November 22, 2003

SOMEWHERE ANDY KERR SMILES:

Colgate Extends Its Winning Streak to 18 (The Associated Press, 11/23/03, NY Times)

Jamaal Branch scored three times yesterday, including an 87-yard game-winning touchdown run, as visiting Colgate outlasted Holy Cross, 45-38, for its 18th straight victory.

Branch's performance, in which he rushed for 280 yards, was needed for Colgate (12-0, 7-0 Patriot League) to win.

Colgate led, 31-17, at halftime, but Holy Cross (1-11, 1-6) scored three touchdowns in the third quarter and held Colgate scoreless in that period to take a 38-31 lead into the fourth.

Branch then rescued Colgate with two touchdowns, scoring on a 24-yard run to tie the score at 38-38 with 13 minutes 47 seconds left. Ryan McManaway of Holy Cross then punted to the Colgate 13, setting the stage for Branch to run 87 yards for the winning touchdown with 11:24 left.


The Red Raiders of the Chenango Valley are the only football team that can call an undefeated season something of a disappointment, since they are measured against the immortal 1932 team that went: "undefeated, untied, unscored-upon, and uninvited."

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 22, 2003 10:54 PM
Comments

Duke University actually achieved the same result, unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon, in their 1938 "Iron Dukes" season. However, in the waning moments of the 1938-39 Rose Bowl against USC, USC scored touchdown in the last minute of play to win 7-3, the only points scored against that Duke team all year. Information here. Interestingly, Tennessee duplicated the feat the next year, coming to the 1940 Rose Bowl having given up no points, but losing, this time 14-0, to USC. Rose Bowl history

Posted by: John Thacker at November 23, 2003 12:35 AM

So they lost and were scored upon.

The "uninvited" indicates that the Rose Bowl blew us off for Penn State despite our being the best team in the country.

Posted by: oj at November 23, 2003 8:05 AM

My point, Mr. Judd, is that several other teams have reached the same point in the season (pre-bowl) as that Colgate team. I suspect Colgate would have had been scored upon had they played in the Rose Bowl.

Perhaps more importantly, the 1933 DePauw team finished the season unbeated, untied, and unscored upon, finishing 7-0. See Here

Posted by: John Thacker at November 23, 2003 2:45 PM

Colgate's the only Division I--the conspiring of bowl officials can hardly be held against them.

Posted by: oj at November 23, 2003 6:41 PM

Colgate's strength of schedule was quite inferior. In the 1932-33 season there existed only one bowl in college football, the Rose Bowl, two undefeated and untied teams, USC and Michigan, and several undefeated teams, all of whom played much tougher schedules than Colgate.

Colgate's non-invitation was completely deserved. Colgate deserves to be penalized for the schedule they played just as much as DePauw's achievement is downgraded for them not being Division I.

Your original statement that Colgate was the "only football team that can call an undefeated season something of a disappointment" deserves correction. Not only did DePauw have their season, but the mark has been achieved by high school teams as well.

Posted by: John Thacker at November 23, 2003 10:16 PM

In addition, four of Colgate's opponents were themselves not Division I, Saint Lawrence, Case Western Reserve, Niagara, and Mississippi College. This fact alone reduced their number of wins over Division I opponents to only 5, which in modern terms would make them ineligible for even the lowliest of bowls.

Posted by: John Thacker at November 23, 2003 10:20 PM

I stand corrected. Colgate is the only premier football program...

Posted by: OJ at November 23, 2003 10:59 PM

Damn fine toothpaste too.

Posted by: jefferson park at November 24, 2003 11:40 AM
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