Santa Clara Football
History Narrative

By Ron Chin, SCU '75, JD '78

Football holds a proud and distinguished place in the history and tradition of Santa Clara and Bay Area athletics. One cannot speak about Charley Graham and the Seals, the Forty-Niners, Lefty O'Doul, The Big Game, Slip Madigan or the Wow Boys and the Wonder Team without prominently mentioning Santa Clara football. As past generations of Santa Clarans are aware, it is the story of great games, players, and coaches, the legendary rivalry with Saint Mary's, major upsets, national rankings, and the three Sugar and Orange Bowl victories. It was tiny Santa Clara, the perennial underdog, overcoming all odds to compete with and defeat their college "betters" which embodied the Spirit of Santa Clara athletics and set an example for all to follow. Thirty-four years of the "modern era" (1959-1992) did not diminish this storied tradition. With few resources, scholarships, and little administration encouragement, Santa Clara continued to favorably compete on the field. Under Pat Malley, and later Terry Malley, Santa Clara became a small college football power with numerous national rankings, Little All Americans, and a post-season playoff appearance. Under Pat Malley's leadership the Little Big Game again became a markee contest for both colleges. Its student athletes were a credit to the program and Santa Clara's stated purpose of educating the student athlete.

Football has again been banished from campus. Now, as current generations of Santa Clarans pass through her doors without the benefit of intercollegiate football, its traditions and accomplishments become ever dimmer and, as hoped for by some, may soon be completely forgotten. It is for this reason that a retelling of the Santa Clara football story is in order. Hopefully, it may in some small way keep the flame alive.

Santa Clara's first gridiron contest was played in San Francisco on Thanksgiving Day, 1896, at Old Central Park, fittingly enough, against their much hated and ancient foe, Saint Mary's College. The heavier Santa Clara Missionites demolished the smaller and out-manned Saint Mary's Collegians 46-4. The embarrassing defeat resulted in Saint Mary's dropping football for 1897, but in 1898 the Collegians returned to the field, hoping to avenge their Jesuit archrivals. They were bitterly disappointed, as the rose and white striped clad Missionites again overwhelmed Saint Mary's 56-0. Due to the two losses and a further lopsided defeat to California, Saint Mary's disbanded football following the 1898 season, severing their rivalry with Santa Clara for ten years.

There is no official record of Santa Clara playing football again until 1902. Like other west coast colleges at the turn of the century, Santa Clara football was primarily a student run club affair. Opponents consisted of almost anyone who would play, including athletic clubs, local high schools, and local Army and Navy teams. Hence, from 1902 to 1905 Santa Clara played only one varsity game with Stanford, losing 0-6 and going 7-3-5 against other competition.

Regardless of the opponent, the game as played in those early years was rough and dangerous to the point of being deadly. Numerous injuries, fatalities, and a lack of protective gear caused President Teddy Roosevelt to directly intervene, threatening to ban the game until new rules were passed, and the NCAA formed.

The untimely death of young Van Dokkelen, a local high school player, in a game with San Jose High, spelled the temporary end of the sport at Santa Clara. Upon hearing the news, Father President Gleeson immediately canceled the remaining 1905 schedule and eliminated the football program. In a mock procession and funeral the students read eulogies as the pigskin was buried beneath home plate on Mission Field (presently Buck Shaw Stadium).

The students' continuing desire to play football resulted in the college adopting rugby for the 1908 season. Santa Clara was not alone, as Stanford, California, U.S.C. and Saint Mary's took up the English game in response to the dangers of American football. Involving more finesse, ball handling skills, and student-wide participation, rugby was well suited to Santa Clara.

From 1915 to 1917 Santa Clara dominated west coast rugby. The 1916 team went 10-0 outscoring it opponents 310 to 13. Only Stanford, who also went undefeated that season, matched their record. In what was billed as "The Big Game," (with Santa Clara replacing California, who had returned to American football that season) Santa Clara and Stanford met at Ewing Field in San Francisco before 40,000 fans, with Santa Clara defeating the Cardinal 28-5.

