1951 Football - Year In Review

Coaching Staff
Don Veller, Head Coach
Bill Armstrong, Assistant Coach, Backfield
Bob Harbison, Assistant Coach, Guards, Centers
Ken MacLean, Graduate Assistant
Ralph Matherly, Graduate Assistant, Ends
Tom Roberson, Assistant Coach, Guards

Click here for team picture

Click here to see individual photos
1951 Football

Captain Bill Dawkins

1951 was the first year FSU offered scholarships to their athletes because of that, in the spring of 1951 FSU withdrew from the Dixie Conference.

1951 Florida State Signees/Newcomers

Ralph Atwell, 5-11, 170, HB, Pensacola

Charlie Booth, 5-11, 182, G, Lakeland

Gene Bridges, 6-2, 206, E, Pensacola

Charlie Brown, 5-11, 197, G, Monongahela, Pa.

George Carnes, 5-10, 172, FB, Tampa

Charles Clark, 5-8, 180, G, Saint Cloud, Minn.

Gordon Davis, 6-0, 217, T, Fort Myers

Jerry Ellenwood, 6-0, 178, E, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Vern Freeze, 5-10, 186, T, Mishawaka, Ind.

Al Garrett, 6-0, 168, E, Sarasota

George Graham, 5-9, 160, HB, Santa Rosa, Calif.

John Karlowicz, 5-11, 197, T, Fairbank, Pa.

Ronnie King, 6-1, 202, FB, Daytona Beach

George Kirby, 6-1, 190, T, Tallahassee

Tom Massey, 5-8, 168, HB, Gary, Ind.

Dossey Merritt, 6-3, 243, T, Lakeland

Ted Morrill, 6-1, 174, E, Miami

Manuel Moshonas, 6-0, 173, E, Tarpon Springs

John Murchek, 6-0, 190, C, East Chicago, Ill.

Tom Nadrich, 6-3, 195, T, Youngstown, Ohio

Nat Polak, 5-10, 188, T, Miami

Joe Robinson, 6-1, 181, E, Coral Gables

Chuck Sanders, 6-1, 184, T, Monongahela, Pa.

Tom Sebring, 6-0, 191, QB, Tallahassee

Johnny Sheppard, 5-8, 175, QB, Tallahassee

Roger Slabaugh, 5-9, 188, G, Mishawaka, Ind.

Gerald Smith, 5-11, 175, HB, Miami

Russ Sorgen, 6-0, 174, E, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Jimmy Lee Taylor, 5-10, 186, QB, Tampa

Roy Thompson, 5-10, 180, HB, Wrightsville, Ga.

Bobby Walker, 5-9, 187, G, Augusta, Ga.

Bill Whaley, 5-11, 178, C, Ocala

Bob Whitmer, 6-2, 204, E, South Bend, Ind.

Al Woodham, 5-10, 179, HB, Albany, Ga.


1951 Roster - By Name

From the roster in the 1951 football folder in the FSU Sports Information Department
and the October 27, 1951 Homecoming game program vs Stetson
L
T                                                  PY
R No Name                  Pos     Hgt   Wgt  Cl   Ltr  Hometown (Prior School)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  19 Phil Alvers           HB      5-11  175  So        Pompano Park
* 23 Jim Arnold            E       5-8   153  So   *    Bainbridge, Ga. (Bainbridge)
  50 Ralph Atwell          HB      5-11  170  Fr        Pensacola
* 43 Wayne Benner          HB      6-0   190  Sr   *    LaPorte, Ind. (Indiana)
* 18 Charlie Booth         G       5-11  182  So        Lakeland
* 27 Preston Bradley       QB      5-7   179  Jr-R *    Lake Wales (Tampa)
  46 Gene Bridges          E       6-2   206  So        Pensacola
* 49 Harry Bringger        HB      5-11  165  Jr   **   Winter Haven (Winter Haven)
* 53 Charlie Brown         G       5-11  197  Jr        Monongahela, Pa.
N 19 Earl Brown            C       5-10  175  Fr-R      Tallahassee (Leon)
* 20 Tommy Brown           HB      5-10  150  Jr   *    Tallahassee (Leon/West Point)
  12 Buddy Bryant          C       6-3   183  Jr   **   Perry (Perry)
* 45 Curt Campbell         E       6-1   171  Jr   *    Pensacola (Tate)
N 13 George Carnes         FB      5-10  172  Fr        Tampa
  57 Charles Clark         G       5-8   180  Fr        Saint Cloud, Minn.
  55 Gordon Davis          T       6-0   217  Fr        Fort Myers
* 39 Bill Dawkins          G       5-11  196  Sr   ***  Miami (Jackson)
* 32 Bill Driver           E       6-2   212  Jr   *    Girard, Ill. (Community/Indiana)
N 62 Jerry Ellenwood       E       6-0   178  Fr        Fort Wayne, Ind.
* 28 Bobby Fiveash         HB      5-9   175  So        Bainbridge, Ga.
  21 Gary Folsom           HB      5-10  161  So   *    Jacksonville (Landon)
N 41 Vern Freeze           T       5-10  186  Fr        Mishawaka, Ind.
N 14 Al Garrett            E       6-0   168  Fr        Sarasota
  26 George Graham         HB      5-9   160  So        Santa Rosa, Calif.
* 24 Mac Huey              QB      5-10  213  So   *    Tampa (Hillsborough)
* 29 Ernie Huggett         HB      5-8   181  Sr   *    South Bend, Ind. (Mishawaka/Indiana)
* 42 Nelson Italiano       HB      5-11  186  Jr-R *    Tampa (Plant/Florida)
* 35 Steve Kalenich        C       5-11  185  So   *    Barberton, Ohio
* 58 John Karlowicz        T       5-11  197  Jr        Fairbank, Pa.
  48 Ronnie King           FB      6-1   202  So        Daytona Beach
N 51 George Kirby          T       6-1   190  Fr        Tallahassee (Leon)
  54 Don Linton            T       6-0   190  Jr        Port Saint Joe
  36 Ed Lockard            C       6-0   193  Jr   *    Jacksonville (Landon)
  14 Tom Massey            HB      5-8   168  Jr        Gary, Ind.
  56 Dossey Merritt        T       6-3   243  Fr        Lakeland
  40 Marvin Mollnow        C       6-0   178  Jr        Jacksonville
N 63 Ted Morrill           E       6-1   174  Fr        Miami
N 15 Manuel Moshonas       E       6-0   173  Fr        Tarpon Springs
  54 John Murchek          C       6-0   190  Fr        East Chicago, Ill.
  46 Tom Nadrich           T       6-3   195  Fr        Youngstown, Ohio
  61 Ernie Nagy            T       6-2   223  Jr        South Bend, Ind.
* 57 Earl O'Neal           G       6-0   197  Jr   *    Valdosta, Ga.
  16 Tommy Owen            C       6-1   190  So        Webster
  50 Nat Polak             T       5-10  188  Fr        Miami
     Bill Price                                         
N 25 Joe Robinson          E       6-1   181  Fr        Coral Gables
N 64 Chuck Sanders         T       6-1   184  Fr        Monongahela, Pa.
* 59 Bob Schmelz           G       6-0   190  Sr   ***  Willoughby, Ohio (Union)
  17 Tom Sebring           QB      6-0   191  Jr        Tallahassee (Leon)
* 44 Mike Sellers          HB-LB   6-1   212  Sr   *    Barberton, Ohio (Barberton/Indiana)
  37 Johnny Sheppard       QB      5-8   175  Fr        Tallahassee (Leon)
N 52 Roger Slabaugh        G       5-9   188  Fr        Mishawaka, Ind.
N 22 Gerald Smith          HB      5-11  175  Fr        Miami
N 10 Russ Sorgen           E       6-0   174  Fr        Fort Wayne, Ind.
* 30 Vic Szczepanik        E-T     5-10  186  Jr   **   Rock Hill, S.C. (Freedom)
* 31 Jimmy Lee Taylor      QB      5-10  186  Fr        Tampa
* 11 Roy Thompson          HB      5-10  180  Jr        Wrightsville, Ga. (Georgia Tech)
* 38 Bob Tully             G       5-9   179  So        Tallahassee (Leon)
* 34 Dick Turk             FB      5-10  181  Jr   *    South Bend, Ind. (Riley)
  51 Bobby Walker          G       5-9   187  Jr        Augusta, Ga.
N 47 Bill Whaley           C       5-11  178  Fr        Ocala
* 60 Bob Whitmer           E       6-2   204  Sr        South Bend, Ind. (Purdue)
* 33 Bob Wodrich           T       6-2   203  So   *    Miami (Miami Senior)
  37 Al Woodham            HB      5-10  179  Jr        Albany, Ga.
     Bill Wren                                          

1951 Roster - By Number

From the roster in the 1951 football folder in the FSU Sports Information Department
and the October 27, 1951 Homecoming game program vs Stetson
L
T                                                  PY
R No Name                  Pos     Hgt   Wgt  Cl   Ltr  Hometown (Prior School)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Bill Price                                         
     Bill Wren                                          
N 10 Russ Sorgen           E       6-0   174  Fr        Fort Wayne, Ind.
* 11 Roy Thompson          HB      5-10  180  Jr        Wrightsville, Ga. (Georgia Tech)
  12 Buddy Bryant          C       6-3   183  Jr   **   Perry (Perry)
N 13 George Carnes         FB      5-10  172  Fr        Tampa
N 14 Al Garrett            E       6-0   168  Fr        Sarasota
  14 Tom Massey            HB      5-8   168  Jr        Gary, Ind.
N 15 Manuel Moshonas       E       6-0   173  Fr        Tarpon Springs
  16 Tommy Owen            C       6-1   190  So        Webster
  17 Tom Sebring           QB      6-0   191  Jr        Tallahassee (Leon)
* 18 Charlie Booth         G       5-11  182  So        Lakeland
  19 Phil Alvers           HB      5-11  175  So        Pompano Park
N 19 Earl Brown            C       5-10  175  Fr-R      Tallahassee (Leon)
* 20 Tommy Brown           HB      5-10  150  Jr   *    Tallahassee (Leon/West Point)
  21 Gary Folsom           HB      5-10  161  So   *    Jacksonville (Landon)
N 22 Gerald Smith          HB      5-11  175  Fr        Miami
* 23 Jim Arnold            E       5-8   153  So   *    Bainbridge, Ga. (Bainbridge)
* 24 Mac Huey              QB      5-10  213  So   *    Tampa (Hillsborough)
N 25 Joe Robinson          E       6-1   181  Fr        Coral Gables
  26 George Graham         HB      5-9   160  So        Santa Rosa, Calif.
* 27 Preston Bradley       QB      5-7   179  Jr-R *    Lake Wales (Tampa)
* 28 Bobby Fiveash         HB      5-9   175  So        Bainbridge, Ga.
* 29 Ernie Huggett         HB      5-8   181  Sr   *    South Bend, Ind. (Mishawaka/Indiana)
* 30 Vic Szczepanik        E-T     5-10  186  Jr   **   Rock Hill, S.C. (Freedom)
* 31 Jimmy Lee Taylor      QB      5-10  186  Fr        Tampa
* 32 Bill Driver           E       6-2   212  Jr   *    Girard, Ill. (Community/Indiana)
* 33 Bob Wodrich           T       6-2   203  So   *    Miami (Miami Senior)
* 34 Dick Turk             FB      5-10  181  Jr   *    South Bend, Ind. (Riley)
* 35 Steve Kalenich        C       5-11  185  So   *    Barberton, Ohio
  36 Ed Lockard            C       6-0   193  Jr   *    Jacksonville (Landon)
  37 Johnny Sheppard       QB      5-8   175  Fr        Tallahassee (Leon)
  37 Al Woodham            HB      5-10  179  Jr        Albany, Ga.
* 38 Bob Tully             G       5-9   179  So        Tallahassee (Leon)
* 39 Bill Dawkins          G       5-11  196  Sr   ***  Miami (Jackson)
  40 Marvin Mollnow        C       6-0   178  Jr        Jacksonville
N 41 Vern Freeze           T       5-10  186  Fr        Mishawaka, Ind.
* 42 Nelson Italiano       HB      5-11  186  Jr-R *    Tampa (Plant/Florida)
* 43 Wayne Benner          HB      6-0   190  Sr   *    LaPorte, Ind. (Indiana)
* 44 Mike Sellers          HB-LB   6-1   212  Sr   *    Barberton, Ohio (Barberton/Indiana)
* 45 Curt Campbell         E       6-1   171  Jr   *    Pensacola (Tate)
  46 Gene Bridges          E       6-2   206  So        Pensacola
  46 Tom Nadrich           T       6-3   195  Fr        Youngstown, Ohio
N 47 Bill Whaley           C       5-11  178  Fr        Ocala
  48 Ronnie King           FB      6-1   202  So        Daytona Beach
* 49 Harry Bringger        HB      5-11  165  Jr   **   Winter Haven (Winter Haven)
  50 Ralph Atwell          HB      5-11  170  Fr        Pensacola
  50 Nat Polak             T       5-10  188  Fr        Miami
N 51 George Kirby          T       6-1   190  Fr        Tallahassee (Leon)
  51 Bobby Walker          G       5-9   187  Jr        Augusta, Ga.
N 52 Roger Slabaugh        G       5-9   188  Fr        Mishawaka, Ind.
* 53 Charlie Brown         G       5-11  197  Jr        Monongahela, Pa.
  54 Don Linton            T       6-0   190  Jr        Port Saint Joe
  54 John Murchek          C       6-0   190  Fr        East Chicago, Ill.
  55 Gordon Davis          T       6-0   217  Fr        Fort Myers
  56 Dossey Merritt        T       6-3   243  Fr        Lakeland
  57 Charles Clark         G       5-8   180  Fr        Saint Cloud, Minn.
* 57 Earl O'Neal           G       6-0   197  Jr   *    Valdosta, Ga.
* 58 John Karlowicz        T       5-11  197  Jr        Fairbank, Pa.
* 59 Bob Schmelz           G       6-0   190  Sr   ***  Willoughby, Ohio (Union)
* 60 Bob Whitmer           E       6-2   204  Sr        South Bend, Ind. (Purdue)
  61 Ernie Nagy            T       6-2   223  Jr        South Bend, Ind.
N 62 Jerry Ellenwood       E       6-0   178  Fr        Fort Wayne, Ind.
N 63 Ted Morrill           E       6-1   174  Fr        Miami
N 64 Chuck Sanders         T       6-1   184  Fr        Monongahela, Pa.
N = Freshman Numeral

Letters and numerals are listed in the Tallahassee Democrat, December 5, 1951, page 11


1951 All-Americans

Name                     Organization
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tommy Brown              Associated Press - Honorable Mention Little 

