1949 Army Cadets football team

The 1949 Army Cadets football team represented the United States Military Academy in the 1949 college football season. The Cadets scored 354 points, while the defense allowed only 68 points. Arnold Galiffa was the starting quarterback, ahead of Earl Blaik's son, Bob.[1] Johnny Trent was the team captain. The Cadets won the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy as the best college team in the East.[2] At season’s end, Red Blaik confessed that he thoughts of retiring.

1949 Army Cadets football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
APNo. 4
Record9–0
Head coach
Offensive schemeT formation
CaptainJohn Trent
Home stadiumMichie Stadium
1949 Eastern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Saint Vincent   –  10 –0 –0
No. 4 Army   –  9 –0 –0
Trinity (CT)   –  8 –0 –0
Brown   –  8 –1 –0
No. 12 Cornell   –  8 –1 –0
No. 13 Villanova   –  8 –1 –0
Bucknell   –  6 –2 –0
Dartmouth   –  6 –2 –0
Buffalo   –  6 –3 –0
Pittsburgh   –  6 –3 –0
Princeton   –  6 –3 –0
Fordham   –  5 –3 –0
Tufts   –  5 –3 –1
Carnegie Tech   –  5 –3 –1
Penn State   –  5 –4 –0
Temple   –  5 –4 –0
Penn   –  4 –4 –0
Yale   –  4 –4 –0
Boston College   –  4 –4 –1
Syracuse   –  4 –5 –0
Drexel   –  3 –3 –1
Duquesne   –  3 –6 –0
Franklin & Marshall   –  2 –5 –2
CCNY   –  2 –5 –1
NYU   –  3 –6 –0
Columbia   –  2 –7 –0
Hofstra   –  1 –5 –1
Colgate   –  1 –8 –0
Harvard   –  1 –8 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

Offseason

Sid Gillman left Army to become the head coach for the University of Cincinnati. Head coach Red Blaik interviewed Vince Lombardi, but harbored doubts that Lombardi's background as a high school coach would prepare him for the job.[3]

Coaching staff

Besides Lombardi, Murray Warmath of Tennessee was the other new face on the coaching staff. Lombardi would focus on offense, while Warmath worked on the defense. They were the only civilian coaches on the staff.[4] In November 1934, Lombardi (with Fordham) faced off against Warmath (playing for Tennessee) with Fordham winning the game 13-12.[5] The other members of the staff included Doug Kenna, Paul Amen, and John Sauer.

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 24Davidson
W 47–7[6]
October 1Penn State
  • Michie Stadium
  • West Point, NY
W 47–727,000
October 8at No. 1 MichiganNo. 7
W 21–797,239
October 15at HarvardNo. 2
W 54–1446,000[7]
October 22ColumbiaNo. 2
  • Michie Stadium
  • West Point, NY
W 63–627,100[8]
October 29VMINo. 2
  • Michie Stadium
  • West Point, NY
W 40–1415,555[9]
November 5FordhamNo. 2
  • Michie Stadium
  • West Point, NY
W 35–027,100[10]
November 12at PennNo. 2
W 14–1378,000[11]
November 26vs. NavyNo. 4
W 38–0
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Accusations of dirty play

There were accusations that Army played dirty. Against the University of Michigan, Wolverine’s halfback Chuck Ortmann was knocked unconscious. The accusation was that Army player Gil Stephenson kicked him.[12] The matter was escalated when Michigan professor of Geology, WH Hobbs was interviewed by the Michigan Daily and commented on the play. The press continued to establish Army’s notoriety as bullies after convincing wins over Harvard 54-14, and Columbia 63-6. Army hosted Vince Lombardi’s former team, the Fordham Rams at Michie Stadium.[13] One of the members of the Rams was Vince’s brother, Joe Lombardi, who transferred to the school after Lombardi left. Tim Cohane, writer of Look Magazine was a Fordham alumnus, and a friend of Army coach Red Blaik. He pressured both teams to play each other. Cohane felt the game would help Fordham rise to national prominence.[14] Herb Seidell, the Fordham captain, lost a tooth in the game. Several fights ensued and the media named the match, the Donnybrook on the Hudson. There were multiple penalties for unnecessary roughness.

References
  1. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.105, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  2. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.109, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  3. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, pp.97-98, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  4. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.99, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  5. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.100, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  6. "Army soundly thumps Davidson eleven, 47–7". The Commercial Appeal. September 25, 1949. Retrieved September 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Werden, Lincoln A. (October 16, 1949). "Army Tops Harvard, 54-14; Stephenson Tallies 4 Times". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  8. Effrat, Louis (October 23, 1949). "Army Routs Columbia, 63-6, Galiffa, Cain Leading Attack". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  9. "Army coasts over VMI; Blaik uses subs in 2d half". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 30, 1949. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. Abramson, Jesse (November 6, 1949). "Army Upends Fordham, 35-0; Galiffa Passes for 4 Scores". The Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 46 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Morris, Everett B. (November 13, 1949). "Army Staves Off Penn Bids, Escapes with 14-13 Victory". The Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 46 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.107, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  13. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.108, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  14. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.108, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
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