Five members of that championship team: Rudy Scholz, Jim Fitzpatrick, John O'Neil, Bill Muldoon, and John Muldoon, would be part of the team that represented the United States in the 1920 Olympic Games at Antwerp, Belgium. Made up of mostly Stanford and Santa Clara players, the United States blanked France 3-0 for the gold medal. Three Santa Clarans returned to the 1924 Paris Olympics: Scholz, O'Neil and Caesar Minelli, as the U.S. team again upset the highly favored French host team 17-3 before some forty thousand spectators.

The nation's colleges returned to American football at the end of World War I. By the early 1920s California and Stanford had reestablished their Bay Area football dominance, only to be challenged by tiny Saint Mary's College. The Saints had resumed football in 1915 on a promise by the California football captain that the Bears would play them every year that Saint Mary's fielded a team. Even before Santa Clara had taken the field in 1919, Saint Mary's had posted wins against California (1915 and 1917) and Southern Cal (1917). In 1917 the Saints posted an impressive 8-1-1 record. With ex-Notre Damer and Knute Rockne protege Edward "Slip" Madigan taking over the Saint Mary's football fortunes in 1921, the "Saints" (later "Galloping Gaels") would develop into a major power in the west.

Given the historical animosity between the Jesuits and Christian Brothers and what many partisan Santa Clarans considered to be the flippant attitude of Slip Madigan, the Santa Clara faithful needed no incentive to fuel their gridiron rivalry.

In the initial 1919 season, 125 player candidates turned out for the team. Football was widely supported by the alumni, the student body, and the local "townies." Storeowners would close their shops on game days. A capacity crowd of 10,000 fans showed up at Santa Clara's Mission Field to root on Santa Clara against the Stanford varsity in 1920.

With Robert Harmon as Santa Clara's first coach, the young, inexperienced varsity eleven improved from a 2-4 record in 1919 to 5-1 in 1920. Harmon's teams were marked by a determined refuse-to-die spirit, which made the difference between victory and defeat.

The 1920 season was highlighted by a dramatic last minute come from behind victory over the University of Nevada played at San Francisco's Ewing Field on Thanksgiving Day. The San Francisco Call sportswriter, Warren Brown, wrote, "If any-one missed that game yesterday for the sake of punishing a gob of turkey or because the winning or loss of the game didn't 'mean anything,' let him kick him-self where it will do the most good...What a game!" Down 14-17 with minutes to play in the fourth quarter and the famous bay fog creeping onto Ewing Field, the Santa Clarans appeared beaten. An injured Santa Clara player was met by jeering Nevada fans, one yelling out, "You're licked!" The Santa Clara player (name undisclosed) got up from his injury and answered back, "Like hell we're beaten." What ensued was a Santa Clara three minute drive which resulted in Santa Clara back "Snowy" Baker driving across the goal line for the winning score. The writer concluded, "...as a football game, of the sort the man who wrote the book had in mind when he picked up his pen, the 'little big game' was the 'biggest big game' of this or any other sea-son. Ask anyone who was there. He'll tell you, if his yell worn voice enables him to speak above a whisper today."

However, it was the renewal of the "Little Big Game" which would mean the most to Santa Clara. After a ten year absence and prompted by pressure form the local press, the two Catholic schools renewed their ancient on-again off-again rivalry in 1922. Attendence grew each year with tickets sold out weeks before game day. The local Catholic hierarchy and clergy encouraged the faithful to support their colleges by attending the annual contest. Overflow crowds of 40,000 in fog enshrouded Ewing Field would cause the two schools to move the game in 1926 to newly renovated Kezar Stadium which was capable of accommodating over 60,000 fans. Never played outside the confines of San Francisco, the game was to become the city's annual football classic as eagerly anticipated as "The Big Game" between Stanford and California.

The 1922 "Little Big Game" proved to be an exciting affair. The two teams took to the field on Thanksgiving Day amid revelations by Slip Madigan that Santa Clara was playing "ringers". Despite counter charges by Santa Clara, Madigan was able to exploit the issue to Saint Mary's full advantage. On the eve of the game at least two starting Santa Clara players were disqualified. Santa Clara's morale was at a low ebb on game day.