Curt Campbell            Williamson Middle Group - 1st Team Little 
                         Associated Press - Honorable Mention Little 

Bill Dawkins             Associated Press - 1st Team Little 
                         Williamson Middle Group - 2nd Team Little 

Nelson Italiano          Associated Press - Honorable Mention Little 

Mike Sellers             Associated Press - Honorable Mention Little 
                         Williamson Middle Group - Honorable Mention Little 

All-Americans -  5

1951 Schedule and Results

           
GAME DAY
 
           
FSU
OPP
OPP EOY
DATE
POST
GAME
BOX
SCORE
LOC
OPPONENT
SCORE
AP
UPI
AP
UPI
AP
UPI
REC
09/29
Postgame
Box
H
Troy State
W 40- 0
 
 
 
 
 
 
2-7
10/05
Postgame
Box
A
Miami
Miami, Fla.
L 13-35
 
 
 
 
 
 
8-3
10/13
Postgame
Box
H
Delta State
W 34- 0
 
 
 
 
 
 
1-8
10/20
Postgame
Box
H
Sul Ross State
W 35-13
 
 
 
 
 
 
3-7
10/27
Postgame
Box
H
Stetson
W 13-10
 
 
 
 
 
 
6-1-2
11/03
Postgame
Box
A
Jacksonville NAS
W 39- 0
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unknown
11/10
Postgame
Box
H
Wofford College
W 14- 0
 
 
 
 
 
 
6-3
11/17
Postgame
Box
A
Tampa
L 6-14
 
 
 
 
 
 
7-3-1
EOY Stats Ref

                Overall   Home    Away   Neutral
------------------------------------------------
FSU record is    6- 2     5-0     1-2     0-0

NOTE: The first Poll of the year was not conducted until the middle of October



1951 - 100 Yard Rushing Club

Name Date Opponent Att Yds Avg TDs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mike Sellers 10/20/1951 Sul Ross State 12 152 12.67 2 Roy Thompson 11/10/1951 Wofford College 17 133 7.82 0

1951 - 100 Yard Receiving Club

Name Date Opponent Rec Yds Avg TDs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ None

1951 - 300 Yard Passing Club

Name Date Opponent Att Cmp Yds Int Avg TDs --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None

1951 EOY Stats

End-of-Year Statistics are calculated from box scores.
Starters from some games are unknown. Overall Team Statistics TEAM STATISTICS FSU OPP -------------------------------------------------------- SCORING....................... 194 72 Points Per Game............. 24.3 9.0 TOUCHDOWNS.................... 29 10 TDs Rushing................. 16 6 TDs Passing................. 8 1 TDs Fumble Return........... 1 0 TDs Punt Return............. 2 2 TDs Interception............ 1 1 TDs Kickoff Return.......... 0 0 TDs Lateral................. 1 0 TDs Free Kick............... 0 0 PAT-ATTEMPTS.................. 20-29 9-10 Kick........................ 20-29 9-10 Pass........................ 0- 0 0- 0 Run......................... 0- 0 0- 0 FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS.......... 0- 0 1- 1 SAFETY........................ 0 0 INT RETURNS: #-YARDS.......... 14- - Average Per Return.......... 0.0 0.0 ATTENDANCE.................... 47,094 40,010 Games-Avg Per Game.......... 5- 9,419 3-13,337
 1st2nd3rd4th Total
Florida State
33
56
67
38
194
Opponents
30
21
7
14
72
Overall Individual Statistics

RUSHING              G  Att Gain  Loss  Net   Avg  TD Long  Avg/G
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Nelson Italiano      8       276        276         3  64    34.5
Mike Sellers         8                              6  39t    0.0
Dick Turk            7                              4         0.0
Ronnie King          2                              2         0.0
Preston Bradley      6                              1  48     0.0

Total.........       8                    0        16  64     0.0
Opponents.....       8                    0         6         0.0


PASSING              G   Effic Att-Cmp-Int   Pct  Yds  TD Long  Avg/G
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Nelson Italiano      8  139.11  61- 26-     .426  465   6  63t   58.1
Gary Folsom          7                                  3  45t

Total.........       8                                  8  63t
Opponents.....       8                                  1     

RECEIVING            G  No   Yds   Avg  TD Long  Avg/G
------------------------------------------------------
Bob Whitmer          8  19   330  17.4   2  28t   41.3
Curt Campbell        8  17         0.0   4  54t    0.0
Tommy Brown          7                   1  63t    0.0
Bobby Fiveash        8                   1         0.0
Earl O'Neal          8                   1         0.0

Total.........       8                   8  63t    0.0
Opponents.....       8                   1         0.0


PUNT RETURNS         No  Yds   Avg TD Long
------------------------------------------
Tommy Brown          19  298  15.7  1  57t
Preston Bradley                     1     
Mike Sellers                        1  12t

Total.........                      2  57t
Opponent......                      2     


INTERCEPTIONS        No  Yds   Avg TD Long
------------------------------------------
Curt Campbell         8        0.0  1  29t
Tommy Brown           4        0.0  0     
Bill Dawkins          2        0.0  0     
Gerald Smith          1        0.0  0     

Total.........       14        0.0  1  29t
Opponent......                      1     


KICK RETURNS         No  Yds   Avg TD Long
------------------------------------------

Total.........                      0     
Opponent......                      0     


                                            Fum
FUMBLE RETURNS       No  Yds   Avg TD Long  For
-----------------------------------------------
Tommy Brown           2    0   0.0  0   .    0
Vic Szczepanik        2    0   0.0  0   .    0
Jim Arnold            2    0   0.0  0   .    0
Bill Dawkins          1    0   0.0  0   .    1
Bob Whitmer           1    0   0.0  0   .    0
Curt Campbell         1    0   0.0  0   .    0
Nelson Italiano       1    0   0.0  0   .    0
Bob Tully             1    0   0.0  0   .    0
Charlie Brown         1    0   0.0  0   .    0
George Graham         1    0   0.0  0   .    0
Ernie Nagy            1    0   0.0  0   .    0

Total.........       17        0.0  1   8t   1
Opponent......                      0     


                               |-------- PATs --------|
Name                 TD   FGs    Kick   Rush  Rcv Pass  DXP Saf Points
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Sellers          7   0-0     0-0    0-0   0   0-0   0   0    42
Curt Campbell         5   0-0     0-0    0-0   0   0-0   0   0    30
Dick Turk             4   0-0     0-0    0-0   0   0-0   0   0    24
Ernie Huggett         0   0-0    20-29   0-0   0   0-0   0   0    20
Nelson Italiano       3   0-0     0-0    0-0   0   0-0   0   0    18
Bob Whitmer           2   0-0     0-0    0-0   0   0-0   0   0    12
Preston Bradley       2   0-0     0-0    0-0   0   0-0   0   0    12
Tommy Brown           2   0-0     0-0    0-0   0   0-0   0   0    12
Ronnie King           2   0-0     0-0    0-0   0   0-0   0   0    12
Bobby Fiveash         1   0-0     0-0    0-0   0   0-0   0   0     6
Earl O'Neal           1   0-0     0-0    0-0   0   0-0   0   0     6
====================================================================
FSU                  29   0-0    20-29   0-0   0   0-0   0   0   194
Opponent             10   1-2     9-10   0-0   0   0-0   0   0    72
Touchdowns
R
C
P
I
FR
PR
KR
L
FK
Mike Sellers
6
.
.
.
.
1
.
.
.
Curt Campbell
.
4
.
1
.
.
.
.
.
Dick Turk
4
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Nelson Italiano
3
.
6
.
.
.
.
.
.
Bob Whitmer
.
2
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Preston Bradley
1
.
.
.
.
1
.
.
.
Tommy Brown
.
1
.
.
.
1
.
.
.
Ronnie King
2
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Bobby Fiveash
.
1
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Earl O'Neal
.
1
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Gary Folsom
.
.
3
.
.
.
.
.
.
Total
16
9
9
1
.
3
.
.
.
Opponents
6
1
1
1
.
2
.
.
.
R = Rushing
C = Catch
P = Pass
I = Interception
FR = Fumble Recovery/Return
PR = Punt Return/Blocked Punt
KR = Kickoff Return
L = Lateral
FK = Free Kick Return


TOTAL OFFENSE        G Plays Rush Pass Total Avg/G
--------------------------------------------------
Nelson Italiano      8   61   276  465   741  92.6

Total.........       8    0     0    0     0   0.0
Opponent......       8    0     0    0     0   0.0


PUNTING             No  Yds   Avg Long  TB  FC I20 Blkd
-------------------------------------------------------

Total.........                0.0                     
Opponent......                0.0                     


ALL PURPOSE          G Rush   Rec   PR   KR   IR   FR  Tot Avg/G
----------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Whitmer          8    0   330    0    0    0    0  330  41.3
Tommy Brown          7    0     0  298    0    0    0  298  42.6
Nelson Italiano      8  276     0    0    0    0    0  276  34.5

Total.........       8    0     0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0
Opponent......       8    0     0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0


                        |---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE LEADERS   GP   UT   AT  Total   ForLoss     No - Yards  Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds  FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Curt Campbell        8    .    .     .      .            .          8-      .    .   1-      .   1   .
Bill Dawkins         8    .    .     .      .            .          2-      .    .   1-      1   .   .
Nelson Italiano      8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .   1-      .   .   .
Vic Szczepanik       8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .   2-      .   .   .
Bob Whitmer          8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .   1-      .   .   .
Bob Schmelz          8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Bobby Fiveash        8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Mac Huey             8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Ernie Huggett        8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Steve Kalenich       8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Earl O'Neal          8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Mike Sellers         8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Roy Thompson         8    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Tommy Brown          7    .    .     .      .            .          4-      .    .   2-      .   .   .
Jimmy Lee Taylor     7    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   1   .
Bob Wodrich          7    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   1   .
Wayne Benner         7    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Gary Folsom          7    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Dick Turk            7    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Charlie Booth        7    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Jim Arnold           6    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .   2-      .   .   .
Preston Bradley      6    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   1   .
Harry Bringger       6    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Bill Driver          6    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Nat Polak            6    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
John Karlowicz       5    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Charlie Brown        4    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .   1-      .   .   .
Buddy Bryant         4    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Gerald Smith         3    .    .     .      .            .          1-      .    .    .      .   .   .
George Graham        3    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .   1-      .   .   .
Ernie Nagy           3    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .   1-      .   .   .
Bob Tully            3    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .   1-      .   .   .
Al Woodham           3    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Vern Freeze          3    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Dossey Merritt       3    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Roger Slabaugh       3    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Tommy Owen           3    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Ronnie King          2    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Don Linton           2    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
George Carnes        2    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Ted Morrill          2    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Gene Bridges         1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Earl Brown           1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
George Kirby         1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Marvin Mollnow       1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Joe Robinson         1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Bill Whaley          1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Ed Lockard           1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Gordon Davis         1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Tom Massey           1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Chuck Sanders        1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Russ Sorgen          1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
Bobby Walker         1    .    .     .      .            .           .      .    .    .      .   .   .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals                    0    0     0      .            .         15-  0   .    .  14-  0   1   4   .


Game Participation
##  Player                       GP-GS  Troy    UM      DSU     SRSU    Stet    JNAS    WC      UT      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19  Phil Alvers                   0- 0                                                           
23  Jim Arnold                    6- 5  D-RE    D-RE    D-RE    D-RE                    xx      O & D
50  Ralph Atwell                  0- 0                                                           
43  Wayne Benner                  7- 4  D-DB    D-DB    D-DB    D-DB    xx              xx      xx
18  Charlie Booth                 7- 4  D-LE    D-LE    D-LE    D-LE    xx              xx      xx
27  Preston Bradley               6- 1  xx      xx      xx              xx              O & D   xx
46  Gene Bridges                  1- 0  xx                                                       
49  Harry Bringger                6- 1  xx      xx              xx      xx              xx      O & D
53  Charlie Brown                 4- 1                                  xx      xx      xx      O & D
19  Earl Brown                    1- 0                                  xx                       
20  Tommy Brown                   7- 0  xx      xx              xx      xx      xx      xx      xx
12  Buddy Bryant                  4- 4  D-LB    D-LB    D-LB    D-LB                             
45  Curt Campbell                 8- 8  O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D
13  George Carnes                 2- 0                                  xx              xx       
57  Charles Clark                 0- 0                                                           
55  Gordon Davis                  1- 0          xx                                               
39  Bill Dawkins                  8- 8  O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D
32  Bill Driver                   6- 4  O-LE    O-LE    O-LE    O-LE    xx              xx       
62  Jerry Ellenwood               0- 0                                                           
28  Bobby Fiveash                 8- 6  O-LH    O-LH    O-LH    O-LH    xx      xx      O & D   O & D
21  Gary Folsom                   7- 0  xx      xx      xx      xx      xx      xx      xx       
41  Vern Freeze                   3- 0          xx                      xx              xx       
14  Al Garrett                    0- 0                                                           
26  George Graham                 3- 0                  xx              xx              xx       
24  Mac Huey                      8- 8  D-RG    D-RG    D-RG    D-RG    O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D
29  Ernie Huggett                 8- 0  xx      xx      xx      xx      xx      xx      xx      xx
42  Nelson Italiano               8- 6  O-FB    O-FB    O-FB    O-FB    O & D   O & D   xx      xx
35  Steve Kalenich                8- 8  O-C     O-C     O-C     O-C     O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D
58  John Karlowicz                5- 0          xx                      xx      xx      xx      xx
48  Ronnie King                   2- 0  xx      xx                                               
51  George Kirby                  1- 0                                  xx                       
54  Don Linton                    2- 0                                  xx              xx       
36  Ed Lockard                    1- 0                                                  xx       
14  Tom Massey                    1- 0          xx                                               
56  Dossey Merritt                3- 0          xx                      xx                      xx
40  Marvin Mollnow                1- 0                                  xx                       
63  Ted Morrill                   2- 0                                  xx              xx       
15  Manuel Moshonas               0- 0                                                           
54  John Murchek                  0- 0                                                           
46  Tom Nadrich                   0- 0                                                           
61  Ernie Nagy                    3- 0          xx                      xx              xx       
57  Earl O'Neal                   8- 6  O-RG    O-RG    O-RG    O-RG    O & D   O & D   xx      xx
16  Tommy Owen                    3- 0          xx                                      xx      xx
50  Nat Polak                     6- 4  D-LG    D-LG    D-LG    D-LG    xx              xx       
    Bill Price                    0- 0                                                           
25  Joe Robinson                  1- 0                                  xx                       
64  Chuck Sanders                 1- 0          xx                                               
59  Bob Schmelz                   8- 7  O-LG    O-LG    O-LG    O-LG    O & D   O & D   O & D   xx
17  Tom Sebring                   0- 0                                                           
44  Mike Sellers                  8- 7  O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   O & D   xx
37  Johnny Sheppard               0- 0                                                           
52  Roger Slabaugh                3- 1                                  xx              xx      O & D
22  Gerald Smith                  3- 0          xx      xx                              xx       
10  Russ Sorgen                   1- 0          xx                                               
30  Vic Szczepanik                8- 7  O-LT    O-LT    O-LT    O-LT    O & D   O & D   O & D   xx
31  Jimmy Lee Taylor              7- 4  D-DB    D-DB    D-DB    D-DB    xx              xx      xx
11  Roy Thompson                  8- 3  xx      xx      xx      xx      O & D   O & D   O & D   xx
38  Bob Tully                     3- 0          xx                      xx              xx       
34  Dick Turk                     7- 1  xx      xx      xx              xx      xx      xx      O & D
51  Bobby Walker                  1- 0          xx                                               
47  Bill Whaley                   1- 0                                  xx                       
60  Bob Whitmer                   8- 7  O-RE    O-RE    O-RE    O-RE    O & D   O & D   O & D   xx
33  Bob Wodrich                   7- 5  D-RT    D-RT    D-RT    D-RT    xx              xx      O & D
37  Al Woodham                    3- 0                          xx                      xx      xx
    Bill Wren                     0- 0                                                           

Florida State 40, Troy State 0

09/29/1951, Tallahassee, Fla.

