The Day the Dam Broke - Nov. 13, 1954
by CalBear81 on Nov 1, 2009 12:38 PM PST
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PrintA 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 existing 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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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
Clearly, it’s from personal memory.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
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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
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.
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
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.
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 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
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!
Let’s not write checks our ass can’t cash now!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
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Golden Bears Football Schedule
| Fresno St. | Sat 09/03 | W 36 - 21 |
@
Colorado
|
Sat 09/10 | W 36 - 33 |
| Presbyterian | Sat 09/17 | W 63 - 12 |
|
@
Washington
|
Sat 09/24 | L 23 - 31 |
|
@
Oregon
|
Thu 10/06 | L 15 - 43 |
|
USC
|
Thu 10/13 | L 9 - 30 |
|
Utah
|
Sat 10/22 | W 34 - 10 |
|
@
UCLA
|
Sat 10/29 | L 14 - 31 |
|
Washington St.
|
Sat 11/05 | W 30 - 7 |
|
Oregon St.
|
Sat 11/12 | W 23 - 6 |
|
@
Stanford
|
Sat 11/19 | L 28 - 31 |
|
@
Arizona St.
|
Fri 11/25 | W 47 - 38 |
|
@
Texas
|
Wed 12/28 | L 10 - 21 |
Pacific-12 Conference Standings
(updated 1.2.2012 at 11:12 PM PST)
| North | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
|
Oregon Ducks
|
8 | 1 | 12 | 2 |
|
Stanford Cardinal
|
8 | 1 | 11 | 2 |
|
Washington Huskies
|
5 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
|
California Golden Bears
|
4 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
|
Oregon St. Beavers
|
3 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
|
Washington St. Cougars
|
2 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
| South | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
|
USC Trojans
|
7 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
|
UCLA Bruins
|
5 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
|
Utah Utes
|
4 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
|
Arizona St. Sun Devils
|
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|
Arizona Wildcats
|
2 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
|
Colorado Buffaloes
|
2 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
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