In a hard fought contest, Santa Clara was able to close a Saint Mary's lead to 7-9 on a 60 yard run by Johnny Logan. With only minutes to go, the Missionites recovered a kick off fumble and steadily moved the ball down the field to the two-yard line. On a fourth and goal play, Santa Clara was stopped six inches short of victory, all to the joyous relief of the Saint Mary's faithful.

1923 would hope-fully prove to be a different story. "Little" Eddie Kienholz had replaced H.G. Buckingham, a victim of the Little Big Game "ringer" flap from the previous year. Although Coach Kienholz cautioned patience as he attempted to rebuild the Santa Clara football fortunes, the Santa Clara faithful were anxious to exact revenge on Saint Mary's.

Unfortunately, the 1923 season leading up to the Little Big Game had been lackluster at best. Three shut out losses to the Olympic Athletic Club, California and Arizona, a lop-sided loss to Stanford, and only a win and a tie over the California Aggies (Davis) and Nevada respectively, did not give much hope for Santa Clara against Saint Mary's that year. A 4-2-1 Saint Mary's squad had beaten two common opponents, Arizona and the California Aggies. The scribes foresaw a Saint Mary's rout of Santa Clara. As predicted, Saint Mary's held an advantage 9 to 7 at half time. However, in the fourth quarter Santa Clara's George Malley (Pat Malley's father) savagely tackled the Saint Mary's punt returner, Underhill, causing a fumble on Saint Mary's 30 yard line. The Bronco's Jack Nolan immediately recovered. After three downs Santa Clara's Orval "Bud" McKee dropkicked a field goal for 3 points and the one point margin of victory. The upset win was to be the Bronco's last over Saint Mary's until 1936.

A losing 3-5-1 season in 1924 ended the tenure of Coach Kineholz. Although beating Saint Mary's in 1923, his overall record was 7-9-1. Clearly the Broncos needed new direction.

To find that new direction, Santa Clara turned to Notre Dame for a new coach. Straight from their Rose Bowl victory over Stanford and upon a recommendation from Knute Rockne, Santa Clara hired newly graduated and All American Lineman Adam Walsh. Although younger than many of the Santa Clara seniors, Walsh did not arrive on campus without credentials. At Notre Dame he was voted captain of the famed 1924 National Champion Notre Dame eleven and earned All American honors as a 180 pound senior center. He was a natural born leader known for his character, fight and dogged determination.

Walsh openly idolized his former mentor, Rockne, in his style, dress and demeanor. Upon his arrival Walsh immediately installed the Notre Dame system consisting of the famous backfield shift and alternating teams or "shock troops". His pregame speeches to the team were inspiring and full of fight. Santa Clara's red and white jerseys gave way to green and gold and during Walsh's tenure the team was labeled the "Green Wave". However, such minor aberrations could be tolerated if it meant football glory and victory over Saint Mary's.

Despite Walsh's inspirational leadership and solid knowledge of the game, Santa Clara, due primarily to a lack of reserves, could do no better than 5 wins and 4 losses in each of his four seasons. Although Santa Clara was able to score her first victory since 1916 over the Pop Warner coached Stanford varsity, the Little Big Game drought continued unabated as Slip Madigan and his Galloping Gaels decisively defeated the Broncos every season of Walsh's tenure. Despite his youth and inexperience, Walsh was by virtue of his prior fame and inspirational character, able to raise the level of competition and quality of student athletes which in turn enabled Santa Clara to later compete on a national level. However, at season's end in 1928, unable to compete with her Bay Area rivals, California, Stanford and Saint Mary's, but with great appreciation for what Walsh had accomplished, Santa Clara would again sought a coaching change.

Santa Clara felt fortunate in recruiting two of the outstanding coaches in the west in Maurice "Clipper" Smith and Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw. The two ex-Notre Dame men would form a coaching tandem that would bring Santa Clara great football success in the 1930s and early 40s.

