Duquesne's First New Year's Day Bowl Victory

The second Palm Bowl
By John C. Hibner

During the year of 1933, George Hussey, E.G. Sewell, the mayor of Miami, W. Keith Philips, president of the Miami Chamber of Commerce, and Earnie E. Seiler, head of the Miami City Recreation Department, were prominent local figures who studied the possibility of staging another post-season game. The first Palm Bowl wasn't a great financial success, but many of the committee members felt a game like this could be associated with the city of Miami and the state of Florida. It was decided by the Festival committee to hold another pageant and football game on January 1, 1934.

The University of Miami was again selected by the committee to represent the city of Miami and the state of Florida in the game. Many still remembered the thrilling upset of Manhattan College's Jaspers by the Hurricanes in the previous game, coach Tom McCann's team had started out the season defeating Southern Georgia 20, then walloped Piedmont 71-6, Bowden 48-0, Louisville 33-7, and Rollins 18-0. The battle between the Hurricanes and rival Stetson ended in a scoreless tie. McCann called it a "moral" victory for his team because Miami had never defeated or even tied the Hatters before. The University of Tampa was the last opponent of the regular season, and the game ended up a very disappointing scoreless tie for both teams.

Miami's Palm Bowl opponent would be the sixth ranked team in the country that season. The Duquesne Dukes coached by Elmer Layden of Notre Dame fame. Layden had just finished his sixth season at Duquesne, which had played a very difficlut 10-game schedule and recorded nine victories and one loss at the hands of Pittsburgh's powerful Panthers. Pitt had won the game by a single touchdown in one of the most thrilling contests ever played at Pitt Stadium. Among the Dukes' notable victories were 14-0 over a very strong Detroit team, 19-6 over West Virginia, 21-6 over Washington & Jefferson, and a 13-0 win over a very tough Western Maryland team.
This would be Layden's last game as head coach of the Dukes. Next season, he returned to his alma mater to replace Heartly "Hunk" Anderson as the head coach of the "Fighting Irish."

The Duquesne team of 34 players, plus assistant coach Joe Bach, team physician Dr. Leo O'Donnell, and George Kelly, director of publicity, left from Pittsburgh Thursday, Dec. 26, on the Seaboard Air Line Railway for Miami. They arrived at seaboard station the next morning at 7:45 a.m. after their 1,500 mile trip.

A reception committee made up of Members of the Univ. of Miami athletic board and a group of Miami students were on hand to greet the team. Every member of the football team was wearing overcoats when the train pulled in, but the players shed them very quickly in the warm sun. After establishing headquarters at the Alcazar Hotel, coach Layden took his squad out to Moore Park for a workout and some brief drills. Only light signal, punting and passing were sharpened up as Layden was wary of the effect the sudden change in climate could have on his players.

Coach McCann and his guest assistant, Bob Zuppke, the famous Illinois coach, also began to taper-off on their practices, ing and holding dummy scrimmages. working only on passing and punt- The colorful pageant held before the game started and the theme was "The Avenue of Rose Petals." The Miami Junior Chamber of Commerce Drum and Bugle Corps played the music, accompanied by the Edison Senior High School Girl Cadets who did the marching. Miss Jane Burge, Univ. of Miami coed, was crowned "Queen" by mayor Sewell. when the pageant was completed both teams were brought onto the field.

The Dukes were a very colorful group,wearing golden silk pants and scarlet jerseys with large white numbers. The Hurricanes wore orange pants with green
jerseys, and they also had white numbers. Charles Heckman kicked off for the Hurricans to Albert Krankota, who took the ball on his goal line and brought it out to his own 20-yard line. After several exchanges of punts between the two teams, Duquesne seemed to be getting the beat of the action as the temperature was hovering around the 80-degree mark. In the first half the Dukes had six scoring opportunities, but failed to score on any of these. Penalties for an illegal shift, in fact five of them, kept the Hurricanes in check. Layden and the officials had several discussions on the sidelines about the shift. Layden was very disturbed about the matter. It was Zuppke who aroused the Miami defense again and again. The Hurricanes stopped the Dukes at their six-inch line and took over on downs. Again Duquesne drove down to the one-yard line, only to be thrown back for big losses at that point.