Click here for program cover

From the Tallahassee Democrat, September 30, 1951, page 6, by Fred P. Pettijohn.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida State University opened its 1951 football campaign in much the same fashion that rumbled unbeaten through its last 12 games in 1949 and 1950, bowling hapless Troy State over 40-0 with another display of superior manpower and the Seminoles old sheer power.

With one eye cocked on its date next Friday with Miami and on the Hurricane scouts who were in the stands, the Seminoles stuck almost strictly to straight football in rolling up their 13th consecutive victory.

Old Victory Prescription

The crowd of 8,459 which sat through the opener in Doak S. Campbell Stadium were treated to cool, windy weather and another of Dr. Don Veller's old victory prescriptions of pounding at the middle and cashing in on the breaks.

The Indians followed the formula almost to the letter, scoring twice in the first period on short, sharp plunges by Mike Sellers, adding another on a two-yard burst by big Ronald King and tacking on three more TDs in a long, hectic third period.

The Seminoles struck through the airlanes for their first score after the intermission, Nelson Italiano passing to Bob Whitmer for 19 yards to set the score up, and then hitting the ex-Purdue end with a 14-yard payoff pitch.

Two breaks, one a recovered fumble on the Troy 33 and the other a pass interception on the Wave 27, paved the way for the final two touchdowns.

Dick Turk got TD number five, bowling four yards through the middle. King got number six - and the fifth scored by Seminole fullbacks - a few minutes later when he leaped over center from the five and sprawled into the end zone.

Ernie Huggett converted after the first three TDs, missed two, then came back and tacked on the 40th point after King's final scoring leap.

Wave Helpless

While the Seminole attack was grinding out 238 yards along the ground and picking up 137 through the airlanes, the Indian defense was methodically tearing Troy's spilt-T attack apart.

The Indian line, which Veller says holds the key to his team's chances this year, hawked the ball carriers to the extent that the Wave wound up with a total of minus 16 yards running and 24 plus passing for a net gain of only eight yards all night.

The Wave, though outmanned badly, never quit as it absorbed the worst beating of the five year series between the two schools. Tonight's score surpassed the 36-6 triumph the Wave enjoyed back in 1947 when it thumped FSU's first modern grid team on a gloomy Thanksgiving afternoon.

Troy, which picked up only six first downs while the Seminoles were amassing 18, got over into Florida State territory just four times - and never penetrated past the 40-yard line.

The Alabama eleven got to the 45 with the aid of a penalty in the second period, and to the 41, 47 and 45 against the Indian reserves in the final frame.

Italiano Big Gainer

While he was shut out in the scoring tables, Nelson Italiano, the running-passing tailback, turned in the longest run of the night. Breaking over his right tackle and cutting back, Italiano raced 64 yards to the six-inch line to set up the second score. in all Italiano gained a total of 83 yards running and 88 passing to top the attack.

The Indians also got a beautiful 48-yard twisting run out of "Presto" Preston Bradley that set up the second period score.

The win wasn't all happiness and light for the Indians, however. They lost the services of Roy Thompson, flashy right halfback who is expected to team with Italiano and Sellers in forming another smooth Veller attack, in the first period with a knee injury. The Wrightsville, Ga. boy went to the dressing room after teaming with Sellers in setting up big Mike's scoring blast from the two. It was not known last night whether the injury would be serious enough to sideline him next Friday night or not.

First Quarter

The Seminoles wasted little time taking over the offensive, forcing Troy to punt on the fourth down after the kickoff. The Seminoles, with Italiano shaking loose for 20 around right end and Sellers punishing the inside, crunched to the 9. A bad pass from center set them back to the 29 and eventually stalled the drive that had reached the three on a couple of sharp passes to Campbell by Italiano and Sellers.

Troy's breathing spell was a short one, however, Tommy Brown took Sam Williams' punt from the 33 to the 30 and the Seminoles went to war. With Thompson slashing at the weak side and Sellers bombing the middle, FSU punched to the two and Sellers spun over the middle for the TD. Huggett converted and it was 7-0. With 3:56 left Troy took the kickoff and sped to the 47 before bogging down and FSU was working from its own 25 as the quarter ended.

Second Quarter

After sparring for the first seven minutes of the second period, the Seminoles struck suddenly for their second score. Putting the ball in play on their own 34 after Sam Williams' punt, FSU sent Italiano knifing at the tackles. The strong Tampa boy got two on his first carry, then slammed over the right side, cut back and went all the way to the mouth of the goal before Beck shoved him out of bounds six inches away from paydirt. It was easy for Sellers from there as the big fullback burst over on the first crack. Huggett converted again and it was 14-0.

Late in the period the Seminoles' lightning struck again, with another long run setting up the TD. This time it was Preston Bradley on a beautiful twisting 48-yard gallop to the 15. A fumble and penalty set the drive back, but Italiano's 23-yard shot to Fiveash carried to the two, and King crashed over from there on the third try with less than a minute remaining in the half. Huggett made it 21-0.

Seconds later the Indians missed another TD when a penalty nullified Tommy Brown's 45-yard scoring dash with an intercepted pass.

Third Quarter

Missing no tricks, the Seminoles cashed in on a couple of quick breaks to pile up the score early in the third period. The first break came on a handoff which the Wave fumbled on a punt return. Whitmer flopped on the leather on the 33 and the Indians took to the air. Italiano threw a 19-yard strike to Whitmer which the big end took on the six and carried over. Huggett finally missed and it was 27-0.

One minute later Dawkins nabbed a Troy aerial on the 27, and the Indians were off to the races again. Fiveash and Turk lugged the leather to the four and Turk boomed over center from there to up the ante to 33-0. Huggett, in a rut now, missed again.

Veller flooded the field with reserves and the two teams see-sawed scorelessly for 10 minutes before the Indian third string put together a 50-yard scoring march. Folsom, running outside and passing to Bridges, worked the ball to the five and King dived over for the counter. Huggett got back on the beam again and split the uprights to make it 40-0.

Fourth Quarter

Troy, maintaining possession of the ball, worked up to its own 48 in one drive, then made its deepest penetration of the night to FSU's 41 after regaining the ball on downs on FSU's 46.

The Seminole reserves stiffened, stopped the Wave and then made a threat of their own, only to have it nullified by a penalty, Graham raced 49 yards to the Wave nine, on a play wiped out by a backfield-in-motion infraction. Neither team got anywhere after that, though Troy twice more moved over into FSU territory, going to the 47 once and to the 45 on another occasion before time ran out.

  1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Troy State
0
0
0
0
0
Florida State
7
14
19
0
40

1st   7- 0  Mike Sellers, 2, run (Ernie Huggett, kick), 3:56 
2nd  14- 0  Mike Sellers, 1, run (Ernie Huggett, kick)
     21- 0  Ronnie King, 1, run (Ernie Huggett, kick)
3rd  27- 0  Bob Whitmer, 14, pass from Nelson Italiano (Ernie Huggett, kick failed)
     33- 0  Dick Turk, 4, run (Ernie Huggett, kick failed)
     40- 0  Ronnie King, 5, run (Ernie Huggett, kick)


TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP First downs 18 8 Rushes-yards 58-238 38--16 Passing 137 24 Att-Comp-Int 25-10-1 17-5-2 Total Yards 83-375 55-8 Punt Returns 1-3 Fumble Returns 2-0 1-0 Punts 3-37.7 8-32.4 Fumbles-Lost 1 2 Attendance 8,459 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Nelson Italiano 8 83 0 64 Preston Bradley 4 52 0 48 Harry Bringger 2 31 0 Bobby Fiveash 9 20 0 Dick Turk 4 19 1 Roy Thompson 4 13 0 George Graham 2 9 0 Ronnie King 9 6 2 Gary Folsom 5 3 0 Mike Sellers 11 2 2 --------------------------------------------- FSU 58 238 5 64 Opp 38 -16 0 Receiving No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Bob Whitmer 3 45 1 Curt Campbell 2 43 0 Gene Bridges 2 34 0 Bobby Fiveash 1 22 0 Ted Morrill 1 3 0 Ronnie King 1 -10 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 10 137 1 Opp 5 24 0 Passing C- A- I Yds TD Lng ----------------------------------------------- Nelson Italiano 4 9 0 88 1 Gary Folsom 3 5 0 24 0 Mike Sellers 1 1 0 22 0 Bobby Fiveash 2 8 1 3 0 Roy Thompson 0 1 0 0 0 Jimmy Lee Taylor 0 1 0 0 0 ----------------------------------------------- FSU 10 25 1 137 1 Opp 5 17 2 24 0 Punt Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Tommy Brown 1 3 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 1 3 0 Punting No Yds Lng ---------------------------------------- Team 3 113 ---------------------------------------- FSU 3 113 Opp 8 259 |---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Dawkins . . . . . 1- . . . . . . Bob Whitmer . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . Team . . . . . 1- . . 1- 0 . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FSU 0 0 0 . . 2- 0 . . 2- 0 . . . Opp . . . . . 1- . . 1- 0 . . . STARTERS
Pos  ##  OFFENSE
----------------------------------
LH   28  Bobby Fiveash
LT   30  Vic Szczepanik
LE   32  Bill Driver
C    35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
FB   42  Nelson Italiano
QB   44  Mike Sellers
RH   45  Curt Campbell
RG   57  Earl O'Neal
LG   59  Bob Schmelz
RE   60  Bob Whitmer
Pos  ##  DEFENSE
----------------------------------
LB   12  Buddy Bryant
LE   18  Charlie Booth
RE   23  Jim Arnold
RG   24  Mac Huey
DB   31  Jimmy Lee Taylor
RT   33  Bob Wodrich
LT   39  Bill Dawkins
DB   43  Wayne Benner
LB   44  Mike Sellers
S    45  Curt Campbell
LG   50  Nat Polak
PARTICIPANTS
##  NAME
-----------------------------
11  Roy Thompson
20  Tommy Brown
21  Gary Folsom
27  Preston Bradley
29  Ernie Huggett
##  NAME
-----------------------------
34  Dick Turk
46  Gene Bridges
48  Ronnie King
49  Harry Bringger

Miami 35, Florida State 13

10/05/1951, Miami, Fla.

Click here for program cover

From the Tallahassee Democrat, October 7, 1951, page 6, by Fred Pettijohn.

MIAMI, FL - For years people in Tallahassee have been saying "They travel too fast for me in Miami," when referring to the madcap manner in which the Magic City merrymakers pursue life. The same yardstick can now be applied - footballically speaking - to Florida State University and the Miami Hurricanes.

The Seminoles were just one step too slow in their first venture into the fast set of the gridiron world Friday night as the hurryin' Hurricanes hustled to a 35-13 triumph that snapped FSU's 13-game winning streak before a record opening game crowd of 38,278 in the Orange Bowl.

One Short Stride

That one short stride that separated the Seminoles from Coach Andy Gustafson's South Florida's moon was emphatically apparent in the first half when Miami shook four of its bevy of backs loose on touchdown runs that enabled the Hurricanes to build up a 28-0 advantage at halftime.

It wasn't that FSU was caught with its defenses down. The Seminoles seemed to be in the right places. They just couldn't get there at the right times as first Long Jim Dooley, then Harry Mallios, Mike Vacchio, and Frank Smith literally and figuratively ran away from Indian tacklers on TD jaunts that covered from 11 to 88 yards.

Some Solid Support

In the second half, the chapter that was suppose to be the bad one for the Indians since they lacked the reserve strength of the Hurricane team that appears to have righted itself after having been stunned by Tulane, the Seminoles won themselves a lot of solid support by bouncing back and outscoring Miami 13-7 at the stage where the lesser club would have simply folded up and called it quits.

Two passes, one from Nelson Italiano to Bobby Fiveash for eight yards, and the other to Tommy Brown for 59 yards gave the Indians their markers in the third and fourth quarters.

That 59-yarder, which Brown took on the 'Cane 28 and carried across after running out of a tackle by Phil Tedder, was longer than any scoring shot that such noble football "name" teams as The Citadel, Villanova, Purdue, Boston, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Louisville, Iowa, Missouri, Clemson or the Florida Gators were able to engineer against the Hurricanes all last year as the Miami defenders limited those 11 teams to scoring plays of 46 yards or less.

Squirted 35 Yards

Earlier in the game Preston Bradley had squirted through the middle and raced 35 yards for the longest gain that anybody has rolled up against the 'Canes since Rollins rambled 50 yards against the Miami reserve backs in the opening game of 1949.

These facts and figures should convey the idea that FSU, while beaten, did very well for itself indeed down here in the big-time setting of the Orange Bowl.

Actually the game would have ended a lot closer than it did had two "breaks" not been missed. The Seminoles missed one golden opportunity to score in the first half after Bob Wodrich had blocked an Elmer Tremont punt that gave the Indians a first and 10 on the 'Cane 11, and the officials missed a very flagrant piece of clipping in the second period on a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown by Frank Smith that upped the ante to 21-0.

Tears, of course, shouldn't be wasted over spilled milk. They should be shed about that Miami backfield speed.

Taste of Heels

Dooley gave the Seminoles their first taste of flying heels after seven scoreless minutes of the first quarter when he dashed off left tackle, cut back and raced 21 yards to paydirt. Mallios, Vacchio and Smith got together in the last five minutes and 20 seconds of the second quarter in a pell-mell touchdown parade that broke the ball game apart.

Mallios skirted right end for 11 yards on a pitchout after a nice double-fake by Schneidenbach for the first of those three quick TDs.