Maurice "Clipper" Smith had played guard for the Irish running interference for the legendary George Gipp. Another disciple of Knute Rockne, he had previously coached Gonzaga in Spokane, Washington, and was greatly regarded for his sharp mind for offensive football strategy. Along with other well-known coaches Howard Jones of U.S.C. and Pop Warner of Stanford, Smith would write weekly syndicated newspaper columns on football strategy and tactics. An educated man, he would use sophisticated, and often military sounding language in addressing his players. His teams would "deploy" instead of "setting up" on the field. His 1929 pregame comments about Santa Clara's game with California were typical, "The strength of California being an unknown quantity makes it hard to predict the outcome - our reserve roster is pitifully weak at the present time due to injuries and other attendant circumstances. However, if this injury jinx departs now and at the game, we can present a fairly formidable offense and defense, making it a busy afternoon for California, and a pleasing spectacle for the fans out to see the Bears in preliminary action."

Former players would comment how they would have to run to the dictionary after hearing Clippers chalk talk. Smith was also known as a rather dour gloomy sort who, being very superstitious, would assign his teams success or failure to "luck" or the "jinx", thus his nickname "Maurice the Morose".

Buck Shaw was already a well-known quantity in the west before accepting the assistant coaching position. As head coach at the University of Nevada, he developed a reputation as one of the top line technicians in the west. He was consistently able to get the most of his limited football material. Santa Clara, in particular, had always had a difficult time in their games with the Shaw coached Wolfpack. A former star and 1921 All-American tackle at Notre Dame, he was considered the best of a line that held Purdue, Indiana and Nebraska to only ten first downs combined. "Clipper" had so much respect for Shaw that he refused to call Buck his assistant and instead referred to him as his "Associate" Head Coach.

The appearance of Smith and Shaw raised Santa Clara's aspirations for the big time and brought the Broncos to prominence in one of the most colorful eras of college football.

Clipper Smith, like Slip Madigan, was a Rockne disciple with a flair for the flamboyant-ant and a showman's touch. He continued the Notre Dame single wing "box"of his predecessor, Adam Walsh, and with added plays, renamed it the "Smith-Notre Dame System". The Santa Clara backfield was drilled in swinging their arms in perfect unison and precision so as to maintain the rhythm of the shift. This version of NYU's coach Chuck Meehan's line shift became the King Alphonse Shift in honor of the Spanish King who gifted a replacement bell for the one destroyed in the 1920's Santa Clara Mission fire. Upon the quarterback calling the play and waving his arms in the air, Santa Clara's line would wheel around in unison and take three steps to set up in a synchronized serpentine, a drill as showy as anything Busby Berkeley could have devised. Every Spring, Clipper would stage the "Bronco Round Up", a punting, kicking and passing competition which was well attended by Bronco fans and students. It was at these Roundups that Clipper would set up wooden coffins near the end zones to demonstrate the famous coffin corner kicks of "Diamond" Joe Paglia. Whether it was kicking, the "Pogo" passes of Frank Sombrero, Schmitty's Water Wagon, or Santa Clara's first mascot Benny Bronco (a black scotch terrier), Clipper took every opportunity to promote Santa Clara football and make it as attractive to the public as his team was proficient on the field.

The inaugural season of the Clipper Smith era was highlighted by an ever so satisfying victory over cross-valley rival Stanford. The Indians had lost but one previous time to Santa Clara in 1927. Stanford's famous coach, Pop Warner, thought that the game had been a fluke and left his assistants to coach the Santa Clara game in Palo Alto so that he could scout the Washington Huskies during their game with California in Berkeley. Although Stanford would go 9-2 that season, without Warner to guide his charges, the "Prune Pickers" from Santa Clara pulled the stunning 13-7 upset over the Cardinal. A clever poem in The Santa Clara said it all:

I
Pop was up in Berkeley.
Foxing in the Stands.
Sporting with the hot dogs
Singing with the bands,
Smirking at the Huskies,
Scowling at the Bears,
Wondering how the Popless
Stanford Rancho fares.
Then (and that's the story)
A hunch knocked on his dome
"Pop" it said, "wake up" your dead!
"You ought to be at home!"

II
"Danger? Don't believe it"
"All the Horde is there!
"Tricky Dick and Biff and Herb"
"and Beef and Brains to spare!"
That was Cap McCreery,
Foreman of the Farm
"Bunch from Santa Clara, Pop,"
"Gives me no alarm!"
But Still old Pop previsioned
A war on Stanford's loam
"Heck" he swore, "I'm doggoned shore
"I ought to be at home!"

