Vic Janowicz, Heisman Winner

Transcription

1 Vic Janowicz, Heisman Winner PAGE 7 By Bernie McCarty In 1950 junior Ohio State tailback Vic Janowicz won the Heisman Trophy and was a unanimous All-America choice. And this writer doesn't know why. There were 24 other backs who received recognition on somebody's All-America first team and moat all appear to have been superior to Janowicz. My personal choice for Player of the Year is Nebraska halfback Bobby Reynolds. Janowicz' 1950 stats were mediocre, at best, despite playing with a club good enough to rank #1 in the nation at one time. The fact is, the Buckeyes managed to defeat only one of the four above-average opponents on its schedule. Considering Janowicz' supporting cast, a Heisman winner should have been able to produce victories in the "clutch" against tough foes. Let's be fair. Janowicz was an all-around performer, operating at tailback in the Buckeye single wing, saw some duty as a T-formation QB, and toiled at safety on defense. He ran, passed, caught passes, punted, did the placekicking, and returned kicks. He even called signals. In final analysis, Janowicz' defensive work probably tilted the Heisman scale in his favor. And won the favor of every All-America selector. He may have been the most accomplished all-around player in the Big Ten since Chicago's Jay Berwanger. In this writer's opinion, however, based on research, Janowicz did not compare to Berwanger who inspired awe in opponents while playing with an awful team. One wonders how anybody could have been impressed with Janowicz offensively, based on statistics, despite two big efforts against clubs that combined for just 4 wins. For the year Janowicz rushed 114 times for 314 yards, a 2.8 average gain. He notched 65 points on 5 TDs, 26 conversion kicks and 3 field goals. Passing, he hit 32 of 77 tosses for 561 yards. His only special stat is the 12 TD passes he authored on just 32 completions. Janowicz led the Big Ten in scoring with 48 points, and in total offense with 703 yards in seven games. His league punting average was Again, let's be fair. Janowicz was a strong, elusive runner and capable passer. And a terrific punter and defender. The final game against Michigan, played in a blizzard, was a total loss for everybody as far as statistics are concerned. Janowicz' actual average gain for the season on rushing plays may have been closer to 5 yards before subtracting losses attempting to pass, and the Michigan tilt. A note about Ohio State's offensive formation before beginning a game-by-game review of the season. The Buckeye's lined up in the standard single wing, occasionaly switching to the T while maintaining an unbalanced line (see diagram at the right from the Chicago Tribune). The buck-lateral attack was employed rather than the more deceptive use of a spinning fullback.

2 PAGE 8 The center snap went directly to fullback Chuck Gandee who drove straight ahead or handed off to soph Tony Curcillo, the blocking back (QB). Curcillo pitched to Janowicz or faded to pass, a duty he shared with Janowicz. In this style of attack Janowicz was open to receive passes, as was Curcillo. The Associated Press placed Janowicz at QB on the All-Big Ten first team, and Curcillo at QB on the second team. Wingback Walt Klevay also was named to the second team. Tackle Bill Trautwein and center Bob McCullough anchored the powerful Ohio state offensive line and received the most All-America attention. Other standout performers up front, offensively and defensively, were guards John Biltz and Bob Momsen, tackles Joe Campanella and Jerry Manz, and ends Tom Watson and Sherwin Gandee. Only three of Ohio State's top 36 players were from outside the state. Janowicz, a 5-9, 186-pounder, and Curcillo, 6-1 and 188, were from Elyria, Ohio. Trautwein, the biggest Buckeye at 6-4 and 237, was from Athena, Ohio. Ohio State and Southern Methodist staged a gridiron thriller Sept. 30 at Columbus that set the tone for a dizzy season nationwide. The Mustangs, ranked #1 nationally early in the year, rallied to defeat the Buckeyes SMU seemed to lose steam at midseason and lost 4 of its last 5 games. The Mustangs switched to a full-blown aerial assault in the second half against Ohio State. The Buckeye defense collapsed as Fred Benners hit 