Vacchio got the next one and set a new Miami record for touchdown runs from scrimmage in the process, when he wheeled off left tackle, cut back - how those 'Cane backs love to cut - and scampered 88 yards.

Smith's 50-yard punt return seconds later wound up the first half barrage.

Miami got its final tally on a one-yard plunge by Mallios in the third period after FSU had taken the second half kickoff and driven 60 yards to a score.

Beautiful downfield blocking, combined with the Hurricane speed to produce the TD runs as the Miamians mowed the Indian defenders in the secondary practically every time they got a ball carrier into high gear.

Two Standouts

Two men, Captain Bill Dawkins and Tommy Brown, stood out for the Seminoles as they suffered their first defeat at the hands of a Florida eleven and the first loss they have ever absorbed on Florida soil under Don Veller.

Dawkins, who has been ailing with bad knees all Fall, roamed far and wide over the field and made about 40 percent of the tackles while he was in the game. Twice he tripped Frank Smith by one toe when it looked like Frank was away, and he blackjacked the rest of the Hurricane wrecking crew when they came into his territory.

Old Ball Hawk

Brown, the old ball hawk, stole two passes from Schneidenbach, who incidentally had a terrible night when it came to passing and looked like anything but a top-flight quarterback, punted for a 38-plus average and sliced the ball out several times deep in 'Cane territory; caught that one TD pass and fitted into the offensive picture well though he hadn't worked on offense all year.

Bradley, with 50 yards in five carries, paced the Seminole ball carriers, followed by Sellers, who had 42 in 14. Bobby Fiveash racked up 22 yards in six carries before he, like his predecessors at right halfback, Roy Thompson and Harry Bringger, went out of the lineup.

It won't help Don Veller, of course, but Florida State won the halftime show like the Yanks won the American League pennant, going away and by a healthy margin. People down here are already hoping that the Seminole Circus, under the masterful direction of Jack Haskin, will be brought back for the Orange Bowl.

First Quarter

Bringger carried the opening kickoff from his three to the 22 and with the aid of two penalties for offsides and unsportsmanlike conduct the Seminoles rolled up two quick first to their 44. A line play and two passes failed and Brown punted out on the 'Cane 34. With Smith and Dooley trip-hammering the tackles Miami sped to three first downs on a charge to the FSU 24, but Campbell flopped on Mallios' fumble to kill the threat.

The Seminoles worked out to the 35, but Tremont intercepted Italiano's pass on the FSU 49 and raced to the 34.

Smith slashed to the 21, and a play later Dooley let loose over left tackle for the touchdown. Tremont converted and it was 7-0 with 5:20 remaining in the period.

The 'Canes stopped the Seminoles on the kickoff, and with Smith sparking the attack shook off the effect of two penalties and moved out to the 36.

Second Quarter

Wodrich set up the Seminoles best scoring opportunity of the first half when he broke through and blocked Tremont's kick. FSU recovered on the 11. The 'Canes rose up, however, and stopped Italiano once, Sellers twice and then dropped Whitmer at the four on an end around.

Smith tore off 11 and five and Dooley slammed around left end for 43 yards to the Indian 37. After Mallios and Vacchio scampered to the 17 Mallios rambled over on a double-fake handoff and a pitch-out that he took and whipped around right end. Tremont was true again and it was 14-0.

FSU took the kickoff back to the 17, and Bradley got away for 35 yards up the middle on the first running play. It was the longest run against Miami since Rollins shook loose for 35 yards against the 'Cane reserves in the 1949 opener.

After the Indians stalled Brown punted out on the 10, and the Hurricane began to roar. Vacchio raced 87 yards around left end and hit paydirt to make it 20-0. Tremont was on the beam again to make it 21-0.

Less than two minutes later the Hurricanes had scored again as Smith took Brown's punt at midfield and went 50 yards for a counter. Tremont split the uprights and it was 28-0 as the half ended six plays later.

Third Quarter

The Seminoles came out with more bounce per ounce in the second half and rolled 60 yards to a score after Brown ran the kickoff back from his five to the 40. Sellers' drives at the middle and two Italiano-Campbell passes moved the ball to the seven, and Italiano pitched to Fiveash in the end zone from there. Huggett converted and it was 28-7. The Seminoles ran 14 plays in their TD drive.

McDonald lugged the kickoff from his 28 to the 35, and the 'Canes ripped to the Indian 18 in four plays. A penalty there bolted them to the three, and Mallios dove over right tackle for a score tow plays later to make it 34-7. Tremont hit again despite the fact Miami had been set back five and it was 35-7. Miami was knocking at the door again when the period ended after recovering Brown's fumble of a punt on the FSU 28.

Fourth Quarter

The Seminoles stiffened, stopped Melear and Constantino and took over on their own 19. Seven plays later the Indians had a score as Turk and Italiano punched to their 41 and Italiano speared Tommy Brown with a 59-yard scoring heave. Brown took the ball on the 'Cane 28 ran out of a tackle by Tedder and galloped home. Huggett's kick was wide and it was 35-13.

FSU got another chance when Nagy recovered Dooley's fumble on the Miami 40 but three passes failed and Brown booted out on the seven. The teams traded interceptions with Dooley and Brown committing the larceny before Brown punted to the 'Cane 30, and Miami ran one play as the ball game ended.

  1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Florida State
0
0
7
6
13
Miami
7
21
7
0
35

1st   0- 7  Opp, 21, run (kick), 5:20 
2nd   0-14  Opp, 17, run (kick)
      0-21  Opp, 87, run (kick)
      0-28  Opp, 50, punt return/blocked punt (kick)
3rd   7-28  Bobby Fiveash, 7, pass from Nelson Italiano (Ernie Huggett, kick)
      7-35  Opp, 1, run (kick)
4th  13-35  Tommy Brown, 59, pass from Nelson Italiano (Ernie Huggett, kick failed)


TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP First downs 15 20 Rushes-yards 43-138 45-388 Passing 108 12 Att-Comp-Int 22-7-2 13-5-2 Total Yards 65-246 58-400 Punt Returns 0-0 63 Kickoff Returns 2-140 16 Interception Ret. 2-45 2-35 Fumble Returns 3-0 1-0 Punts 8-38.8 3-18.3 Fumbles-Lost 3-1 5-2 Penalties-Yds 7-85 6-70 Attendance 38,278 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Preston Bradley 5 51 0 35 Mike Sellers 14 42 0 Bobby Fiveash 6 22 0 Dick Turk 5 18 0 Curt Campbell 1 15 0 Bob Whitmer 2 4 0 Jimmy Lee Taylor 1 2 0 Nelson Italiano 9 -16 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 43 138 0 35 Opp 45 388 4 Receiving No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Tommy Brown 1 59 1 59t Team 5 42 0 Bobby Fiveash 1 7 1 --------------------------------------------- FSU 7 108 2 59t Opp 5 12 0 Passing C- A- I Yds TD Lng ----------------------------------------------- Nelson Italiano 2 3 1 66 2 59t Team 5 19 1 42 0 ----------------------------------------------- FSU 7 22 2 108 2 59t Opp 5 13 2 12 0 Punt Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- FSU 0 0 0 Opp 0 63 1 50t Kickoff Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Team 0 86 0 Tommy Brown 1 35 0 Harry Bringger 1 19 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 2 140 0 Opp 0 16 0 Punting No Yds Lng ---------------------------------------- Team 7 288 Tommy Brown 1 22 ---------------------------------------- FSU 8 310 Opp 3 55 |---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob Wodrich . . . . . . . . . . 1 . Tommy Brown . . . . . 2- 45 . . . . . . Curt Campbell . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . Ernie Nagy . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . Team . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FSU 0 0 0 . . 2- 45 . . 3- 0 . 1 . Opp . . . . . 2- 35 . . 1- 0 . . . STARTERS
Pos  ##  OFFENSE
----------------------------------
LH   28  Bobby Fiveash
LT   30  Vic Szczepanik
LE   32  Bill Driver
C    35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
FB   42  Nelson Italiano
QB   44  Mike Sellers
RH   45  Curt Campbell
RG   57  Earl O'Neal
LG   59  Bob Schmelz
RE   60  Bob Whitmer
Pos  ##  DEFENSE
----------------------------------
LB   12  Buddy Bryant
LE   18  Charlie Booth
RE   23  Jim Arnold
RG   24  Mac Huey
DB   31  Jimmy Lee Taylor
RT   33  Bob Wodrich
LT   39  Bill Dawkins
DB   43  Wayne Benner
LB   44  Mike Sellers
S    45  Curt Campbell
LG   50  Nat Polak
PARTICIPANTS
##  NAME
-----------------------------
10  Russ Sorgen
11  Roy Thompson
14  Tom Massey
16  Tommy Owen
20  Tommy Brown
21  Gary Folsom
22  Gerald Smith
27  Preston Bradley
29  Ernie Huggett
34  Dick Turk
##  NAME
-----------------------------
38  Bob Tully
41  Vern Freeze
48  Ronnie King
49  Harry Bringger
51  Bobby Walker
55  Gordon Davis
56  Dossey Merritt
58  John Karlowicz
61  Ernie Nagy
64  Chuck Sanders

Florida State 34, Delta State 0

10/13/1951, Tallahassee, Fla.

Click here for program cover

From the Tallahassee Democrat, October 14, 1951, page 6, by Fred P. Pettijohn.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Sparked by Nelson Italiano, who set a new Seminole passing record of 191 yards gained on seven completions, Florida State University struck through the air last night to defeat a dogged Delta State Teachers eleven 34-0 before a slim crowd of 5,308 in Doak S. Campbell Stadium.

The Indians, always more of a running team than a passing crew under Coach Don Veller, pitched for three of their scores and set up a fourth through the airways, with Italiano furnishing most of the fireworks.

The durable Tampa boy, running from both fullback and his old tailback slot, figured directly in three of the scores. He cracked right guard for the first TD with 11 minutes gone in the first period, and passed 28 yards to Bob Whitmer who lateraled to Earl O'Neal for a third quarter score that gave the Indians a 20-0 edge. Minutes later he speared Curt Campbell on a jump pass play that covered 54 yards and made it 27-0.

Sophomore Gary Folsom, who ran and passed effectively before going out of action in the first half with a sprained arm, passed to Whitmer for a second touchdown in the opening quarter.

Preston Bradley cracked center for the fifth and last marker in the final period.

While Italiano's pitching performance was gratifying to fans who have been used to seeing the Seminoles grind out their yardage along the ground, the Indian's triumph was one of the least impressive they have fashioned in rolling up 26 wins against only three defeats under Veller.

The little Delta team, outnumbered and outclassed, kept battling through all four periods, and in the second quarter completely stole the show from the Seminoles with two long drives to the Indian 8 and 9 that gave them possession of the ball for practically all of the 15 minutes playing time.

Delta, which outgained FSU along the ground, ran and passed effectively until it reached scoring territory, then a succession of fumbles and pass interceptions stopped them short.

Quarterback "Flinging" Freddie Foster with 10 completions in 20 attempts lived up to most of his pregame notices, but it was a little 156-pound halfback named Claude Woodall who caught the eye of the crowd with his drive and determination.

Florida State, still appearing a little flat after its defeat in Miami, gained 234 yards in the air and 126 on the ground, and rolled up 12 first downs.

Delta ran for 147, passed for 85 and got 18 first downs. FSU's remodeled backfield of Sellers at quarter, Fiveash and Campbell at halves and Italiano at full, failed to get much of a chance to function as Fiveash went out of the action with a sprained wrist.

Folsom relieved Fiveash and fitted in nicely until he too was injured. Italiano went back to his old tailback post in the second half, and supplied most of the spark with his passes from that position.

Campbell, getting his first test as a back, set up the Seminoles second score with a nifty 39-yard punt return to the Delta 39. And he continued to sparkle as a receiver both from halfback and end, a post he returned to in the second half.

Actually punt returns and passing gave the Indians all their TDs. It was a 34-yard punt return by Garald Lee Smith that set up the final touchdown by Bradley in the fourth period.

First Quarter

Remodeled backfield unable to shake out the kinks and Delta limited to one offensive thrust of 13 yards on a Foster-Reed pass, the two teams toiled scorelessly through the first 7 minutes before the Seminoles finally began to roll.

Putting Woodall's short punt into play from their own 46, and aided by a pass interference play on their first thrust, FSU sped to a touchdown in nine plays. Interference against Whitmer on Folsom's pass moved the ball 17 yards to the Delta 37 to get the drive started. After Italiano got 3, he hit Campbell with a jump pass and Campbell shook off tacklers at the 26 and drove to the 18. Folsom sped to the 10 and Sellers bucked to the 6. From there Italiano made it in three bursts, getting the last one at right guard. Huggett converted and it was 7-0 with 3:59 left.

Two minutes and one second later it was 13-0.

After Delta could get nowhere with the kickoff, McCaleb punted to Campbell and the converted end swirled 39 yards back to the Statemen's 28 where the busy McCaleb brought him down. On the next play Folsom pitched to Whitmer on the 11 and the big end cantered across untouched. Huggett was wide with his kick. Delta took the kickoff back to its 28, and after racking up a first down was working from its own 35 as the period ended.

Second Quarter

Pass interference against the Indians moved Delta to midfield and set up their first threat. Sparked by a 17-yard run by Foster and a 13-yard pass Foster pitched to Bevalaque, Delta drove to the 9 before Foster fumbled and Arnold recovered for FSU.

Folsom and Campbell carved out a first down on the 29 in two carries, but FSU stalled and Folsom punted to Delta's 44, where Foster returned to the Seminole 47. Delta caught a 15-yard penalty back to their own 34, but the Statesmen were catching fire and they started to roll. With Sanders and Woodall running and Foster sneaking for first downs, Delta went to midfield then to the Seminole 17, mainly on a couple of Foster pitched to Bevalaque and Reed. Foster hit Thomas on the eight but he fumbled there and Graham recovered to kill another threat.

Three Indian running plays worked the ball out to the 17 and Foster carried Folsom's punt from the 50 to the FSU 44. Campbell intercepted Foster's pass on the 13. Thompson's pass to Whitmer was short and Folsom hit Thompson on the 34 as the half ended.

Third Quarter

FSU got an early break when Szczepanik stole the ball from Delta on the Statesmen's 12, but the Indians failed to cash in when Foster intercepted Sellers' jump pass in the end zone for a touchback.

With Woodall running well, Delta moved out and over into FSU territory, but when the drive bogged down Woodall punted poorly again. The ball went out on the Seminole 34, and FSU didn't pass up this break up. Italiano, back in at tailback, Pitched to Turk on a freak batted pass for 2, then speared Whitmer for 24 to the Delta 42. Turk bulled to the 33, and Italiano hit Whitmer again, this time on the 11. When two Delta defenders grabbed Whitmer, the big end lateraled to O'Neal and the guard rumbled into the end zone for the score. Huggett converted and it was 20-0.