III
"Stanford Santa Clara Game!"
the microphone announced:
Won By Santa Clara And
"the Big Red Horde is Trounced"
Thirteen - Six!" the red grew white
on Pop's heroic phz!
The radio razed his utmost thought
Good night! that's All THERE IS!
"Get me to the Farm," cried Pop,
"it doesn't pay to roam!
"Jest look at what them Bronco's done.
"I oughta stayed at home!"

Clipper would end up with a 5-3 record in his first year, winning his last 4 games, upsetting number seven ranked Stanford and coming close (0-6) to a strong Saint Mary's squad ranked 9th in the country by the Illustrated Football Annual.

Although Smith would be unable to beat Stanford again, for three seasons 1932-1934, Santa Clara would dominate the California Golden Bears, a significant feat in light of the Broncos having never previously defeated the California varsity in Santa Clara's history. The 1932 Cal game was highlighted by the brilliant "coffin" corner kicking of Diamond Joe Paglia. A nine yard pass from Santa Clara's Anton Judnich to John Beckrich tallied the first score for Santa Clara. Santa Clara's final score in the fourth quarter came on one of Frank Sombrero's famous "pogo" passes where Sombrero leaped high into the air throwing the ball straight down the middle to Francis "Hands" Slavich in the end zone. The game ended 13-0 in favor of Santa Clara. The 1933 season saw Santa Clara beat California 6-0 before 66,000 spectators, the largest crowd to ever witness an opening day game at Memorial Stadium. Again it was the play of Frank Sombrero and the brilliant kicking of Joe Paglia, averaging forty-four yards on eleven punts, which kept the Bears deep in their own territory all day. In 1934, for the third year in a row, the 45,000 fans at California saw the Broncos defeat Bill Ingram's Golden Bears this time by a score of 20-0. Played in wet and overcast conditions, the Broncos play was highlighted by the brilliant dashes and broken field running of Frank Sombrero.

The 1934 Bronco eleven would be the best team in Clipper's seven seasons at Santa Clara with a overall record of seven wins, two losses and a tie. The season was highlighted by four shutouts and a tie with undefeated and Rose Bowl bound Stanford.

However such accomplishments could not overcome the Santa Clara partisans' or Clipper's disappointment in not being able to beat the Galloping Gaels. In his seven seasons on the Mission Campus, Smith could manage only a tie in 1933. As Clipper himself would lament, Santa Clara was "jinxed" when it came to the Gaels. In four of the Bronco defeats, the margin of loss was seven points or less. In the 1931 Little Big Game, Santa Clara led by one touchdown when Fran Toscani of Saint Mary's sudden-lee appeared through the fog in Kezar for a tally. This was followed by another Gaels score giving Saint Mary's the 21-14 victory. In 1932 a Santa Clara 13-0 halftime lead melted as the Gaels scored two touchdowns in the second half to win 14-13. Even though Santa Clara was undefeated and heavily favored going into the 1934 annual classic a severe record rainstorm (almost an inch of rain in 2 1/2 hours of play) flooded the stadium resulting in miserable field conditions. In the only score in the "Battle of Lake Kezar", 53,000 fans saw the Contra Costans recover a blocked Santa Clara kick and fall into the end zone for the six-point win. By 1935, Slip could truthfully boast, "whatever happens to Saint Mary's during the season, we can always beat Santa Clara."

Clipper Smith would coach though the 1935 season. His last squad, though rated as his best team by the preseason prognosticators posted a 3-6-1 season losing to Stanford, California and Saint Mary's. Wins over minor opponents Fresno State, USF and Portland were of little consolation. Beaten by injuries, hard luck and unable to overcome the Saint Mary's "jinx", Clipper Smith would leave Santa Clara at the end of 1935, moving on to Villanova and later back to the Bay Area at USF.

There was only one logical candidate to fill the head coaching vacancy, the popular and handsome Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw, Smith's former "associate."

To Chapter 2>>

© 2003, Let Them Play Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization incorporated in the state of California. Not affiliated with Santa Clara University. Use of the words 'Santa Clara', 'Broncos', or other descriptions and accounts of Santa Clara Football are used solely within a fair use of same and is provided solely as a means of historical information and context to the public domain. All rights reserved.