19 of 34 passes for 306 yards and 4 TDs, three in the final 13 minutes to overcome a Ohio state lead. Even famed SMU All-American Kyle Rote, who passed well in the first half (4 of 8 for 107 yards), was forgotten in the glow of Benners' heroics. The Mustangs totaled 415 yards passing, and lost 7 yards in a futile attempt to pierce the Buckeye line. Ohio State gained 232 yards rushing and 186 yards passing to outgain SMU by 10 yards. Richard Doyle at tailback pitched moat of the successful Buckeye passes, Janowicz started the campaign as the QB in Ohio State's T and single wing alignments. "The losers' only consolation is that they have one of the handiest backs in the land in squat Vic Janowicz who can turn his legs, toe and arms to any task in the book," wrote Charles Bartlett in the Chicago Tribune. "This afternoon he contributed one touchdown, two field goals, three successful extra points, and a good defensive performance. Vic was the only Buckeye who couldn't be charged with laxity on pass defense -- he couldn't be expected to patrol the entire secondary againt Benners' targets." Janowicz ran 14 yards to paydirt and recovered an SMU fumble to launch another TD drive. Janowicz was switched to tailback for the Oct. 7 match at home against Pitt, and came up with the beat passing day of his career. The panthers (1-8 record) didn't test the Buckeyes who cleared the bench after intermission. According to the AP report, "Versatile Vic Janowicz pranced, punted and passed Ohio state to a 41-7 victory over Pittsburgh today in a sterling one-man exhibition of how football should be played." Janowicz completed 6 of 6 passes for 19 yards and 4 TDs, all in the first half. He passed for one PAT and kicked 2 others, and got off a 76-yard quick kick. Charting Janowicz' statistics, trying to figure out what he did in each game, proved to be a headache. By subtracting his conference stats from his season stats, in the first two non-conference games Janowicz gained just 21 yards in 10 carries and completed 6 of 10 passes for 151 yards -- which means he was 0 for 4 in the air against SMU. According to the AP, however, Janowicz completed at least one pass for 10 yards and rushed 6 times for 32 yards against SMU. Did he have a net loss of 11 yards rushing against Pitt? Did he

3 PAGE 9 really "prance" on the ground against Pitt as the AP report indicated? Ohio state launched conference play on the road at Indiana, shrugging off a great passing performance by Hoosier QB Lou D'Achille to register a win. D'Achille broke one loop record and tied another, completing 20 of 38 passes for 232 yards. He passed for one TD and scored the other. The Hoosiers, despite their record, had a good club in 1950, tying Bobby Reynolds-led Nebraska and defeating Notre Dame. The Buckeyes went ahead 13-7 in the first period on a 93-yard kickoff return by Klevay and Janowicz' 9-yard pass to Curcillo. Janowicz, obviously the center of attention of the Hoosier defense, kicked 2 conversions and punted brillianty, averaging 50 yards per boot. Ohio State rarely needed to pass, and the 44- yard TD march in the third quarter was a classic Buckeye drive: Gandee ran for 12, Curcillo ran for 11, Janowicz and Gandee combined on a lateral for 18, and Gandee punched 3 yards for the score. Doyle faked a sweep and passed to HB Ray Hamilton for the final TD. The Buckeyes thrashed Minnesota 48-0 at Minneapolis Oct. 21. It was a dismal season for the Gophers (1-7-1 record), with only a draw against Michigan as the highlight. Minnesota never crossed midfield until late in the game on a pass ruled complete because of interference. Curcillo, Gandee, Klevay, Fred Bruney, Dick Widdoes, and Janowicz, all sparkled in the backfield. Widdoes, a defensive starter who also ran well in the game, intercepted 2 passes, returning one theft 23 yards for a TD. Curcillo ran 14 yards for a TD and passed to end Ralph Armstrong for another. And Janowicz flipped a 26-yard TD pass to Watson. "Above all, there was always Vic Janowicz, who is destined to become one of the greatest backs the Big Ten Conference has had in years," penned Arch ward of the Chicago Trib. Now for the contest that placed Janowicz' name on the list of every Heisman voter. Ohio State crushed Iowa Oct. 28 at Columbus. The stunning