Browns....
scored in the first two minutes of play on a 61-yard run. Maryland intercepted four passes while sacrificing three fumbles in the 20–7 win.
Against Washington and Lee, Hanulak made an interception and then on Maryland's possession rushed for a 12-yard touchdown. Ron Waller
Ron Waller
Ron Waller was a National Football League running back for the Los Angeles Rams from 1955 through 1958 and for the American Football League's Los Angeles Chargers in 1960...
dropped a Generals' punt at mid-field, but recovered and returned it for a touchdown. After halftime, Tatum fielded third- and fourth-string players before the final results of 52–0.
At Clemson, quarterback Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney was a professional football player in the Canadian Football League and an outstanding American college football player at the University of Maryland...
returned the opening kick off 88 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Clemson quarterback Don King was sacked by several Maryland defenders and suffered a game-ending knee injury. With 45 seconds left in the half, Dick Nolan scored on a 90-yard punt return. In the second half, Faloney connected with Nolan for a 65-yard touchdown pass. Clemson finished the game with two pass completions and suffered its first shutout at home in 11 years, 20–0.
Against Georgia, most critics thought Maryland faced its first true test. In the first quarter, the Terrapins took a quick 14–0 lead and held the Bulldogs to six offensive plays, two of which were punts. In the second quarter, Georgia quarterback Zeke Bratkowski
Zeke Bratkowski
Edmund Raymond "Zeke" Bratkowski is a former All-American quarterback at the University of Georgia from 1952 to 1953. He also had a fourteen year career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, L.A. Rams and Green Bay Packers, followed by a 26-year coaching career...
led his team to two consecutive touchdown drives, and the score was 21–13 in favor of Maryland at halftime. Two minutes into the third quarter, Faloney intercepted a Bratkowski pass and returned it for a touchdown. Bratkowski was taken out of the game after numerous sacks by Stan Jones
Stan Jones (American football)
Stanley Paul "Stan" Jones was an American football guard and defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991...
and Bob Morgan. The 40–13 final result would be the most points the Terrapins allowed during the entire season.
At North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
, the undefeated Terrapins met the undefeated Tar Heels. Two 15-yard penalties against North Carolina set up a quarterback sneak by Faloney for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Bill Walker
Bill Walker (American football)
William "Bill" Walker is an American former football and baseball player. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park where he played college football as an end and baseball as an outfielder. Wire services twice named Walker to All-America football second teams and he was also selected to...
caught a pitch at the Maryland 35 and ran it 49 yards to the North Carolina 16-yard line. From there, Charlie Boxold scored another touchdown for the Terrapins. In the third quarter, Hanulak took a pitch and took it 34 yards into the end zone. The 26–0 win was the Maryland's first in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
since 1924. Tatum later called it "the greatest win of any team I ever coached, including the [1952] Sugar Bowl [over national champion Tennessee]."
At Miami, Hanulak scored first on a two-yard rush. Morgan recovered a Miami fumble and on the ensuing possession Faloney scored on an eight-yard rush. By halftime, Maryland led 27–0. Tatum disallowed any passes or trick plays in the second half, and the final result was 30–0.
Maryland next traveled to South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
to face a team coming off of a four-game winning streak. Ralph Felton
Ralph Felton
Ralph Dwaine "Rass" Felton was an American football linebacker and defensive back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins....
scored first to cap a long drive with a short rush. In the next series, the Gamecocks punted it away and the ball was returned by Hanulak 35 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, South Carolina recovered a Maryland fumble on the Terrapins' 14-yard line. In three plays, Maryland had pushed them back to the 32-yard line before South Carolina finally scored. With South Carolina held to 37 rushing yards the final result was 24–6.
After defeating George Washington
George Washington Colonials football
The George Washington Colonials football team represented The George Washington University in National Collegiate Athletic Association major college-level football competition from 1881 to 1966. The Colonials were most successful between the 1930s and 1950s when they regularly played top-level...
27–6, the Terrapins went on to shut out two ranked teams: 11th-ranked Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
and 11th-ranked Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
. Maryland secured a share of the ACC championship alongside Duke
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
and a berth in the Orange Bowl as the only undefeated and untied team in the nation. Maryland finished the regular season 10–0 and were crowned the national champions.
1954 Orange Bowl
In Miami, first-ranked Maryland faced the team Tatum had coached prior to his arrival at College Park: fourth-ranked OklahomaOklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
under former assistant Bud Wilkinson. The Sooners handed Maryland their only defeat, 0–7, but—as had happened in 1951 to the Terrapins' detriment—the final rankings were released before the bowls, and for the third time in four years, AP's national champion was defeated in their postseason game. However, unlike Tennessee, who retained their top-rank despite losing to Maryland in 1951, the Terrapins (10–1–0) did indeed finish with the best record, better than the Orange Bowl victor, Oklahoma (9–1–1). Maryland ranked first nationally in terms of rushing defense (83.9 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (3.1 points allowed per game). At the same time, the Terps scored a record combined total of 298 points, a number not exceeded until 1967.
