ILLINI RETAIN 'ROSY' TOUCH, 40-7
By: JACK PROWELL
Wednesday, January 02, 1952
SCORE 4 TIMES
IN 10 MINUTES
ON STANFORD
96,285 Watch Big Ten
Continue Mastery In
New Year's Classic
PASADENA, CALIF. Jan 2 -- Illinois, which was not maligned, scorned berated, or abused, kicked the stuffing out of the Pacific Coast again New Year's day.
Mad at nobody for a change, the Illini shot four touchdowns on the board in the final 10 minutes before 96,825 fans in the Rose Bowl here Tuesday afternoon to bust Stanford's bubble, 40-7.
The margin of 33 points was even greater than Illinois recorded in 1947, when it opened the Big Ten-Pacific Coast series with a 45-14 beating of UCLA. Five years ago the Illini had been abused by coast sports writers, who had demanded undefeated Army and got twice-beaten Illinois instead. This time, everyone had gone out of their way to be nice to the representatives of the midwest, but it was to no avail. The result was still the same -- a painful kicking.
Illinois trailed, 7-6, at halftime and did not go ahead, 13-7, until only three and a half minutes remained in the third quarter. But after that the crushing midwestern blocking and tackling took effect. Stanford folded.
New Rose Bowl Mark
In the process, Illinois did these impressive things:
1. Concluded an undefeated season with nine victories, no defeats and one tie.
2. Won its second Rose Bowl victory in five years to extend the Big Ten's string over the Pacific Coast to six.
3. Set a Rose Bowl rushing record of 361 yards, breaking its own mark of 325, set in 1947.
4. Almost claimed an individual record when Bill Tate gained 150 yards rushing, only one yard short of the mark set by Bobby Grayson of Stanford against Columbia in 1934.
5. Turned in a record point-production in the second half with 34, Don Engels' pass to Rocky Ryan for the last touchdown broke the old record of 32, set by Michigan in 1947.
Aggressive, Hard Hitting
So it is again. "Hail to the Orange. Hail to the Blue!" For Illinois is again a champion, as it proved five years ago and as it proved in going through the toughest schedule in American college football this year.
This was not a "mad" Illinois football team. It played what midwesterners would consider a fairly typical game for Illinois. It was an aggressive, hard-hitting Big Ten football game. Stanford could not take it.
Illinois scored the first time it had the ball, after receiving the opening kickoff, but Sam Rebecca missed the point. Stanford drove right back to tie the score and forge ahead 7-6 when Gary Kerkorian booted the point.
That was the situation at halftime and 12 minutes into the third period when Illinois' offense, always looking superior, finally broke through a run of hard luck to start chasing Stanford out of the ball park.
Illinois' line murdered Stanford. The Indians had not met such hard-running backs as Bill Tate and Pete Bachouros all year. John Karras made some dandy runs. Tom O'Connell, while not passing much, wisely stuck to the ground where his offense was functioning perfectly.
Double Stanford Yardage
Illinois gained 361 yards rushing to Stanford's 53. The Indians led 180-73, in passing. But Illinois had a total offense superiority of 434 yards to 233.
The Illini led in first downs, 19-16.
On the ground Tate was the leader with 150. Bachouros had 86, Karras 58 and Bud DeMoss picked up 45 on one run to set up the last touchdown. Harry Hugasian led Stanford with 41 in 14 attempts.
Kerkorian gave Illinois plenty of trouble in the early stages with six straight completions for 99 yards. He finished with 11 completions in 22 tries for 166 yards. O'Connell tried 14, completed six, gained 67 yards.
Illinois took the opening kickoff on its 24-yard line and rove 76 yards to score in six xplays. Bachouros made 28 yards in four carries, including seven yards for the score over left tackle. Karras added eight, and Tate set it up with a 40-yard shot up the middle that took the ball to the Stanford six.
Stanford Marches 84 Yards
Only three minutes, 32 seconds had elapsed when Bachouros scored. Rebecca's kick was blocked.
When Stanford took the kickoff on its own 16, it marched 84 yards in 14 plays. Big gainers were passes -- 16 yards to Hugasian to the Stanford 44, 11 to McColl on the Illini 45, 15 to Hugasian to the 30, six to McColl on the 24, and 11 to Ron Cook down to the 13.