size of the score, and Janowicz' incredible performance, earned a spot on the front page of every newspaper sports section in the country. Iowa (3-5-1 record) was an "average" team, not a pushover by any means, with victories over southern Cal, Purdue and Minnesota, and a tie with Notre Dame, but hardly of chamionship caliber. Here's what Janowicz did in the first 5 minutes against Iowa. He recovered a fumble at the Hawkeye 24 and ran 11 yards to the endzone. He returned a punt 61 yards for a TD. And he recovered a fumble at the Iowa 26 and passed 12 yards to Curcillo for the third score. In the second period Janowicz tossed TD passes of 39 and 26 yards to ends Bob Grimes and Dick Anderson. And he returned in the third quarter to heave his 4th scoring aerial, a 43-yarder to Curcillo. Janowicz connected on 5 of 6 passes for 133 yards and kicked 10 of 11 conversion attempts enroute to one of the moat productive individual

4 PAGE 10 afternoons in the history of major college football. Bob Demmel scored twice against Iowa, on an 89-yard punt runback and 35-yard interception return. Klevay bolted 43 yards for a TD, and Marz recovered a Hawkeye fumble in the endzone. After 3 conference games Janowicz' totals were 24 rushes for 81 yards, and 11 of 21 passing for 218 yards. His punting average was a neat This writer doesn't include Northwestern among Ohio State's toughest foes. Maybe the Wildcats should be. Northwestern's fine 6-3 record included a season-ending upset victory over Illinois. Perhaps it's because the 5 other Cat wins were over teams which collected only 10 combined triumphs. Ohio State routed Northwestern 32-0 at Dyche Stadium Nov. 4. Cat QBs Dick Flowers and Bob Burson tossed for 209 yards, with All-America record-breaking end Don Stonesifer grabbing 6 passes. But Northwestern couldn't push over a score. "Vic Janowicz, the Buckeye's rugged tailback, was the spearhead on attack, as usual," wrote the Chicago Trib's Edward Prell. Janowicz really stood out in only one scoring drive, however. In the third TD march, covering 67 yards, Janowicz completed 3 passes for 55 yards, climaxed by his 14-yard scoring pitch to Curcillo. He ran 19 times for 53 yards and connected on 4 of 12 passes for 61 yards against the Wildcats. It was in punting where he excelled, even though his official average was He got off kicks of 50 and 61 yards, another of 68 yards over the goal line, and his longest boot, 83 yards, was nullified by penalty. Janowicz also had at least one kickoff sail over the goal line, and he added 2 conversion points. And he recovered a Cat fumble, his most consistent defensive feat of the year. The plays of the day for Ohio State were a 94-yard kickoff return by Karl Sturtz to set up Chuck Gandee's plunge for the first TD, Klevay's a 44-yard dash to paydirt after Sherwin Gandee recovered a fumble, and Sherwin Gandee's 31-yard scoring jaunt with a pass theft. Considering the strength of the opponent, bonafide Big 'Ten title contender Wisconsin, Janowicz may have had his finest game of the year at Columbus NOV. 11. The contests against Pitt and Iowa were for fun. Ohio state would have won these tilts without Janowicz. Against the steamed-up Badgers Janowicz came through in the clutch to produce what proved to be Ohio State's only important victory of the season. Arch Ward commented, "Ohio's galaxy of backs... hasn't been hit as hard all season. The Badger forwards rocked 'em and socked 'em and scattered and slew." Janowicz' net gain was 78 yards in 21 rushes. He lost 18 yards on one carry attempting to pass. He completed 3 of 4 passes for 47 yards. Subtracting from his performance was 2 fumbles. Gandee had the beat day of his career at fullback with 145 yards in 37 rushes. Janowicz and Gandee combined to give the Buckeyes complete domination on the ground. Drives to the Wisconsin 3 and 1 yard lines floundered, but enabled Ohio State to control the clock. Wisconsin's ace passer, John Coatta, was 12 of 16 for 119 yards (he set a Big Ten record for passing percentage in 1950), but found the target for only one TD. Janowicz passed 33 yards to Watson to propel a 63-yard drive, tossing to the same receiver for 3 yards and Ohio State's first score. The Badgers (6-3 record) led 7-6 at intermission because Janowicz, who injured his knee on the TD pass, couldn't attempt the conversion kick. A Wisconsin quick kick backfired in the third quarter with Ohio State taking over at the Badger 30. Curcillo passed 22 yards to Watson for the tally. Wisconsin gambled on 4th down and 1 at its 22, and failed, to set up the winning Buckeye score in the final stanza. "Again it looked as if the visitors would stave off a touchdown,