Awards
Like the year prior, in 1953, a Maryland quarterback, Bernie Faloney, was in contention for the Heisman Trophy. Faloney finished fourth in the running and received 258 points, behind Notre Dame's John Lattner (1,850), Minnesota's Paul GielPaul Giel
Paul Robert Giel was a football and baseball player from Winona, Minnesota.Giel attended the University of Minnesota, where he was a star quarterback for the Gophers. His career totals were 2,188 yards rushing, 1,922 yards passing...
(1,794), and UCLA's Paul Cameron (444). Stan Jones was selected as a consensus first-team All-American. Bernie Faloney was also named a first-team All-American. Chet Hanulak was named a second-team All-American. Four Terrapins were named to the All-ACC first-team: John Bowersox, Bernie Faloney, Chester Hanulak, and Stan Jones. Three were named to the All-ACC second-team: Ralph Felton, Bob Morgan, and Bill Walker.
The 1954 season
On Thanksgiving Day, Tatum coached Maryland to a pummeling, 74–13, of his former boss Don Faurot's Missouri, and the Terrapins set an ACC record-high for scoring that stood for 27 years. Maryland finished the season with a 7–2–1 record and was named the eighth-ranked team by AP. Bill Walker was selected by AP as a second-team All-American. Three Maryland players were named to the All-ACC first team: Dick BielskiDick Bielski
Richard Adam Bielski is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and the Baltimore Colts. He played college football at the University of Maryland and was drafted in the first round of the 1955 NFL Draft...
, Bill Walker, and Ronnie Waller. Two were named to the All-ACC second team: John Irvine and Bob Pellegrini
Bob Pellegrini
Robert Francis Pellegrini was an American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Maryland, where he was an All-American as a center. Pellegrini was drafted in the first round of the 1956 NFL Draft...
.
The 1955 season
In Tatum's final season in College Park, Maryland spent four weeks as the first-ranked team in the AP Poll and ten weeks ranked in the top three. No opponent managed more than 13 points during the regular season. Maryland again had the first-ranked rushing defense in the nation, allowing 83.9 yards per game. Frank Tamburello became the starting quarterback, and entered the season with significant game experience from the prior year as a reserve behind Charlie Boxold. Fullback Tom Selep missed the season due to a knee injury.The opener against was a much closer contest than the previous year's record-setting game. Ed Vereb
Ed Vereb
Edward John Vereb is a former American football halfback in the Canadian Football League with he British Columbia Lions and the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Maryland and was drafted in the first round of the 1956 NFL Draft....
rushed for a 14-yard touchdown and Tamburello passed for another, but only failed extra-point attempts by Missouri in the second half preserved victory, 13–12.
In week two, Maryland met first-ranked for the second half of a home-and-home series in a game dubbed "The Best of the East vs. the Best of the West." It was a rain-soaked defensive contest at Byrd Stadium, where Maryland held UCLA's rushing attack to −21 yards. UCLA quarterback Ronnie Knox
Ronnie Knox
Ronald "Ronnie" Knox is a former National Football League and Canadian Football League quarterback.-High school phenom:...
completed 10 of 15 passes for 100 yards but also threw two interceptions. Late in the first quarter, Knox's passing brought the Bruins to the Maryland three-yard line. On the next play, UCLA advanced to the one-foot line before Bob Pellegrini tackled second-string fullback Doug Peters to force a fumble. Maryland made the only score when, in the third quarter, quarterback Frank Tamburello executed an option run
Option run
The option run or option is a designed play in American football and Canadian football. In the simplest version of this play, the quarterback receives the ball and runs either to the right or left, accompanied by an additional offensive player...
and pitched to halfback Ed Vereb, who ran it 15 yards into the end zone. With the victory, the Terrapins became the first-ranked team.
The following week, Maryland beat 20th-ranked , 20–6, with Tamburello passing for two touchdowns. Maryland then defeated Wake Forest, 28–7, and held them to nine rushing yards. Against , they allowed 18 yards on the ground. Vereb scored three touchdowns and made an interception, but the Tar Heels scored under unusual circumstances when center Jim Jones stripped Tamburello and returned it 35 yards. The final result was 25–7.
scored the most points of any regular season opponent with touchdowns by Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
and Don Althouse, but Maryland's offense scored a season high and won, 34–13. The Terrapins shutout a mediocre , 27–0, and Louisiana State
1955 LSU Tigers football team
The 1955 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University during the 1955 college football season. Under head coach Paul Dietzel, the Tigers had a record of 3–5–2 with an SEC record of 2–3–1. It was Dietzel's first season as head coach at LSU....