Even two field goal attempts missed. One by Armand Niccolai from the 41-yard line was long enough, but wide. William Kakasio tried one from the 22-yard line, but it was low and wide. So at halftime the score was still 0-0. Vic Vondi kicked off for the Dukes in the second half and neither team could move the ball. Late in the third period, Joe Gates of Duquesne returned a punt 25 yards to the Miami 46. James Fillingham made four yards off left tackle, and a completed pass from James McDonald to left end Ed Powell brought the Dukes a first and ten at the Miami 26. McDonald was stopped for no gain. A Duke pass fell incomplete, and James Campbell failed to gain at the center of the line. The fans were rooting for the Miami defense on fourth down and ten. The next play changed the nature of the game. The Dukes lined up and Fillingham ran through a large hole at left tackle, hurdled over two defenders, and was finally stopped at the Miami five.

Another first down for the Dukes and the crowd was behind the defense. They had stopped Duquesne before and they could do it again. Campbell hit the center of the line and was piled up, but the Hurricanes were offside and the ball was put on the one-yard line. Again the big fullback Campbell hit the line and was stopped for no gain. Then Ed Zaneski slipped through a small hole between right tackle and end for the touchdown. Kakasic's kick for the extra point was wide. The score was Duquesne 6, Miami 0.

Five plays later, the Dukes were again deep in Miami territory after Fillingham broke loose for a 38-yard gallop from his own 41 as the fourth quarter started. A pass from McDonald to Campbell put the ball on the Miami five, and Zaneski broke through the center of the line and scored his second touchdown of the game. Kakasic's extra point kick was wide again and now the Dukes led 12-0. Again
Layden changed his complete team as he had been doing all day. He wanted fresh troops in the game at all times.

The Hurricanes got a break when QB Joe Cutrona fumbled the ball on a reverse play and Mike Sissman recovered for Miami at the Duke 34. A pass from John Ott to George
Reichgott put the Hurricane on the 16 for a first down. Another pass from Ott to Reichgott put the ball on the eight, and Layden called a timeout to bring in fresh
players to stop Miami. Cecil Cook hit the center of the line and got a first down at the four-yard line. On the next play Cook again hit the line, but it was a fake. Ott fired a pass into the endzone that Reichgott caught. He had to leap over two defenders, but he came down with the ball. Pete Petrowski's kick split the uprights and now the score was 12-7 in favor of the Dukes with eight minutes to play.

Duquesne came right back as Cutrona returned the kickoff back to his own 36. Alphedio DeLuca broke through the center of the line and galloped 43 yards to the Miami 21. The next play saw the Dukes take too much time calling signals and they were penalized five yards. Silvio Zannelli got five at right tackle, DeLuca added nine around right end, and Arthur Strutt broke two tackles as he bulled his way down to the seven. DeLuca got one yard at right tackle, and then Zannelli went to his left, found a big hole, and plowed into the endzone. Armand Niccolai kicked the extra point and Duquesne went ahead 19-7.

The Dukes kicked off as some of the fans started to leave the stadium. Ott took the kickoff on his goal line and brought the ball out to his own 39. Two line thrusts failed, then on third down Ott faded back and threw. George Rado of Duquesne picked the ball out of the air at the Hurricane 44. DeLuca hurled a long pass to end Gerald Baker who had gotten behind two Miami defenders. Baker caught the ball on the Miami two and crossed the goal line standing up. Again Niccolai kicked the extra point and the score was now 26-7.

Ott returned the kickoff to his own 38. A pass to Gus Gaiero from Cook was good for a first down at the 48. Another pass, Cook to Petrowski, gained six yards after an interference penalty. Then Rado made his second interception of the day when he picked a pass off in the flat at the Miami 44-yard line.

It took the Dukes only one play to add more points on the scoreboard. On the halfback option play Arthur Strutt hit DeLuca on the Miami 22-yard line. He broke two tackles and raced on to a touchdown. Niccolai kicked the extra point and the score was now 33-7. The game ended several minutes Later with the ball on the Hurricanes' own 27.

Thus ended the second Palm Bowl Festival. The organizing committee decided to stage another game. The name "Orange Bowl" was brought up, and when put before the group was readily accepted.