From there Hugasian ate up eight yards in two plays, and Bob Meyers picked up a first down on the one. Hugasian boomed over for the touchdown on the next play.
Kerkorian converted, so with 10 minutes played, 13 points had been scored.
Illinois had a first down on the 50, immediately afterward, but a penalty stopped the drive. Stanford retaliated by going to the Illinois 39 before running out of gas early in the second period.
Kerkorian's Kick Fails
The Indians were again on the Illinois 20 in the second quarter, but when they stuttered again, Kerkorian's field goal attempt was far short.
Two screen passes from O'Connell to Bachouros gained 27 yards and were big boosts in a march to Stanford's 20, but here O'Connell missed Vernasco in the end zone and Rebecca's 28-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right, although high and far enough.
The Illini were doing everything but scoring, and they had two more opportunities before the first half ended. One was squandered on four straight passes from the 30. Time ran out on the other when Al Brosky intercepted a pass on his own 40 and ran 50 yards to the Stanford 10 before being brought down.
So we come to the second half. Stanford received, and in four plays it punted. Illinois got the ball on its 27 and started from there. Bachouros and Tate -- with 10 and 12 yards, respectively -- went to the Stanford 18, O'Connell passed to Rex Smith for 12,then Tate rammed the middle for 17 and first down on the 19.
Illini Heartbreak
Stanford was offside, down to the 14, and here came heartbreak ... at the time. The brilliant Tate blasted through center, spun around completely twice to shake off tacklers, and ended up on the two-yard line. But Illinois was detected holding, so the ball went back to the 29.
Three plays later, Jack Rye, Stanford end, intercepted O'Connell's pass.
The turning point of the game came a few minutes later. With Stanford on the move and down to the Illinois 44 for a first down, Kerkorian aimed a pass to his left.
Just before the aerial got to its intended receiver, Sam Morley, Stan Wallace, Illinois' ace sophomore defensive halfback, plucked it out of the air.
This was on the Illinois 34. Fifty-four yards later the last Stanford man, Norm Manoogian, tackled him on the 12.
Beginning Of End
That was the beginning of the end. Tate made two, Karras five. Here came Tate again on a pitchout around right end, and that was all. They couldn't stop the Mattoon Marauder.
He busted between two Stanford tacklers, hurtled into the end zone and Illinois led, 12-7. Rebecca made it 13-7 a minute later with 3:42 left in the third quarter.
That was the payoff. Whatever came afterwards was frosting on the cake.
The Illini got the ball late in the third period on their own 31. Again they short-yardaged Stanford to death. Twelve plays later, they were on the Indian seven. From there, Karras shot around left end, turning on the speed to score easily. Rebecca again converted, and it was 20-7 with 5:09 played in the period.
Wallace Intercepts Again
From here on, things came fast and furiously.
Wallace again set up a touchdown with an interception. With Kerkorian sidelined by a hip injury, his place was taken by Bobby Garrett, a sophomore.
Wallace stole Garrett's first pass on the Stanford 43. A screen pas to Karras on third down netted 16 yards and John made 15 more later on an end run.
It wound up as second and eight yards to the goal. Tate made it in one shot by taking a pitchout, heading around right end, stopping suddenly and then shooting inside the end to the end zone.
Rebecca's kick made it 27-7 with 5:53 left. The Illini had covered 43 yards in seven plays.
With three minutes to play the Illini again got the ball. This time, it was on their own 40. On the second play, freshman Bud DeMoss wheeled around left end for 45 yards to the Stanford 7.
Second Stringers Score
On the third play, Don Stevens, in at left half for Bachouros, sprinted seven yards over right tackle to score without anyone laying a hand on him. Rebecca's kick ws blocked after a bad pass from center, but it was 33-7 with 1:58 to go.
By now all the second-stringers were in. They forced Stanford to punt, and Jim Baughman, sophomore from Pontiac, broke through to block it on the Stanford three with 55 seconds to play.
On first down, Ken Miller was thrown for a three-yard loss. On the second play, Don Engels tossed a jump pass to John Raymond (Rocky) Ryan in the end zone for six points.
Rebecca's kick was good this time. So there it was, 40-7 ... with 28 seconds to go.
Illinois could not score again.
By now, who cared?
Yes, west coast, Illinois and the Big Ten is pretty tough.