The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1945-01-04
Football

Well Well Pm getting better all
the time, for ! actually picked the
winner of one of the four New
Years Day football gamesl
l started out by switching back
and forth between the Georgia
Tech-Tulsa and the Oklahoma-Tex
Christian games, but it was soon
evident that both games were go-
ing to be onesided, SO, when the
Duke-Alabama game came on the
air, l dialed it in and am l glad
did.
There was game that every foot
ball fan goes to game expecting
to see, but seldom does.
After Dukes George Clark re-
turned the opening kickoff So yards
and three plays later scampered
through center for IA yards and a
touchdown, with Hal Raether adding
the extra point, it looked as if the
highly favored Blue Devils were
"off to the races" but those Alabama
youngsters had a different idea.
Gaining possession of the ball, 49,
year-old Harry Gilmer, who coach
Thomas says is the best passer he
has ever seen Che only had one pass
intercepted during the Crimson
Tides regular SEASON., quickly
proved that his coach knew what he
was talking about. Cool as a Gu
cunber, he picked out his receivers,
clicking with every pitch Che threw
eight passes and completed every
one), and soon had his team in the
shadow of Dukes goal with pass
to Ralph Jones. On the next play
Hodges drove over the line. The
try for the extra point was no good
and the Blue Devils were still in
front 7-6.
But not for long. for the next
time Alabama got the ball, Gilmer
heaved 40-yard pass to Jones and
on the next play Hodges crashed
through for the Crimson Tides sec
ond touchdown. The try for the
extra point failed again, but Ala
bama was ahead IL to Z,
Each team scored in the second
quarter and the half ended with the
score Alabama 10, Duke 13.
Duke regained the lead in the
third quarter with their star backs,
Davis and Lewis, putting on fine
display that eliminated in the Blue
Devils third touchdown. The try
for the extra point was good and
Duke was again out in front 20 to19.
But it was in the fourth quarter
that the real drama came.
With Duke in possession Of the
ball, and apparently in full control
of the situation, Hugh Morrow of
the Crimson Tide intercepted one of
Lewis passes and, giving perfect
exhibition of broken field running,
sped rs yards for a touchdown and
climaxed the run by adding the
extra point himself, putting the Tide
ahead 26 to 20.
At this point it looked almost a
certainty that Alabama would win
the game and it looked even more
so when, couple of minutes later,
that fighting Alabama eleven
stopped Duke on the one-foot line.
Realizing that the game was al
most over, and not wanting to take
the chance that his kick might be
blocked, Gilmer, on the first play,
took the pass from center and
promptly grounded the ball This
smart bit of strategy, while giving
Duke two points for a safety, still
left Alabama out in front 26 to %
and also enabled the Crimson Tide
to kick from their 20-yard line, and
with only three minutes left to play,
it looked like Gilmer's strategy was
going to pay dividends.
He got off fairly good kick that
Clark, took on his own 39-yard line
and raced back to Alabama's 40, and
with this start. the Blue Devils put
on a show that will be remembered
as long as Bowl games are talked
about
With the line charging like team
in the opening minutes of play, Jim
Larue, Duke substitute back, went
round left end for 20 yards and then,
with just about a minute to play
and the ball still a big 20 yards away