1936 Orange Bowl

American college football game August 2023 December 2025 Orange Bowl 2nd Orange Bowl 1936 Orange Bowl Classic Ball.jpg Game Ball January 1 1936 1935 Miami Stadium Miami, Florida University of Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels 9–2 Ed Walker SEC 0 6 0 13 The Catholic University of America Catholic University Cardinals 7–1 Dutch Bergman Independent 7 6 7 0 Tom Thorp 6,568 – 10,000 CBS Radio Bill Munday The 1936 Orange Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Catholic University Cardinals and Ole Miss Rebels played on January 1, 1936, in Miami, Florida. The second edition of the Orange Bowl, the game was won by Catholic University, 20–19. Regular season The Cardinals opened their season with four consecutive victories. In the course of the 1935 season they had three shutouts, gave up only 34 points, and did not allow a rushing touchdown. They entered the bowl with a record of 7–1. The Rebels also began their season with a series of victories, including a 92–0 blowout against the Memphis Tigers in the second game. They entered the bowl with a record of 9–2. Lead up to the game On the trip from D.C. to Miami, the Cardinals were on the same train as Earl Carroll's "Vanities girls." Carroll, known as "the troubadour of the nude", was famous for his productions featuring the most lightly clad showgirls on Broadway. Coach Dutch Bergman put his team under "martial law," fearing his players and the showgirls would "dance their football game away before they played." The experience was enough to make Bergman vow to never accept another Bowl bid, but he did, four years later, when the Cardinals played in the 1940 Sun Bowl. The very first King Orange Jamboree Parade was held the day before the game with 30 floats at an expense of $40,000 ($653,933 in 2012 dollars). Babs Beckwith was chosen as the first Orange Bowl queen. Game summary Ole Miss Statistic Catholic 15First downs7 15Penalties30 3Fumbles1 1Fumbles recovered2 250Yards gained124 38Yards lost0 12Passes attempted3 3Passes completed1 4Passes intercepted2 53Passing yards48 37Avg. punts39 16Avg. Punt return8 35Avg. kickoffs50 25Avg. kickoff return15 There was little interest in Miami before the game, as indicated by sluggish ticket sales and few bets placed. Despite this, CUA was predicted to win "by the smallest of margins." Pete Dranginis, the Cardinals' quarterback, threw a one-yard pass to Bill Adamaitis in the first quarter to give the team an early 7–0 lead. In the second Adamaitis threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Stuart "Stee" Foley, making Adamaitis the first of only three players to catch and throw a touchdown pass in the same Orange Bowl. In that same quarter the Rebels got on the board when quarterback Ned Peters scored on a 67-yard run. The score stood at 13–6 at halftime. In the third quarter Mississippi's Dave Bernard attempted a punt, but the Cardinals' entire right side broke through the line and center Joe Yanchulis blocked the kick. Backup end Ferdie Rydzewski recovered the ball and ran for a 20-yard touchdown to bring the score to 20–6. A late game rally "kept 10,000 fans howling." Ole Miss scored the first of two fourth quarter touchdowns on a run by Dave Bernard — the first rushing touchdown the Cardinals allowed all season. The point after touchdown was missed, however, leaving the score 20–12. The Mississippians struck again late in the period on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Bernard to end Buster Poole,Purser Hewitt, "Late Rally in Final Period by Ole Miss Falls Short 1 Point," Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Jan. 2, 1936; p. 9. but the effort was too little, too late with a final score of 20–19, Cardinals. George Mulligan, a Cardinal, tore ligaments in his leg during the third quarter, and "Irish" Carroll, described as the Cardinals' "chief scoring hope" going into the game, didn't have a point attached to it after the final whistle. This was the first Orange Bowl to be broadcast on radio, and legendary sports writer Grantland Rice was also in the press box. Post-game celebrations After the game, the Cardinals were inundated with fans seeking autographs at the Hotel Flamingo and "a heap of telegrams" of congratulations poured in from around the country. In the days that followed, the Cardinals celebrated by sightseeing in Miami, going deep sea fishing, and going to dog races as the guest of Tiny Parker. Return to D.C. The Cardinals returned to Washington on Sunday, January 5. A crowd of 3,000 greeted them at Union Station, and when the train pulled in the crowd let up a cheer that, according to The Washington Post, "must have caused serious disturbances on the Georgetown scismograph." A parade including 300 cars, the U.S. Navy Band, the Washington Boys Club Band, and many foot marchers brought the team from Union Station up Pennsylvania Avenue, to Connecticut Avenue, and from there to Rhode Island Avenue and back to the CUA campus. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, "on his way to church, became an unwitting parader, when the march de triumph jammed traffic in front of the White House." A crowd of 1,000 greeted the players when they returned to campus and mass was celebrated in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for them by Maurice S. Sheehy, assistant rector. A bonfire was also held that evening. Banquet A "victory dinner" was held to honor the Cardinal players on February 3 at the Willard Hotel. After awards and certificates were presented, a special radio broadcast on NBC ran from 10:00 to 10:30. The night concluded with dancing. In attendance were "Washingtonians from all walks of life, representatives of the national and District governments, local businesses, professions, and clubs." District Commissioners George E. Allen, who served as toastmaster, Melvin C. Hazen, and Col. Daniel I. Sultan were in attendance as were the chairmen of the Congress' District of Columbia committees, Senator William H. King and Representative Mary Teresa Norton. Others included members of the Mississippi Congressional delegation, the presidents of Georgetown University and the University of Maryland, members of Congress and the executive branch, and local notables. To promote the event, the team was met on the steps of the DC Municipal Building by several of the district's commissioners a few days before. In addition, the Florida State Society held a tribute to the Cardinals at the Washington Hotel the previous Saturday night. Lithuanians Seven members of the Cardinals were of Lithuanian descent, including Captain Ed Karpowich. Povilas Zadeikis, the Lithuanian government's representative in the United States, and members of the Lithuanian Society of America were on hand to greet the team when it pulled into Union Station and presented the seven players with certificates of merit at a banquet held a few weeks later. References 30em http://www.cuacardinals.com/sports/fball/archives/historical/orangebowl 1936 Orange Bowl The Catholic University of America October 10, 2013 Capital Team Relying on Carroll The Washington Post January 1, 1936 Atchison Lewis F. 18 https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19351230&id=i6BQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PSIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5297,6569460 She's Orange Bowl Queen The Milwaukee Journal October 10, 2013 December 31, 1935 Bergman Has Tip for Coaches Who Would Like a Bowl Bid The Washington Post 25 December 22, 1939 C.U. Line Yields Ole Miss Goal photo The Washington Post January 2, 1936 12 Dinner Tonight Honors C.U. Gridmen February 3, 1936 The Washington Post 16 https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/offers.html?url=%2Fwashingtonpost_historical%2Fdoc%2F150835571.html%3FFMT%3DAI%26FMTS%3DABS%3AAI%26date%3DJan%2B6%252C%2B1936%26author%3DBy%2BGeorge%2BConsidine.%26desc%3D3%252C000%2BFans%2BRoar%2BWelcome%2Bto%2BReturning%2BCatholic%2BU.%2BGridmen https://web.archive.org/web/20150722093249/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/offers.html?url=%2Fwashingtonpost_historical%2Fdoc%2F150835571.html%3FFMT%3DAI%26FMTS%3DABS%3AAI%26date%3DJan%2B6%252C%2B1936%26author%3DBy%2BGeorge%2BConsidine.%26desc%3D3%252C000%2BFans%2BRoar%2BWelcome%2Bto%2BReturning%2BCatholic%2BU.%2BGridmen dead July 22, 2015 3,000 Fans Roar Welcome to Returning Catholic U. Gridmen The Washington Post January 6, 1936 Considine George Gigantic Welcoming Awaiting Victorious C.U. Team Today The Washington Post January 5, 1936 X3 C.U. Gridders Are Feted By Floridians January 20, 1936 17 The Washington Post District Heads Greet C.U. Players The Washington Post January 30, 1936 14 http://hogville.net/TheSEC/Football/pastscores/Ole%20Miss/1939.html Ole Miss Football Results for 1930 - 1939 Hogville.net October 10, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070505/http://hogville.net/TheSEC/Football/pastscores/Ole%20Miss/1939.html March 4, 2016 dead Citizens to Pay Homage to C.U. Team January 28, 1936 The Washington Post 17 http://inside.cua.edu/041105/story3.cfm CUA Acquires Historic Orange Bowl Football John H. Tucker InsideCUA October 10, 2013 November 5, 2004 Mulligan on Crutches For Next Three Weeks January 3, 1936 The Washington Post http://www.orangebowl.org/orange-bowl-history/the-history-of-the-orange-bowl/1930s/1936/ 1936 Orange Bowl Committee October 10, 2013 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2216328/results_of_1936_college_bowl_games/ Roamin' Around on the Gridiron Chino Champion January 3, 1936 6 Chino, California April 15, 2015 Newspapers.com Cards Begin Sightseeing in Miami January 3, 1936 The Washington Post 19 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/bowls/orange-bowl.html Orange Bowl USA TODAY Sports October 10, 2013 C.U. Triumph Is Hailed by Admirers January 2, 1936 12 The Washington Post http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi The Inflation Calculator WestEgg October 10, 2013 Orange Bowl Category:Orange Bowl Category:Catholic University Cardinals football bowl games Category:Ole Miss Rebels football bowl games Orange Bowl Category:January 1936 sports events in the United States Category:American football competitions in Miami