FSU stopped Delta after the kickoff and started to work again from their 34 after Graham had fumbled and recovered Cole's punt there. Thompson slashed to the Delta 49 for a first down, but a penalty set FSU back to its own 46. From there Italiano speared Campbell with a jump pass on the Delta 46 and Campbell shook free and galloped to a score. Huggett clicked and it was 27-0.

A bad pass from center on an attempted punt put Delta in a hole with FSU taking over on the Statesmen 23, but Turk fumbled after charging to the 13 to ease the pressure.

A penalty rocked Delta back and they were on their seven as the period ended.

Fourth Quarter

Cole kicked out to his 46, and Delta stopped the Indians after they had rolled down to the 18.

With Woodall, Keenum and Cole carrying most of the load, Delta rolled up three first downs to the Seminole 34, but Gerald Smith intercepted Leslie's pass on his 22 and came out to the 38 to slam the door in another threat by the Statesmen.

Italiano punted dead to the Delta 25 when the Indians stalled again, and on the return kick Smith hustled Cole's punt back 34 yards to the Delta 28. Italiano passed to Campbell to the 19 and Sellers sneaked to the 11. Bradley and Sellers worked the ball to the 4, and Bradley blasted through the middle to make it 33-0. Huggett converted and it was 34-0.

  1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Delta State
0
0
0
0
0
Florida State
13
0
14
7
34

1st   7- 0  Nelson Italiano, 1, run (Ernie Huggett, kick), 3:59 
     13- 0  Bob Whitmer, 28, pass from Gary Folsom (Ernie Huggett, kick failed), 1:58 
3rd  20- 0  Earl O'Neal, 39, pass from Nelson Italiano (Ernie Huggett, kick)
            Note: The first 30 yards of this play was a pass from Nelson
                  Italiano to Bob Whitmer, Whitmer lateraled to O'Neal  
                  at the nine.                                          
     27- 0  Curt Campbell, 54, pass from Nelson Italiano (Ernie Huggett, kick)
4th  34- 0  Preston Bradley, 5, run (Ernie Huggett, kick)


TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP First downs 12 18 Rushes-yards 36-126 57-147 Passing 234 86 Att-Comp-Int 21-9-2 25-10-3 Total Yards 57-360 82-233 Punt Returns 2-73 Interception Ret. 3-16 2- Fumble Returns 3-0 1-0 Punts 5-35.4 7-29.4 Fumbles-Lost 1 3 Penalties-Yds 41 54 Attendance 5,308 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Nelson Italiano 13 31 1 Preston Bradley 4 17 1 Team 8 17 0 Mike Sellers 3 16 0 Roy Thompson 1 15 0 Curt Campbell 5 13 0 Dick Turk 1 9 0 Gary Folsom 1 8 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 36 126 2 Opp 57 147 0 Receiving No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Bob Whitmer 4 95 1 28t Curt Campbell 3 79 1 54t Team 1 47 0 Earl O'Neal 0 11 1 Dick Turk 1 2 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 9 234 3 54t Opp 10 86 0 Passing C- A- I Yds TD Lng ----------------------------------------------- Nelson Italiano 7 15 1 191 1 54t Gary Folsom 2 3 0 43 1 28t Mike Sellers 0 1 1 0 0 Team 0 2 0 0 0 ----------------------------------------------- FSU 9 21 2 234 2 54t Opp 10 25 3 86 0 Punt Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Curt Campbell 1 39 0 Gerald Smith 1 34 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 2 73 0 Earl O'Neal Punting No Yds Lng ---------------------------------------- Team 3 117 Gary Folsom 2 60 ---------------------------------------- FSU 5 177 Opp 7 206 |---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Curt Campbell . . . . . 2- . . . . . . Jim Arnold . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . George Graham . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . Gerald Smith . . . . . 1- 16 . . . . . . Vic Szczepanik . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FSU 0 0 0 . . 3- 16 . . 3- 0 . . . Opp . . . . . 2- . . 1- 0 . . . STARTERS
Pos  ##  OFFENSE
----------------------------------
LH   28  Bobby Fiveash
LT   30  Vic Szczepanik
LE   32  Bill Driver
C    35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
FB   42  Nelson Italiano
QB   44  Mike Sellers
RH   45  Curt Campbell
RG   57  Earl O'Neal
LG   59  Bob Schmelz
RE   60  Bob Whitmer
Pos  ##  DEFENSE
----------------------------------
LB   12  Buddy Bryant
LE   18  Charlie Booth
RE   23  Jim Arnold
RG   24  Mac Huey
DB   31  Jimmy Lee Taylor
RT   33  Bob Wodrich
LT   39  Bill Dawkins
DB   43  Wayne Benner
LB   44  Mike Sellers
S    45  Curt Campbell
LG   50  Nat Polak
PARTICIPANTS
##  NAME
-----------------------------
11  Roy Thompson
21  Gary Folsom
22  Gerald Smith
26  George Graham
##  NAME
-----------------------------
27  Preston Bradley
29  Ernie Huggett
34  Dick Turk

Florida State 35, Sul Ross State 13

10/20/1951, Tallahassee, Fla.

Click here for program cover

From the Tallahassee Democrat, October 21, 1951, page 6, by Fred P. Pettijohn.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Neither Sul Ross nor the slippery underfooting could stop Florida State University's Seminoles here last night as the re-vitalized Indians sloshed to a 35-13 triumph over the Texans before a painfully scant, rain-coated crowd of 1,969 fans in Doak S. Campbell Stadium.

A three-touchdown explosion in the second period which saw Coach Don Veller's impressive Indians jam across three quickies in the space of six minutes and 22 seconds blew the ball game apart after the battling Lobos had clawed out a 13-7 margin in the first period.

Rains TDs and Rain

Those three stunning scores and the rain which ranged from a drizzle to a downpour, put a definite damper on any upset hopes that Sul Ross may have had, for the Lobos were never in the ball game after that.

Florida State, which had punched over its first score in a minute and 11 seconds, wound up the scoring with an 88-yard march in the third period for the only score after the intermission.

The Seminoles one-two punch, Mike Sellers and Nelson Italiano, shifted back and forth between fullback and tailback, ran with some of their old time power and determination as they sparked a rumbling running attack that ground out 318 yards over the soggy turf.

Sellers slammed across for three of the TDs, getting the odd ones - numbers one, three and five - and piled up 152 yards in 12 carries.

Italiano was held scoreless (Editor's note: Italiano scored one touchdown), but contributed 74 yards in a dozen tries.

Hug Ground

The Indians, hugging the wet turf like an earthworm, tried only six passes all night and completed half of them for 45 yards.

Sul Ross, with its wide-open passing game grounded by the weather, relied mainly on a trio of hard-running backs, Jim Mobley, Dwain Stacy and Charlie Laffoon and the trio all ran well, but the lack of Laffoon's passing threat enabled the Seminoles to flag the Lobos down after the first period, with a packed defense, and Tommy Brown's phenomenal 42-yard punting with a wet ball kept them backed up.

The Texans brought only 26 men here for the game, and the effect of traveling in the heavy footing was apparent in the closing periods.

FSU missed a few chances to cash in on breaks, getting one of its scores on an intercepted pass and a 30-yard scoring dash by Curt Campbell, and collecting another when Jimmy Lee Taylor blocked a punt and Sellers scooped up the slippery leather and lunged 11 yards for a score.

One of the Lobos two tallies came via the same route as defensive halfback Duane Parsons plucked a jump pass by Nelson Italiano out of the air on the Indian 48 and rambled to the touchdown.

Third Win

The win was FSU's third of the season against a single loss and gave them a record of 27 wins in 30 games under Veller.

Briefly the scoring went like this:

FSU went 70 yards in three plays in 1:11 with Sellers getting the last 39 around left end.

Sul Ross slammed 80 yards in 8 plays with Mobley going the last 23 at right guard.

Parson's intercepted Italiano's pass and ran 48 yards to score, and Sul Ross led 13-7 at the quarter with Shahan converting once out of two attempts and Huggett nailing the first of five straight.

FSU went 47 yards in three plays with Italiano going the last 40. Taylor blocked a punt and Sellers scooped it up and ran 11 yards to score and Campbell intercepted a Laffoon pass and went 30 yards to paydirt - all that in less than 6 1/2 minutes of the second period.

In the third quarter the Indians sloughed 88 yards in 18 plays with Sellers getting the last six at right tackle.

First Quarter

A misting rain and the soggy underfooting didn't affect the Seminoles an iota at the outset as they took the opening kickoff and drove right to a score. Italiano brought the kickoff back 15 yards to his 30, then slammed off right guard for 4. Bringger wheeled around left end on a reverse to the Sul Ross 39, and on the next play Sellers, running from left half, turned right end and bulled his way 39 yards to a score. Huggett converted and it was 7-0 with only 1:13 gone.

FSU stopped Sul Ross after the kickoff and immediately posed another threat after Brown had returned a Shahan punt 17 yards to his 37. Italiano knifed at right tackle, then lateraled out to Sellers, and Big Mike barreled 36 yards to the Lobo 27, but the Texans threw a lariat around the Indians there and took over on their own 20.

Laffoon speared Stacy with a six-yarder on the game's first pass, and the Lobos began to roll. Stacy bit off 26 of his 42 on a trap at guard, and Mobley sped to the Seminole 49.

After Bingham cracked for a vital first down on the 48, Mobley sliced to the 42. Stacy slipped over right guard to the 23 before Kirby caught him from behind, and on the next play Mobley burst over right guard, cutback and sneaked 23 yards to paydirt. Shahan's kick was wide and it was FSU 7-6 with 3:57 left.

Thirty seconds later Sul Ross was leading. After Italiano returned the kickoff from his 21 to the 40, Parsons intercepted Italiano's jump pass and raced to a score with the aid of a key block on the 28 yard line. Shahan was good with his placement and it was 13-7 with 3:27 left.

FSU worked the kick off back near midfield despite being hit by tow penalties, and Brown punted out beautifully on Sul Ross's eight as the period ended.

Second Quarter

Shanan punted out, Brown returning from his 45 to the Lobo 47, and the Indians were touchdown bound. After Italiano and Thompson took turns at punching the tackles for a net of seven yards, Italiano broke over right tackle, shook off Parsons' tackle at the 15 and went over with only 1:11 gone in the period. Huggett converted.

Hackney returned Driver's kickoff 19 yards to his 23, but the Lobos couldn't get anywhere and Shahan went back to punt. The pass from center was low and on the wrong side, and Taylor broke through and blocked the punt, Sellers scooping up the ball on the 11 and rumbling over to score. Huggett got two chance to convert when Sul Ross was offsides, and made the second one good to give FSU a 21-13 lead with 9:44 remaining.

Sul Ross brought the kickoff back from its 26 to the 30, and after a fumble set the Lobos back to their 21, Laffoon tried to hit Bingham with a pass in the left flat, but Campbell speared the ball on the Texans' 30 and raced untouched to a score. Huggett split the middle again and it was 28-13 with 7:21 remaining.

Sul Ross went 41 yards on Laffoon passing and running, but Stacy fumbled and Szczpanik recovered on his own 21 to halt the drive.

FSU moved to midfield on Sellers' 23-yard dash, but stalled and Brown punted dead to the Lobo 5.

Third Period

FSU came out in dry gold jerseys for the second half.

Sul Ross picked up one first down after the kickoff, but stalled at their own 48 and Shahan punted out nicely on the FSU 12.

The Seminoles, starting slowly, crunched 88 yards to score in 18 plays and made up one 15-yard deficit along the way.

Italiano, Sellers and Bringger punched to their 43, and Bringger hit Whitmer on the Lobo 30 from there. After being rocked back 15 yards by a personal foul, the Seminoles hugged the ground with Sellers doing the heavy bombing, and blasted inside the tackles and around the ends to the six. Sellers bowled inside right tackle from there to score, and when Huggett converted it was 35-13 with 4:36 left in the period.

FSU came storming back after forcing Sul Ross to kick, and moved 53 yards to the Lobo 10 as the period ended.

Fourth Period

Three running plays netted only six yards and Folsom's pass into the end zone was incomplete as Sul Ross took over.

The Lobos punted out to their 39, and the ball changed hands as the Indians fumbled and then regained possession when Campbell intercepted a Laffoon pass on his 40.

With reserves in there the Indians could make no headway and Brown punted dead to the Lobo 23. The slippery pigskin was getting harder to hold, and the ball again changed hands as each team fumbled at the 23, leaving Sul Ross in possession there.

Laffoon's pass to Bingham and a four-yard dash by the Lobo quarterback moved the ball to the 40 as the game ended.

  1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Sul Ross State
13
0
0
0
13
Florida State
7
21
7
0
35

1st   7- 0  Mike Sellers, 39, run (Ernie Huggett, kick), 13:47
      7- 6  Opp, 23, run (kick failed), 3:57 
      7-13  Opp, 48, interception return (kick), 3:27 
2nd  14-13  Nelson Italiano, 40, run (Ernie Huggett, kick), 13:49
     21-13  Mike Sellers, 11, punt return/blocked punt (Ernie Huggett, kick), 9:44 
            Note: Jimmy Lee Taylor blocked the punt and Sellers picked  
                  the ball up at the 11 and scored.                     
     28-13  Curt Campbell, 30, interception return (Ernie Huggett, kick), 7:21 
3rd  35-13  Mike Sellers, 6, run (Ernie Huggett, kick), 4:36 


TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP First downs 13 10 Rushes-yards 45-318 42-153 Passing 45 34 Att-Comp-Int 6-3-1 7-3-2 Total Yards 51-363 49-187 Punt Returns 3-36 Kickoff Returns 2-34 Interception Ret. 2-30 1-48 Fumble Returns 2-0 3-0 Punts 3-42.7 6-27.2 Fumbles-Lost 3 2 Penalties-Yds 80 85 Attendance 1,969 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Mike Sellers 12 152 2 39t Nelson Italiano 12 74 1 47t Team 10 47 0 Harry Bringger 8 27 0 Bobby Fiveash 3 18 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 45 318 3 47t Opp 42 153 1 Receiving No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Bob Whitmer 1 26 0 Team 2 19 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 3 45 0 Opp 3 34 0 Passing C- A- I Yds TD Lng ----------------------------------------------- Harry Bringger 1 1 0 26 0 Roy Thompson 1 1 0 10 0 Al Woodham 1 1 0 9 0 Nelson Italiano 0 1 1 0 0 Team 0 1 0 0 0 Gary Folsom 0 1 0 0 0 ----------------------------------------------- FSU 3 6 1 45 0 Opp 3 7 2 34 0 Punt Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Tommy Brown 2 25 0 Mike Sellers 1 11 1 11t --------------------------------------------- FSU 3 36 1 11t Kickoff Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Nelson Italiano 2 34 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 2 34 0 Punting No Yds Lng ---------------------------------------- Tommy Brown 3 128 ---------------------------------------- FSU 3 128 Opp 6 163 |---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jimmy Lee Taylor . . . . . . . . . . 1 . Curt Campbell . . . . . 2- 30 . . . . . . Vic Szczepanik . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . Team . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FSU 0 0 0 . . 2- 30 . . 2- 0 . 1 . Opp . . . . . 1- 48 . . 3- 0 . . . STARTERS
Pos  ##  OFFENSE
----------------------------------
LH   28  Bobby Fiveash
LT   30  Vic Szczepanik
LE   32  Bill Driver
C    35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
FB   42  Nelson Italiano
QB   44  Mike Sellers
RH   45  Curt Campbell
RG   57  Earl O'Neal
LG   59  Bob Schmelz
RE   60  Bob Whitmer
Pos  ##  DEFENSE
----------------------------------
LB   12  Buddy Bryant
LE   18  Charlie Booth
RE   23  Jim Arnold
RG   24  Mac Huey
DB   31  Jimmy Lee Taylor
RT   33  Bob Wodrich
LT   39  Bill Dawkins
DB   43  Wayne Benner
LB   44  Mike Sellers
S    45  Curt Campbell
LG   50  Nat Polak
PARTICIPANTS
##  NAME
-----------------------------
11  Roy Thompson
20  Tommy Brown
21  Gary Folsom
##  NAME
-----------------------------
29  Ernie Huggett
37  Al Woodham
49  Harry Bringger

Florida State 13, Stetson 10

10/27/1951, Tallahassee, Fla.