5 PAGE 11 but class will out and Ohio's Janowicz is class personified," wrote Ward. Janowicz faded to pass, and was in trouble, but ripped free of a defender and scooted 15 yards to the 4. He was stopped up the middle, then ran wide for the TD. Janowicz booted the extra point and the Buckeyes took a 19-7 lead. Ohio state was entrenched at the top of the mythical national standings entering its final two contests against Illinois and Michigan. The Buckeyes lost both games. Illinois appeared to be a shoo-in for the Rose Bowl berth, then dropped its finale against Northwestern. Ohio State, 1949 conference co-champ with Michigan, was ineligible to return to the Rose Bowl, but needed only a win or tie against Michigan to gain sole possession of the 1950 title. Michigan picked up all the marbles by upsetting the Buckeyes 9-3. The final 1950 Big Ten standings listed Michigan with a record, followed by Ohio state and Wisconsin, 5-2 each, Illinois 4-2 and Northwestern 3-3. Janowicz' stats for the last 2 games: 40 rushes for 81 yards, and 8 of 30 passes for 84 yards. Seperate figures for each game are unavailable. Janowicz had his finest ball carrying effort of the year against Illinois, gaining nearly 100 yards, then was handcuffed by Michigan and the snow. The Illini matched Ohio State up front, and had a better secondary anchored by Al Brosky, one of the great defensive backs of the decade. And Illinois had the beat ground attack in the Big Ten in 1950, when ace halfback John Karras was healthy. Fullback Dick Raklovits was the loop's leading rusher. So the Illini jolted the Buckeyes 14-7 through the air. QB Fred Major hurled 52 and 5-yard TD passes to fleet halfback Don Stevens. Wilfrid Smith of the Chicago Trib commented, Stevens "... was the swiftest man on the field, the only Illinois runner to average more than 5 yards a carry. Steven's total gain of 78 yards (rushing) was exceeded only by that gained by Vic Janowicz of Ohio State, who handled the ball seven more times. Janowicz, of course, was the particularly effective power weapon of the Buckeyes." Illinois went ahead 14-0 in the second period. Karras, who missed the 3 previous games with an injury, launched the second Illini scoring drive of 47 yards by reeling off 20 yards in 2 dashes. Stevens did the rest. Ohio State roared back with an 83-yard drive. Watson snared 4 passes from Curcillo and Janowicz to place the ball at the Illini 16. Janowicz covered the distance to the endzone in 3 mighty smashes through the line. Except for the one scoring advance, Illinois shut down the Buckeyes by recovering 4 fumbles and intercepting 3 passes. Janowicz was guilty of turning the ball over twice. Columbus was wrapped in an arctic blizzard when Ohio State and Michigan squared off for the Big Ten crown Nov. 25. The weather conditions dicta ted a kicking game, and blocked punts decided the issue. Campanella blocked a punt by Chuck Ortmann early in the game and Nomsen recovered at the Wolverine 6. Janowicz kicked a 27-yard field goal. Late in the first quarter Michigan All-America tackle Al Wahl blocked a Janowicz punt attempt from his own endzone and the Wolverines were awarded a safety. With 47 seconds left in the half, After an Ortmann punt had placed the Buckeyes in a hole, Tony Momsen (brother of Ohio's Bob Momsen) blocked a Janowicz punt and recovered in the endzone for the day's only TD. Both punters were brilliant. Janowicz had the better average, 32 yards on 21 kicks. Ortmann emerged the hero, however. His average was 30 yards on 24 boots, but he landed 11 punts inside Ohio's 15-yard stripe. The 1950 season produced a wild series of upsets nationwide, and including bowl games only Princeton among the top teams earned a perfect record. In a campaign when no club deserved to be ranked #l, perhaps it was right to simply award the Heisman to the "hardest working" player of the year.