The Day the Dam Broke - Nov. 13, 1954
by CalBear81 on Nov 1, 2009 12:38 PM PST
32 comments
A few weeks ago, in connection with a CGB post about the greatest games ever by a Cal running back, I came across this amazing record: Jerry Drew vs. Oregon State (1954) - 283 yards on 11 carries. That's 25.7 yards per carry. I got to wondering: who was this Jerry Drew? Why had I never heard of him? Turns out, he wasn't even a starter, and he did it all in a half.
In November 1954, Jerry Drew was a junior reserve fullback who had never started a game. The Oregon State game, on November 13, was the second-to-last game of the season. As usual, Drew saw only limited action in the first half. By halftime he had 4 carries for 15 yards. By the middle of the third quarter, Cal had a 25-0 lead, and it was time to start playing the back-ups.
Drew came in and ran for a 67-yard touchdown. Then he ran for a 59-yard touchdown. Then he ran for a 55-yard touchdown. He added 4 more carries for another 87 yards, for a total of 268 yards on 7 carries in the second half. (That's 38.3 yards a carry in the second half!) By the time the game ended in a 46-7 Cal victory, Jerry Drew had run for a total of 283 yards, breaking Johnny Olszewski's Cal single-game rushing record of 269 yards. Drew's single-game rushing record would stand for 54 years, until it was broken by Jahvid Best last year against Washington. His record of 268 yards in a half still stands, not only as the Cal record, but also as the Pac-10 record. It is the oldest standing rushing record in the Pac-10.
Unsurprisingly, Drew got his first Cal start in the next game, against Stanford. He looked good, rushing for 119 yards on 13 carries, including a 27-yard touchdown. (Although that paltry 9 yards per carry really brought down his average!)
Drew missed the entire 1955 season with injuries, but played his senior year in 1956. He was unable to regain whatever magic he had had against Oregon State and Stanford, and gained only 109 yards on 42 carries in his entire senior year. But what a day he had against the Beavers!
Jerry Drew:
Look, he's #34. Could #34 have the same type of game against OSU this year?
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GO BEARS!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Nov 1, 2009 1:17 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Great story. I’m glad I now know more about the record Best broke last year against UDub.
Whose domicile? OUR DOMICILE!
by Berkelium97 on Nov 1, 2009 1:18 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
GOO BAY
CGB: Resisting Hope Since 2007
by Spazzy Mcgee on Nov 1, 2009 1:26 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Awesome history lesson! Go Bears!
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Nov 1, 2009 1:27 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Wow! Where did you go to find all of that info? Do they keep old play-by-plays online somewhere?
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
by norcalnick on Nov 1, 2009 1:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Clearly, it’s from personal memory.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Nov 1, 2009 2:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
That’s right, Twist. I have perfect recall of all events that happened when I was -5 years old.
by CalBear81 on Nov 1, 2009 4:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I hate how old people always exaggerate the hardships they faced, like time reversal asymmetry.
by sec119 on Nov 2, 2009 9:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
The Curious Case of CalBear81?
I support Takimoto in his effort to support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.
by The VD Special on Nov 3, 2009 11:02 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I found it in books, actually. (I guess that makes me really old.) There is a book called 100 Years of Blue & Gold by Nick Peters that was published in 1982, that has a story about Jerry Drew’s big day. And I also used some old Cal media guides for some of the statistics. I did look up the Pac-10 records online.
by CalBear81 on Nov 1, 2009 4:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
published in 1982
Good thing he published the book then. Nothing happened in 1982 that would make a football writer immediately want to release an updated edition!
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
by norcalnick on Nov 1, 2009 4:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Good point. Of course it was published in 1982 to mark the 100th anniversary of the beginning of Cal football. A book about the history of the Big Game (with the imaginative title The Big Game) was also published in 1982. A second edition of that one was published in 1983. I remember this, because I bought the 1982 version as a gift for my dad’s birthday, and then bought him the second edition the next year. Convenient.
by CalBear81 on Nov 1, 2009 4:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
It’s a euphemism for feces.
STAY THIRSTY, MY FRIENDS
by Thoroughbred on Nov 1, 2009 5:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, hence the “I took a good book in the bathroom today” – I get it now!
by LeonPowe on Nov 1, 2009 7:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Or “She was so startled, she dropped her books right there in the middle of the hall.”
by ArbyOSU on Nov 2, 2009 9:02 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
“I’ll be right back, I need to take this book to the library”
by LeonPowe on Nov 2, 2009 6:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
“The library called me because I have a book that is two months overdue.”
Whose domicile? OUR DOMICILE!
by Berkelium97 on Nov 2, 2009 8:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
“I got totally book-faced last night.”
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Nov 3, 2009 12:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Whoa. Shane really slimmed down before the season.
STAY THIRSTY, MY FRIENDS
by Thoroughbred on Nov 1, 2009 5:43 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Also
Let’s hope for a repeat performance against the Beavs this weekend!
STAY THIRSTY, MY FRIENDS
by Thoroughbred on Nov 1, 2009 5:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Flagged
For making me learn something cool whilst trolling CGB.
Costs assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Nov 1, 2009 7:20 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Drew missed the entire 1955 season with injuries, but played his senior year in 1956. He was unable to regain whatever magic he had had
So, basically, Longshore was carrying on a proud Cal tradition.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Nov 1, 2009 7:29 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Drew missed the entire 1955 season with injuries, but played his senior year in 1956. He was unable to regain whatever magic he had had against Oregon State and Stanford, and gained only 109 yards on 42 carries in his entire senior year
FIRE LUDWIG!
Praise be to Tedford!
by Ohio Bear on Nov 1, 2009 8:28 PM PST reply actions 3 recs
lol
CGB: Resisting Hope Since 2007
by Spazzy Mcgee on Nov 1, 2009 9:17 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
How could I have left that part out?
by CalBear81 on Nov 1, 2009 9:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Totes rec'd!
I want one of those 1956 jerseys! And old-timey helmet. Then, I can finally be more fashionable than Twist.
Cal Football: It could happen!
by CalBandGreat on Nov 1, 2009 9:40 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Let’s not write checks our ass can’t cash now!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Nov 1, 2009 9:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
You and CalBandGreat have a shared ass???
You might want to have that looked at by a professional.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Nov 2, 2009 11:36 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I weep for said professional. Some things cannot be unseen.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Nov 3, 2009 8:51 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Wow. Thanks for the history lesson!
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
by HydroTech on Nov 2, 2009 12:35 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
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