Click here for program cover

From the Tallahassee Democrat, October 28, 1951, page 9, by Fred P. Pettijohn.

Florida State University's Seminoles surged back with one of their patented second half assaults to squeeze by a spirited Stetson Hatter squad, 13-10, here yesterday afternoon before a record Homecoming throng of 13,701 in overcast Doak S. Campbell Stadium.

The Seminoles, stronger over the long four-quarter haul, cashed in on a pair of third and fourth quarter touchdowns to offset big Don Martin's arching 14-yard field goal in the first period and Joe Raffaele's sensational 44-yard run with a Bill Johnson pass in the closing minutes of the final stanza.

Two plays turned the tide for the Seminoles in a hectic battle that saw the ball change hands 7 times on pass interceptions and twice on fumbles.

First 'Money' Play

FSU's first "money" play was a 76-yard dash inside left tackle by Roy Thompson that carried the oval all the way to the Hatter 10-yard line and enabled big Mike Sellers to barrel over for the first score in two plays.

The second "big one" was Preston Bradley's block and subsequent recovery and touchdown gallop of Fulmer "Army" Armstrong's punt early in the fourth period.

That play of Bradley's of course, was the one that proved the difference, but until Thompson got away on his long-distance sprint it appeared that the Indians were going to spend their entire afternoon fashioning drives that either fizzled out or were halted by pass interceptions and fumbles.

Coach Joe McMullen's squad which appeared to be fired-up higher than the Indians at the outset, almost completely dominated the first half after Martin had given them a big "lift" with his angled, 14-yard beauty over the crossbars in the first 5:10 seconds of play.

Sluggish at Start

Florida State was sluggish in both of the opening quarters on offense, and the Seminole's tackling lacked its usual crisp authority.

From the time that Thompson galloped the second half kickoff from his 2 to his 45, however, it was apparent that the Indians had come to life.

The Seminoles, who had penetrated to the 38 once and had taken the ball over again to the Hatter 23 in drives that died earlier in the third period, struck for their first score with stunning suddenness.

Backed up to their own 13 after Armstrong had sliced a beautiful 49-yard boot out of bounds at coffin corner, Florida State sent Thompson knifing at the left side of the line for a yard. Coming back on the same play, Thompson slipped into left tackle, shook off the Hatters left linebacker and set sail for the Stetson goal.

Out in front of the pack when he crossed the midfield stripe, Thompson was overhauled by the swift Sonny Parrish on the 15, but he managed to run out of that tackle and stumble to the 10 before Armstrong rode him to earth from behind.

Here Goes Mike

Sellers, moving to fullback from the left half slot he had occupied most of the afternoon, hammered to the three on his first assault at the middle. On the second play Big Mike stepped high over right guard and crunched his way into paydirt with the touchdown that put FSU ahead for the first time. Huggett's conversion was good and a sigh of relief went through the stands as the scoreboard showed 7-3, FSU.

The Seminoles, who usually hit for their TDs in one-two fashion, came back to get number two before 10 more minutes of playing time had elapsed.

Stetson, backed up on its own 23 after stopping another FSU drive on its 13, sent Armstrong, the second leading booter in national small college statistics, back to kick them out of danger.

The pass from center was in the dirt, however, and Preston Bradley came barreling through to block the big back's punt. After a pack of Seminoles and mad Hatters chased and patty-caked the bouncing ball over towards the east sidelines, Bradley made a running shortstop's pickup on the seven, and with the aid of a key block by Sellers, sped to the score. Huggett's conversion was wide to the left, but no one seemed to care with the score reading 13-3.

The miss was Huggett's fifth in 20 attempts this season.

Stetson, however, wasn't through yet.

Gene Bowden, a dangerous runner all afternoon, carried Huggett's kickoff back 13 yards to his own 23, and Johnson immediately nailed Martin with a pass down the sidelines to the 29. Johnson lobbed a screen pass to Marks, a chunky 157-pounder who runs low and hard and was Stetson's top mail carrier yesterday, and the determined Ft. Lauderdale boy scrambled to his 36.

On a spread play Johnson faded to pass, then ran to the Indian 38. Johnson was hit hard and fumbled on the 44, then passed incomplete on second down.

On the next play he tossed a high, wobbly shot to Raffaele, and when Wayne Benner missed the ball, the Hatter co-captain was off on the best run of the day and one of the top bits of maneuvering seen in the Stadium since it was opened last year.

Raffaele sped to the six, slammed on a pair of two-foot brakes that let one Seminole slide by him, picked up a block by Herb Werner and galloped to paydirt.

Martin converted for the 20th straight time this season and it was 13-10.

Stetson tried to snatch a last minute victory out through the airways, but the Indians took over on their 47 and moved to the Hatter nine as the game ended.

That Talented Toe

Stetson wasted little time or effort in fashioning its first quarter lead. Taking the opening kickoff back to their 26, the Hatters picked up three first downs to the Seminole 18 on Johnson's accurate passes and Armstrong's running.

After losing a score when Raffaele couldn't find the handle on a Johnson pass until after he'd run out of the end zone, the Hatters sent Martin back to try a placement from 14 yards out and 15 yards in from the west sideline. Martin thumped a beautiful high one that split the uprights for a 3-0 lead.

The big flankman tried another one in the second period, but was short and to the left.

Offensively Thompson, with that 76-yard on one bite that enabled him to roll up 98 yards for the day, Sellers, and Italiano were the big Indian guns. Marks was the number one boy for the Hatters with 63 yards.

Defensively, Campbell's great pass defense play and Charlie Brown's alert aggressive play at guard stood out for the Seminoles.

Billy Joe Leathers lived up to his Little All-America rating for the Hatters, ranging all over the field to make tackles, while Werner's work in the secondary on both runs and pass plays shined for the Hatters.


By Peter Nimkoff

The crowd started coming in slowly around one o'clock with the student stands on the east side of the field being fairly well populated by 1:20.

Stetson, wearing green jerseys and white numerals and gray pants, was the first team into the stadium, trotting in along the east sideline while the FSU student body chanted the old familiar "scalp 'em." At 1:31 Coaches Don Veller of the Seminoles and Joe McMullen of the Hatters met in the center of the field with field judge Archie Carter.

The Seminoles, clad in white jerseys with garnet numerals and gold pants, came out at 1:33, and got a good ovation from the stands which by now held over 5,000 people. FSU limbered up at the north end of the field, with Stetson now shaking the kinks out at the south.

At 1:43 the Indians left the field to the Hatters, going to their dressing room. Two minutes later the Hatters deserted the turf, and the attention of the crowd centered on various political figures who entered with a fanfare of handshaking.

First Quarter

Han returned Huggett's opening kickoff from his 17 to the 26 as the intra-state battle got under way. Two running plays gave the Hatters a quick first down, and Johnson's 9-yard pass to Martin and Armstrong's running brought Stetson another quick one on its 49. When the Hatters couldn't run over right guard on two cracks, Johnson hit Raffaele down on the FSU 13 with a 33-yard pass. Johnson's heave to Raffaele into paydirt was incomplete because the end ran out of the end zone before attaining possession. After Armstrong circled right end to the 14, Martin kicked a field goal high and true, with 9:50 left in the period to make it 3-0.

Thompson took Stetson's kickoff from his 10 to the 37, but three plays later he fumbled and the Hatters were in Seminole territory again. Johnson's pass to Martin gave Stetson a first down on the 26, but Campbell intercepted Johnson's next pass in the end zone to stop that threat.

The Seminoles' running attack stalled again and Brown punted 48 yards to Werner, the safetyman returning 12 yards to his 34. Johnson passed to Armstrong on the FSU 49 for another first down, but the Hatters could go no further and Armstrong kicked to the 5, Brown returning nicely to the 17. Three running plays later the quarter ended with FSU on its 25.

Second Quarter

Brown got off a short punt that rolled dead on the 50, and Bowden gave Stetson a first down on FSU's 33. Yonge dropped Johnson's third-down pass on the 20, and Martin's field goal attempt from the 28 was short this time, Brown taking that kick and racing out to the 30. Again the Seminoles couldn't move and Brown punted out on the Stetson 38. With Marks doing most of the carrying and running low and hard, Stetson moved to the Seminole 26 on two first downs. Marks and Gallagher drove to the 12, but there Johnson's fourth-down run was smeared on the 7, FSU taking over.

The Indians started a belated attack when on third down Thompson raced to the 20, with FSU's first first down of the game with 3:21 left in the half. Bradley carried to the 25 and Italiano sprinted up to the 34 for another FD. Folsom threw two passes that were incomplete, then ran up to the 43. Huey sneaked to the 45 as the half ended.

Third Quarter

FSU looked like a different ball club as the second half began. Thompson returned the kick-off from the two to his 45. Italiano went to the 49 in two cracks, then hit Campbell who ran to the Stetson 38. But on the next play Italiano fumbled and Coble recovered on the Stetson 40.

FSU got its first big break when Armstrong, back to punt for Stetson on his 24, fumbled the pass from center on fourth down, the Seminoles taking over there. A run and a pass gained one yard, then Tambur intercepted Italiano's pass on his 20 and came out to the 26. Marks and Bowden ran for a first down to their 37, but an offside penalty forced Armstrong to kick dead on the FSU 18.

Thompson went off left guard for one yard, then came back on the same play, broke into the clear, and went all the way to the Stetson 10 before Armstrong caught him from behind.

Running from fullback, Sellers ploughed to the three, then, stepping high, slammed over right guard for the touchdown with 6:16 remaining in the period. Huggett's conversion was good, and FSU led, 7-3.

Bowden ran Driver's kick-off from the 12 to the 30, and Stetson went right to work. With Marks running hard the Hatters ground out a first down on the 40, then moved to the 44. Johnson tried to pass with a Seminole defender hanging on him and Dawkins grabbed the short toss on the 45 and rumbled to the Hatter 24. Sellers cracked to the 16, but Fiveash's fourth-down pass was intercepted by Werner on the nine and returned to the 16.

Armstrong, carrying over left guard, fumbled and Brown recovered on the 20. Folsom's screen pass to Fiveash was good to the 14 as the quarter ended.

Fourth Quarter

Fiveash ran for a first down around right end to the 5 but FSU was penalized to the 10. Sellers was slung down to the 13 and Fiveash tripped on the 16. Fiveash's pass was intercepted on the goal line by Lonsinger, who ran it out to the 14 where Huey stopped him.

With fourth and one on the 23, the pass to Armstrong was in the dirt. Bradley blocked his hurried punt, then recovered the ball in a wild scramble on the 7, and carried it over for the score. Huggett was wild and the score was 13-3 with 11:19 left in the quarter.

Bowden returned Huggett's kickoff from the 10 to the 23. Johnson completed passes to Martin and Marks, the second bringing a first down on the 36, where Campbell's tackle prevented martin from breaking away on the screen. On third and ten Johnson ran from a spread formation around left end to the FSU 39. Bowden recovered Johnson's fumble and lost six. Johnson's first long toss was incomplete; his second was true to Raffaele on the 20, who went over on a key block by Werner with 7:48 left in the game. Martin converted to make it 13-10.

Brown ran out Martin's kickoff from his own end zone to the 20. On second down Italiano circled right end for a first down on the 31. Bringger went to the 34 but Turk's smash to the 45 was nullified by backfield-in-motion against the Seminoles.

Italiano passed to Campbell on the FSU 40, but the completion was a yard shy of a first down, and Brown punted dead on the Hatter 43.

Johnson missed connections on three long tosses and when he tried to pitch for it on fourth down, Campbell batted it away. FSU took over and Turk drove down to the 41 but the Seminoles were penalized again for backfield-in-motion to the Stetson 46. Italiano failed to gain but went to the 34 on his second try for a first down. Turk plunged over left guard to the 29. Sellers churned his way down to the 12 for another first.

Trying to go over left guard, Sellers was halted on the 9 as the game ended.

