1935 SMU vs. TCU football game
The game also held national championship implications, as the winner was expected to receive an invitation to compete in the Rose Bowl.
The buildup attracted a great deal of national attention, and it was the first football game in Texas to be broadcast nationwide on radio.
The Mustangs lost to Stanford, while TCU beat LSU, resulting in both teams finishing the season with identical 12–1 win-loss records.
[1] Prior to the 1935 game, they had played each other annually since 1921 (with the exception of the 1925 season),[1] and both teams were members of the Southwest Conference (SWC).
[2] In the 1930s, both universities were considered to have above average football programs,[3] and given their close geographic proximity to each other (SMU in Dallas was located only about 40 miles (64 km) from TCU in nearby Fort Worth),[4][3] they shared a strong rivalry with each other.
[1] Going into the 1935 season, both TCU and SMU employed a pass-heavy spread offense that was rare in the SWC at the time,[5] and both were considered favorites to win the conference championship that year.
[8][12] Additionally, the winner of the game was expected to receive an invitation to compete in the Rose Bowl,[13][14][15][16][17][18] which had national championship implications.
[26] Notable players included Maurice Orr and Truman Spain as tackles,[27] Billy Stamps and J. C. Wetsel as guards,[27] Maco Stewart as an end,[26] Harry Shuford as fullback,[27][6] and Bob Wilson as a halfback.
[29] The Mustangs began their season with shutout wins against three nonconference teams: the North Texas State Teachers Eagles (39–0), the Austin Kangaroos (60–0), and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (14–0).
[30] Their game against the Bruins on November 11 attracted a crowd of about 50,000 people at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to watch the Mustangs' spread offense lead them to a 21–0 victory over the local team.
[14][43] The game also attracted sportswriters from around the country,[8][20] including Bill Cunningham, Paul Gallico, Grantland Rice, and Arch Ward.
As part of their performance, the band played "Taps" as a tribute to Will Rogers, a famous actor who had died earlier that year.
During the performance, $1,400 was collected in donations from the audience to help fund the creation of the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth.
[47] The game began with a kickoff by SMU's Maurice Orr that was caught by Jimmy Lawrence at TCU's 4-yard line.
[42][45] Finally, at TCU's 1-yard line,[45] Bob Finley was able rush for a touchdown,[42] which was followed by a successful extra point attempt by Maurice Orr,[45] putting the Mustangs in the lead with a score of 7–0.
[48] Early in the second quarter,[48][49] SMU began an 80-yard drive down the field,[44] during which Finley was able to complete a 33-yard pass to Maco Stewart.
[49] However, TCU responded with a 74-yard drive, led by Sammy Baugh, that resulted in a touchdown and successful extra point attempt, bringing the score to 14–7 going into halftime.
[42] Early in the fourth quarter, Baugh completed an 8-yard pass to Lawrence that resulted in a touchdown and, with an extra point, tied the score at 14–14.
[note 4] Around this time, Coach Bell ordered Smith to be the Mustangs' play caller, though Finley remained at quarterback.
[13] The trick play was successful, with Finley connecting with Wilson near the end zone before he stumbled in, giving the Mustangs another touchdown.
[19] The final drive of the game came after Wilson fumbled the ball near the TCU 26-yard line,[49] allowing the Horned Frogs to take possession.
[59] They were only one of three major college football teams to go undefeated that season, alongside the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Princeton Tigers.