, 13–0, against whom they made four interceptions including one in the end zone by Phil Perlo. Clemson took the lead early with a Don King touchdown pass to Dalton Rivers and Joel Wells
Joel Wells
Joel Wells is a former halfback in the National Football League. He played for the New York Giants during the 1961 NFL season....
breaking away for another score soon after. Maryland's reserve quarterback, Lynn Beightol, threw to Ed Vereb for two touchdowns, and in the second half, Clemson was allowed only 22 yards. Maryland won, 25–12. Maryland posted a fourth shutout against , 19–0. Vereb scored two touchdowns, which tied Lu Gambino
Lu Gambino
Lucien Anthony "Lu" Gambino was an American football running back. He played college football for Indiana University, and after military service in the Second World War, the University of Maryland...
's single-season school record of 16.
The Terrapins, with a perfect ACC record, were named conference co-champions alongside for the second consecutive year. Maryland possessed a perfect regular season record and ranked third in the nation behind (8–1). The Terps secured an Orange Bowl rematch against first-ranked Oklahoma
1955 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1955 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 1955-1956. It was the 61st season of play for the Sooners. The team was led by Hall of Fame head coach Bud Wilkinson...
and a chance to avenge their defeat in 1953. However, the Sooners beat them again, 20–6, and they finished the postseason with a 10–1 record.
Awards
Bob Pellegrini was named a consensus first-team All-American, the National Lineman of the Year, and the ACC Player of the Year. Mike SanduskyMike Sandusky
Mike Sandusky was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1957 NFL Draft. Sandusky attended the University of Maryland.-External links:*...
was also named a first-team All-American. Ed Vereb
Ed Vereb
Edward John Vereb is a former American football halfback in the Canadian Football League with he British Columbia Lions and the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Maryland and was drafted in the first round of the 1956 NFL Draft....
and Bill Walker were named second-team All-Americans. Four Marlyand players were named to the All-ACC first-team: Jack Davis
Jack Davis (American football)
John James Davis is a former American football guard in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots. He played college football at the University of Maryland and was drafted in the fifteenth round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins.-External links:*...
, Bob Pellegrini, Mike Sandusky, and Ed Vereb. Three were named to the All-ACC second-team: Russell Dennis, Frank Tamburello, and Bill Walker.
Tatum's departure
In 1954, Curley ByrdCurley Byrd
Harry Clifton "Curley" Byrd was an American university administrator, educator, athlete, coach, and politician...
resigned as university president in order to enter state politics, and was replaced by Dr. Wilson Elkins
Wilson Homer Elkins
Wilson Homer "Bull" Elkins was an American educator and university administrator. He served as the president of the University of Maryland from 1954 to 1978. Elkins received an A.B. and an M.A. from the University of Texas in 1933, where he was also a star college football quarterback...
, a Rhodes scholar
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
and former Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
quarterback. Elkins worked to improve academic standards at the school, which had been criticized for overemphasizing football. One year during Tatum's tenure, the school awarded 93 football scholarships
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
averaging $944 each ($ adjusted for inflation
Inflation adjustment
Inflation adjustment is the process of adjusting economic indicators and the prices of goods and services from different time periods to the same price level. To adjust for inflation, an indicator is divided by the inflation index...
). The Diamondback
The Diamondback
The Diamondback is the independent student newspaper of the University of Maryland, College Park. It was founded in 1910 as The Triangle and renamed in 1921 in honor of a local reptile, the Diamondback terrapin...
student newspaper said that, while Tatum was at Maryland, it "was an era in which an inadequate stadium became ultra-adequate, and an inadequate library became more inadequate."
During his tenure at Maryland, Tatum became one of the most successful head football coaches in school history. In nine seasons, he led the Terrapins to two national championships
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
, three conference championships, and five bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
appearances. His teams compiled a 73–15–4 record without a single losing season. To date, he remains the winningest Maryland football coach of the modern era with a winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
of 0.819.
After the 1955 season, Tatum took an 18% pay cut, from $18,500 to $15,000 (from $ to $ in inflation-adjusted terms), to return to North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
as head coach. There, The Daily Tar Heel
The Daily Tar Heel
The Daily Tar Heel is the independent student newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It was founded on February 23, 1893, and became a daily newspaper in 1929. The paper places a focus on university news and sports, but it also includes heavy coverage of Orange County and...
student newspaper was displeased to see Tatum arrive and called him a "parasitic monster of open professionalism." After a few years, however, he was accepted by the student body, the faculty, and alumni. Tatum had said, "I'm going back to North Carolina to die," and the statement proved prescient. Just four years later, in 1959, he died of Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas. Some synonyms for Rocky Mountain spotted fever in other countries include “tick typhus,” “Tobia fever” , “São Paulo fever” or “febre...
at the age of 46.