  1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Stetson
3
0
0
7
10
Florida State
0
0
7
6
13

1st   0- 3  Opp, 21, field goal, 9:50 
2nd   0- 3  Opp, 35, field goal failed
3rd   7- 3  Mike Sellers, 3, run (Ernie Huggett, kick), 6:16 
4th  13- 3  Preston Bradley, 7, punt return/blocked punt (Ernie Huggett, kick failed), 11:19
            Note: Bradley blocked the punt and beat a pack of Seminoles 
                  and Hatters to the ball at the seven and scored.      
     13-10  Opp, 44, pass (kick), 7:48 


TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP First downs 8 13 Rushes-yards 39-226 139 Passing 34 120 Att-Comp-Int 10-4-3 21-7-2 Total Yards 49-260 259 Punt Returns 2-42 Kickoff Returns 3-90 Interception Ret. 2-21 3- Fumble Returns 1-0 1-0 Punts 4-39.8 4-31.3 Fumbles-Lost 1 1 Penalties-Yds 25 5 Attendance 13,701 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Roy Thompson 7 98 0 76 Mike Sellers 12 46 1 Nelson Italiano 11 43 0 Dick Turk 3 14 0 Gary Folsom 1 9 0 Bobby Fiveash 2 6 0 Preston Bradley 1 5 0 Harry Bringger 1 3 0 Mac Huey 1 2 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 39 226 1 76 Opp 139 0 Receiving No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Curt Campbell 2 22 0 Bobby Fiveash 1 14 0 Team 1 -2 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 4 34 0 Opp 7 120 1 Passing C- A- I Yds TD Lng ----------------------------------------------- Nelson Italiano 3 5 1 28 0 Gary Folsom 1 3 0 6 0 Bobby Fiveash 0 2 2 0 0 ----------------------------------------------- FSU 4 10 3 34 0 Opp 7 21 2 120 1 Punt Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Tommy Brown 2 42 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 2 42 0 Kickoff Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Roy Thompson 2 70 0 Tommy Brown 1 20 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 3 90 0 Punting No Yds Lng ---------------------------------------- Tommy Brown 4 159 ---------------------------------------- FSU 4 159 Opp 4 125 |---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preston Bradley . . . . . . . . . . 1 . Curt Campbell . . . . . 1- 0 . . . . . . Bill Dawkins . . . . . 1- 21 . . . . . . Charlie Brown . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FSU 0 0 0 . . 2- 21 . . 1- 0 . 1 . Opp . . . . . 3- . . 1- 0 . . . STARTERS
Pos  ##  OFFENSE
----------------------------------
RH   11  Roy Thompson
QB   24  Mac Huey
LT   30  Vic Szczepanik
C    35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
FB   42  Nelson Italiano
LH   44  Mike Sellers
LE   45  Curt Campbell
RG   57  Earl O'Neal
LG   59  Bob Schmelz
RE   60  Bob Whitmer
Pos  ##  DEFENSE
----------------------------------
DB   11  Roy Thompson
DB   24  Mac Huey
LT   30  Vic Szczepanik
MG   35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
LB   42  Nelson Italiano
LB   44  Mike Sellers
LE   45  Curt Campbell
RG   57  Earl O'Neal
LG   59  Bob Schmelz
RE   60  Bob Whitmer
PARTICIPANTS
##  NAME
-----------------------------
13  George Carnes
18  Charlie Booth
19  Earl Brown
20  Tommy Brown
21  Gary Folsom
25  Joe Robinson
26  George Graham
27  Preston Bradley
28  Bobby Fiveash
29  Ernie Huggett
31  Jimmy Lee Taylor
32  Bill Driver
33  Bob Wodrich
34  Dick Turk
38  Bob Tully
##  NAME
-----------------------------
40  Marvin Mollnow
41  Vern Freeze
43  Wayne Benner
47  Bill Whaley
49  Harry Bringger
50  Nat Polak
51  George Kirby
52  Roger Slabaugh
53  Charlie Brown
54  Don Linton
56  Dossey Merritt
58  John Karlowicz
61  Ernie Nagy
63  Ted Morrill

Florida State 39, Jacksonville NAS 0

11/03/1951, Jacksonville, Fla.

Click here for program cover

From the Tallahassee Democrat, November 4, 1951, page 6, by Fred P. Pettijohn.

GATOR BOWL, JACKSONVILLE, FL - Florida State University fired a six-touchdown salvo into an overmatched, under-conditioned Jacksonville Naval Air Station eleven here yesterday, and shot the futile Flyers down, 39-0 before a woefully slim, shivering crowd of 1,732.

The Seminoles, rumbling to their fifth win of the season against a single loss, and rolling up their 29th victory in 32 games under the tutelage of Dr. Don Veller, scored once in the opening period, twice in the second quarter and then wound up with a flurry of three fast TDs in the final period when the Fliers tired badly and had been stripped of several of their top performers.

Four Fliers prevented the game from turning into a complete route - Darrell Spang and Mike Norman on offense and W.C. Sweat and Bob Chesson on defense.

Spang, a slim, six-foot, 165-pounder, lent the Navy eleven some striking power with his spirited running and turned in the day's top dash - a 75-yard sprint to the Seminole 15 in the third period where he was hauled down from behind by Tommy Brown.

Sweat, a 230-pounder from Live Oak with about six years of service ball behind him, hit extremely hard all day from his defensive tackle post and is one of the top linemen the Seminoles have faced this Fall.

With a few more Sweats and Spangs the Fliers could have made it a ball game, but as it was the Navy was the least impressive eleven the Indians have met since Troy State in the opener, and only the fact that FSU appeared a little "flat" itself prevented the score from rising even higher.

Dick Turk, chunky reserve fullback with a jet takeoff, and Curt Campbell accounted for tow touchdowns apiece with Mike Sellers and Tommy Brown contributing the other two.

Turk, who was FSU's best runner yesterday, blasted over from the 5 in the second period and from the one-foot line in the fourth quarter. Campbell took a nine-yard pass from Gary Folsom and skipped across for one touchdown in the second quarter, and grabbed a 15-yard shot and raced 30 yards for his second score in the final stanza.

Sellers, closing in on his own FSU season scoring record of 54 points, bulled his way 25 yards off tackle for the first Seminole touchdown in the opening period to boost his total for the current campaign to 42 points and put him 13 points of a new mark.

Brown, who punted for a phenomenal 42-yard-plus average today and twice nailed runners when he was the last man, turned in the Seminoles offensive highlight late in the fourth period when he grabbed a Tarzetti punt on his own 42-yard line, ran wide to his right toward the west stands and swept 58 yards to the sixth and final score after getting a key block from Preston Bradley.

Neither Bobby Fiveash nor Roy Thompson hit paydirt, but they combined to help Turk spark the attack along the ground, with Fiveash looking particularly good in his first real heavy-duty role. The Bainbridge, Ga. boy gained 38 yards after having a 15-yard loss deducted. Thompson chipped in with 56, second only to Turk's leading total of 64.

Ernie Huggett converted on three out of six conversions, hitting after TDs number two, three and six.

Showing its usual punch along the ground, FSU rolled up 218 yards running and added another 120 through the airways though they completed only five out of 18 passes.

The Navy, limited to three first downs all day, gained 108 yards on the ground and were limited to seven more yards in the air though they completed four of 14 passes.

Spang's 75-yard sprint, which came in the third period when the Fliers were backed up on their own 15, gave the Navy its first down of the game and set up their lone scoring threat. That bid was quickly killed by Campbell who grabbed a Mike Norman pass on his own three and fled to his 45.

Norman, tailback in the Navy's single-wing, was a workhorse - running, passing and punting - but he was pretty well blanketed by the stout FSU defense until the fourth period when he slipped away up the middle several times against the reserves.

Chesson handled a defensive end post well, particularly in the first two periods.

Captain Bill Dawkins, John Karoliwicz, Bob Schmelz, Jimmie Lee Taylor, Charlie Brown and a host of other linemen turned in top defensive games for the Indians.

Spang, Norman, quarterback Bob DePasquale, Jimmy Bishop and Chesson were all knocked out of action for the Navy at one spot or another and for varying lengths of time.

First Quarter

After sparring for five minutes with neither team able to move the chains for a first down, FSU moved to its first touchdown on one of Roy Thompson's "pet" plays.

Norman quick-kicked 32 yards to the Seminole 28, and T. Brown came back to the 36. After two running plays lost a yard, Thompson got away inside left tackle on the same play that he had rambled 76 yards against Stetson, and sped 40 yards to the Fliers 25. Fiveash missed with a pass, but Sellers bulled inside left tackle and tromped over four Fliers into paydirt. Huggett's kick was wide and low and it was 6-0.

T. Brown and Bishop engaged in a punting duel until late in the period when Campbell intercepted Norman's pass on the Navy 27 and returned to the 25. Huey sneak 5 to the 20 as the quarter ended.

Second Quarter

Turk, Thompson and Fiveash hit on 5, 2 and 4 yard chunks to the Flier 5, and Turk cracked right tackle from there for the score to make it 12-0 with only two minutes of the period gone. Huggett was good this time and it was 13-0.

A minute later it was 20-0 as Brown intercepted Bishop's pass on the first play following the kickoff and ran 11 yards to the Navy 25. Turk speared Campbell with a jump pass to the 16, and after Navy caught a 5-yard penalty back to the 11. Folsom hit Campbell on the two and the sure-handed end skipped over to score. Huggett converted for the 20th point. FSU made another bid later in the period, girding 45 yards to the Flier 24 before McIntire intercepted Huey's pass to halt the drive.

Third Quarter

Spang returned the second kickoff 35 yards to his 40, but Navy could get nowhere and FSU held and took over on its own 31 after Spang's short punt. The Seminoles moved to midfield and Brown sliced a beautiful 46-yard punt out on the Flier 7. Backed to the wall, Navy punted out to its own 44, then Bishop intercepted a Fiveash pass on his 11. Knocked back to its 10, Navy shook Spang loose inside left end, and the speedy back raced 75 yards to the Indian 15 before T. Brown ran him down from behind. That was Navy's first first down.

Campbell got FSU out of that spot quickly, intercepting Norman's pass on his 3 and flying out to his 47. Fiveash hit Sellers with a pass that covered 40 yards to the Flier 20, but Sellers fumbled on the next play after bulling to the 15.

Taking over on Navy's 36 after Spang's short punt, FSU started to roll. With first Fiveash and then Turk slamming for 11 yard gains, the Indians rumbled to the Flier 7 as the period ended.

Fourth Period

Turk banged to the one-foot line on the first play, then dove over right guard for the score. Huggett was wide and it was 26-0.

Navy flashed a drive, moving down to FSU's 42 on runs by Norman and Tarzetti before Norman was trapped for a 23-yard loss on an attempted pass. Brown took Norman's punt on his own 35 and zipped back to the Flier 45. On the next play Folsom connected with Campbell on the 30, and Campbell eluded two tacklers nicely and raced across to score. Huggett missed and it was 32-0.

When Navy stalled after the kickoff, Tarzetti punted to T. Brown on the FSU 42 and the slick Seminole safety man ran wide to his right, picked up a key block on the Fliers 40 and went 58 yards to score. Huggett converted and it was 39-0.

  1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Florida State
6
14
0
19
39
Jacksonville NAS
0
0
0
0
0

1st   6- 0  Mike Sellers, 25, run (Ernie Huggett, kick failed)
2nd  13- 0  Dick Turk, 5, run (Ernie Huggett, kick)
     20- 0  Curt Campbell, 11, pass from Gary Folsom (Ernie Huggett, kick)
4th  26- 0  Dick Turk, 1, run (Ernie Huggett, kick failed)
     32- 0  Curt Campbell, 45, pass from Gary Folsom (Ernie Huggett, kick failed)
     39- 0  Tommy Brown, 58, punt return/blocked punt (Ernie Huggett, kick)


TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP First downs 12 3 Rushes-yards 218 108 Passing 120 7 Att-Comp-Int 18-5-2 14-4-3 Total Yards 338 115 Punt Returns 3-98 11 Kickoff Returns 0-0 137 Interception Ret. 3-58 2-3 Fumble Returns 1-0 2-0 Punts 4-43.3 10-33.6 Fumbles-Lost 4-2 2-1 Penalties-Yds 7-60 5-25 Attendance 1,732 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Dick Turk 0 65 2 Bobby Fiveash 0 46 0 Roy Thompson 0 40 0 Mike Sellers 0 38 1 25t Al Woodham 0 37 0 George Carnes 0 18 0 Mac Huey 0 5 0 Nelson Italiano 0 -2 0 Harry Bringger 0 -2 0 Tommy Brown 0 -8 0 Team 0 -19 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 0 218 3 25t Opp 108 0 Receiving No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Curt Campbell 3 65 2 45t Mike Sellers 1 40 0 Team 1 15 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 5 120 2 45t Opp 4 7 0 Passing C- A- I Yds TD Lng ----------------------------------------------- Gary Folsom 2 2 0 56 2 45t Bobby Fiveash 1 3 1 40 0 Team 1 11 0 15 0 Dick Turk 1 1 0 9 0 Mac Huey 0 1 1 0 0 ----------------------------------------------- FSU 5 18 2 120 2 45t Opp 4 14 3 7 0 Punt Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Tommy Brown 3 85 1 57t Team 0 13 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 3 98 1 57t Opp 0 11 0 Kickoff Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- FSU 0 0 0 Opp 0 137 0 Punting No Yds Lng ---------------------------------------- Team 4 173 ---------------------------------------- FSU 4 173 Opp 10 336 |---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Curt Campbell . . . . . 2- 47 . . . . . . Tommy Brown . . . . . 1- 11 . . . . . . Team . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FSU 0 0 0 . . 3- 58 . . 1- 0 . . . Opp . . . . . 2- 3 . . 2- 0 . . . STARTERS
Pos  ##  OFFENSE
----------------------------------
RH   11  Roy Thompson
QB   24  Mac Huey
LT   30  Vic Szczepanik
C    35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
FB   42  Nelson Italiano
LH   44  Mike Sellers
LE   45  Curt Campbell
RG   57  Earl O'Neal
LG   59  Bob Schmelz
RE   60  Bob Whitmer
Pos  ##  DEFENSE
----------------------------------
DB   11  Roy Thompson
DB   24  Mac Huey
LT   30  Vic Szczepanik
MG   35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
LB   42  Nelson Italiano
LB   44  Mike Sellers
LE   45  Curt Campbell
RG   57  Earl O'Neal
LG   59  Bob Schmelz
RE   60  Bob Whitmer
PARTICIPANTS
##  NAME
-----------------------------
20  Tommy Brown
21  Gary Folsom
28  Bobby Fiveash
29  Ernie Huggett
##  NAME
-----------------------------
34  Dick Turk
53  Charlie Brown
58  John Karlowicz

Florida State 14, Wofford College 0

11/10/1951, Tallahassee, Fla.

Click here for program cover

From the Tallahassee Democrat, November 11, 1951, page 8, by Mike Beaudoin.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - The Florida State University's hard charging defensive line held Wofford's Terriers completely at bay yesterday as the Seminoles scored a 14 to 0 win before a crowd of 5,666 fans at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. It was FSU's last scheduled home game of the season.

The Spartanburg, S.C. team, which had won six and lost only two to VMI and powerful Auburn, was completely outclassed yesterday. The fast charging Seminole defenders limited the Terriers to a mere 42 yards on the ground. The much heralded Wofford aerial attack fared little better. While 10 of 24 passing attempts were successful, the net gain through the air was only 87 yards.

FSU's ground attack netted 261 yards while seven completions out of 15 attempted passes accounted for 117 more. The Seminoles had 15 first downs to only seven for Wofford.

Florida State completely dominated the first half play, limiting Wofford to a total of 12 yards. The Terriers made only one of their first downs in the first half.

FSU began its first scoring march early in the second quarter after being held scoreless by a stubborn Wofford line in the first period.

Aided by a wobbly Terrier kick which went out of bounds on their own 24, FSU struck quickly for its first TD. After two running plays failed to gain, Nelson Italiano stepped back and passed to Curt Campbell who made a nice running catch on the 12 and side-stepped four Wofford tacklers to cross the goal line standing up. Ernie Huggett converted and it was 7-0 FSU.

Italiano, who received a rib injury in last Saturday's game with Jacksonville Navy, was in the game for less than half a dozen plays.

FSU's final score came late in the third quarter on a drive starting at the Wofford 40. Tommy Brown returned a Terrier punt from the 48 to the 40 and the Seminoles started moving.

Dick Turk and Harry Bringger carried for a first down on the Wofford 29 and Bobby Fiveash, subbing for the injured Italiano, stepped back and passed to Campbell who made a beautiful catch on the Wofford nine. Turk carried over for the TD after three tries at the center of the line. Huggett again converted and it was 14-0.

Wofford made its only serious threat late in the fourth quarter with reserve halfback Jedy Ellis, who has seen little action this year, leading the way.

Starting at his own 37, Ellis passed for nine yards and then passed for a first down on the FSU 42. Two more passes in three plays carried to the FSU 15.

FSU's pass defense stiffened at this point and after one running play and three passes by Ellis failed to gain, the Seminoles took over on their own 21.

Dr. Don Veller, FSU coach, said his defensive unit played its best game of the season. While he refused to single out any one player for special recognition, the hard charging and tackling of Capt. Bill Dawkins, Mike Sellers, Jimmie Lee Taylor and Bob Tully couldn't be overlooked.

Curt Campbell played perhaps his best game of the season making some almost impossible pass catches and defending against the flurry of Wofford passes.

Campbell set two FSU records in Saturday's game. His three pass receptions brought his total to 16 for the season and broke the old record of 13 set by Norman Eubanks. Campbell's eighth pass interception was also a new record which he broke previously and bettered yesterday.

Wofford Mentor Phil Dickens said, "We just got beat. It looks like we can't play a good game in Florida. Veller has a good ball club."

The Spartanburg club has never won a game on Florida soil. The only win it has ever recorded over a Florida team was this year's 21 to 14 victory over Tampa in Spartanburg.

Ironically it was Tampa who held the distinction of last having held the Terriers scoreless, in the third game of the season last year. Yesterday's shutout by the Seminoles was the first time in 16 games that Wofford has failed to score.

Wofford's famed passer and top Little All-American candidate Jack Beeler didn't have much success yesterday although many of his passes slipped through the hands of his receivers. Beeler, playing after being sidelined with injuries all week, was also handicapped by a host of Seminole linemen hanging around his neck every time he faded to pass.

He completed seven of 16 for 50 yards. Ellis completed three of seven for 37 yards. Beeler had one pass intercepted.

Fiveash, who drew praise from Coach Veller after playing his first full game, completed five of nine passes for 78 yards. Italiano and Sellers tried and completed one pass each.

Thompson led the Seminole ground attack with 133 yards in 17 tries, including a 47-yard run in the third quarter. Sellers, playing both offense and defense, made 47 yards in 14 tries and Turk had 28 yards in 12 attempts.

Wofford's big three ground gainers, Bobby McLellan, Charlie Bryant and Eli Sanders, accounted for less than 50 yards on the ground. McLellan led the impotent attack with 23 yards in 10 tries.

FSU unveiled a surprise L formation for the first time yesterday but its use was limited and probably few fans noticed it.

The victory was the 30th in 33 games for the Seminoles under the tutelage of Veller. FSU closes out its regular season next Saturday against Tampa in the Cigar Bowl. The Seminoles now have won six straight after losing to the Miami Hurricanes earlier this year.

The Lineups:
Left Ends - Campbell, Driver
Left Tackles - Sczepanik, Wodrich, Linton
Left Guards - Bradley, Tully, C. Brown, Booth, Polak
Center - Kalenich, Owens, Lockard
Right Guards - Schmelz, O'Neal, Slabaugh, Karlowicz
Right Tackles - Dawkins, Nagy, Freeze
Right Ends - Whitmer, Morrill, Arnold
Quarterbacks - Huey, Taylor
Left Halfbacks - Thompson, Folsom, Italiano, Woodham, Benner, Smith
Right Halfbacks - Fiveash, Bringger, Graham, Huggett, T. Brown
Fullbacks - Sellers, Turk, Carnes


By Peter Nimkoff

First Quarter

FSU won the toss and elected to receive, Thompson carrying the kick-off up the middle from the 5 to the 33. On second down he broke over left tackle to the Wofford 41. A Terrier offside and Sellers' plunge brought another first down on the 30. Sellers and Thompson moved FSU to the 16 but there Wofford's defense stiffened and Thompson's fourth-down pass was intercepted by Jester, who returned to the 11.

Wofford punted and Brown returned to the Terrier 46. Sellers got a first down on the 30. Fiveash lost five, then passed to Whitmer on the 24, but Turk fumbled on the next play and B. Miller recovered for Wofford on the 21. Brown fumbled the ensuing Terrier punt and B. Campbell grabbed it for Wofford on the FSU 45. The teams exchanged pass interceptions and McLellan punted out for Wofford on the FSU 32.

Second Quarter

On the first play of the second quarter, Thompson went over right tackle to the Wofford 21. The Terriers stopped the advance on the 14 but McLellan fumbled a third-down low pass from center while in punt formation and was dropped at the two. His punt was short and out on the 24.

Italiano passed to Campbell on the 12 and the end evaded tacklers and dove into the end zone. Huggett was true and FSU lead, 7-0.

A double-exchange of punts - interrupted by Wofford's only first down of the half - followed Huggett's kick-off with Brown holding the edge.

FSU drove as deep as the Wofford 24, where Whitmer made a fighting catch of Fiveash's pass, but Bringger fumbled and Thurston recovered for Wofford. On the last play of the period Fiveash hit his blocking-back Huey in the flat and Huey carried to the Terrier 37.

Third Quarter

Wofford failed to advance with the kickoff and punted dead on the FSU 22. The Seminoles picked up a first down, then Brown punted dead to the Wofford 19. Wofford ran for its second first down to the 30, but Gordon fumbled after taking Beeler's pass on his 49 and Tully recovered for FSU.

The teams traded punts, Brown returning the latter to his 40. Fiveash passed to Whitmer on the Wofford 24, and Bringger and Turk ploughed for another first down on the 13. Fiveash passed incomplete, then connected with Campbell on the four, who took the pass with three Terriers hanging on him. Turk got the first down on the one, then hit right tackle twice and went over the second time. Huggett's conversion was good to make it 14-0.

Fourth Quarter

The Seminoles moved into Terrier territory again when Campbell intercepted Beeler's pass but lost momentum and Brown sent his punt out on the Wofford 29. Beeler connected with two short ones up to the 42, then switched to his running game and gained nothing. A Terrier roughing penalty following their punt gave FSU a first down on its 40, but the second-string Seminoles couldn't gain and Brown punted dead to the Wofford 37.

Ellis began Wofford's biggest drive by passing to Abell on the FSU 42, then running for another first down to the 28. McLellan found Abell for a first down on the 15 but that was the end of Terrier penetration. Taylor threw Ellis for a seven-yard loss and two passes by Ellis were incomplete as the threat died.

Thompson raced up to the 42 on a Seminole thrust, but the Indian ground game slowed at midfield and the teams battled there as time ran out.

  1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Wofford College
0
0
0
0
0
Florida State
0
7
7
0
14

2nd   7- 0  Curt Campbell, 27, pass from Nelson Italiano (Ernie Huggett, kick)
3rd  14- 0  Dick Turk, 1, run (Ernie Huggett, kick)


TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP First downs 15 7 Rushes-yards 43-216 42 Passing 117 87 Att-Comp-Int 16-7-3 24-10-2 Total Yards 59-333 129 Punt Returns 1-8 Kickoff Returns 1-28 Fumble Returns 3-0 3-0 Punts 6-31.2 11-22.7 Fumbles-Lost 3 2 Penalties-Yds 45 30 Attendance 5,666 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Roy Thompson 17 133 0 47 Mike Sellers 14 47 0 Dick Turk 12 28 1 Team 0 8 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 43 216 1 47 Opp 42 0 Receiving No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Curt Campbell 3 56 1 27t Team 2 34 0 Bob Whitmer 2 27 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 7 117 1 27t Opp 10 87 0 Passing C- A- I Yds TD Lng ----------------------------------------------- Bobby Fiveash 5 9 1 78 0 Nelson Italiano 1 1 0 27 1 27t Mike Sellers 1 1 0 12 0 Roy Thompson 0 1 1 0 0 Team 0 4 1 0 0 ----------------------------------------------- FSU 7 16 3 117 1 27t Opp 10 24 2 87 0 Punt Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Tommy Brown 1 8 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 1 8 0 Kickoff Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Roy Thompson 1 28 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 1 28 0 Punting No Yds Lng ---------------------------------------- Team 6 187 ---------------------------------------- FSU 6 187 Opp 11 250 |---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Curt Campbell . . . . . 1- . . . . 1 . Bob Tully . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . Team . . . . . 1- . . 2- 0 . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FSU 0 0 0 . . 2- 0 . . 3- 0 . 1 . Opp . . . . . 3- . . 3- 0 . . . STARTERS
Pos  ##  OFFENSE
----------------------------------
LHB  11  Roy Thompson
QB   24  Mac Huey
LG   27  Preston Bradley
RH   28  Bobby Fiveash
LT   30  Vic Szczepanik
C    35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
FB   44  Mike Sellers
LE   45  Curt Campbell
RG   59  Bob Schmelz
RE   60  Bob Whitmer
Pos  ##  DEFENSE
----------------------------------
DB   11  Roy Thompson
DB   24  Mac Huey
LG   27  Preston Bradley
DB   28  Bobby Fiveash
LT   30  Vic Szczepanik
MG   35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
LB   44  Mike Sellers
LE   45  Curt Campbell
RG   59  Bob Schmelz
RE   60  Bob Whitmer
PARTICIPANTS
##  NAME
-----------------------------
13  George Carnes
16  Tommy Owen
18  Charlie Booth
20  Tommy Brown
21  Gary Folsom
22  Gerald Smith
23  Jim Arnold
26  George Graham
29  Ernie Huggett
31  Jimmy Lee Taylor
32  Bill Driver
33  Bob Wodrich
34  Dick Turk
36  Ed Lockard
##  NAME
-----------------------------
37  Al Woodham
38  Bob Tully
41  Vern Freeze
42  Nelson Italiano
43  Wayne Benner
49  Harry Bringger
50  Nat Polak
52  Roger Slabaugh
53  Charlie Brown
54  Don Linton
57  Earl O'Neal
58  John Karlowicz
61  Ernie Nagy
63  Ted Morrill

Tampa 14, Florida State 6

11/17/1951, Tampa, Fla.

Click here for program cover

From the Tallahassee Democrat, November 18, 1951, page 6, by Fred Pettijohn.

PHILLIPS FIELD, TAMPA, FL - Tampa's big Spartans, fired-up so high that they never noticed the cold weather, ended Florida State University dominance of the Southeast's small college football circles here last night with a 14-6 victory in a rough and tumble brawl that resulted in an almost fantastic total of 24 penalties and 235 yards in assessments.

A record Tampa University crowd of around 12,000 saw Coach Frankie Sinkwich's Spartans hand the Seminoles their second loss of the season and their first since November of 1949 when Livingston State of Alabama turned the trick. Two terrific halfbacks, Vince Chicko and gene King, and a hard-running fullback, Jim Mathis, combined with some fierce line play by the Spartans to fashion a stunning upset victory that sent fans streaming out on the field to hug and wrestle the Tampa squad.

Chicko scored Tampa's first touchdown in the first period on a beautiful 75-yard punt return, and Mathis scored the second and clinching TD on the first play of the fourth period with a determined 18-yard reverse run.

King didn't score, but he was all over the battlefield from his defensive halfback position, batting down passes, recovering fumbles and coming in to make jarring tackles.

Tampa's line play was sparked by some great defensive end work.

Lone FSU Score

Nelson Italiano, playing before his hometown crowd, scored FSU's lone touchdown in the third period with a beautiful 35-yard slash off right tackle which saw him fight away from four tacklers and finally hit paydirt on sheer fight.

Holland Aplin, towering end, clicked on both of his extra points, the second of which made it necessary for the Seminoles to score twice more to win since Ernie Huggett's attempt had blown wide to the right.

Don Veller's Indians, put back of the eight-ball by that first period dash of Chicko's never could knock the spark out of the Spartans during the remaining minutes of play, though it appeared that the tide was turning shortly after the half.

The Seminoles only other really deep penetration went to Tampa's 7 in the closing seconds of the first half. The Indians crunched to the 24 late in the game, but the fumbles or penalties popped up to knock them down every time they seemed cocked to throw another touchdown salvo.

Tampa lost the staggering total of 144 yards in penalties, being caught 13 times. FSU was set back 95 yards for 11 infractions.

Rough Play

The rough and tumble play sent two Spartans to the hospital in the first half. Lou Sequella was reported to be suffering from a possible fracture of the spine and tackle Ernie Rubio had a possible shoulder dislocation.

The Indians, of course, didn't escape injuries, with over a half-dozen being helped from the field.

This win was Tampa's sixth of the season against three losses and a tie. They were beaten by Wofford, which FSU humbled last weekend, 14-0, Bradley and Appalachian, and tied Stetson.

The Seminoles, whose season ended last night have a 6-2 mark.

The cold, numbing weather, resulted in a series of fumbles that vied with penalties as disturbing elements.

First Quarter

After the teams had sparred for six minutes with most of the action between the two 40-yard lines and the Seminoles making the only first down of the game, Tampa struck with stunning suddenness for the first score. Tommy Brown, punting from his own 34, got a high one off to Gene King on the 25. King reversed to Chicko, in double-safety. Chicko slipped away from one tackler at the 26, picked up his blockers and sped down the north sideline for the score. Aplin converted and it was 7-0 with 8:35 remaining in the period.

Thompson took Aplin's following kickoff on his 6 and sped out to the 21, but the Seminoles stalled and the teams exchanged punts before FSU finally began to show some of its running power. With Sellers banging like a bull into the middle, the Indians moved from their 14 to Tampa's 32 before bogging down. King ran Brown's punt from his 6 to his 22 just as the period ended.

Second Quarter

Hiers made a circus catch of Lahosky's 30-yard aerial on the FSU 49 to pose another threat, but Mathis fumbled when Dawkins racked him on the 36 and Italiano recovered there to give the Indians possession. Two plays later Tampa regained the ball. King intercepted a Fiveash toss at the FSU 44. Lahosky's aerial barrage failed, and Williams and Brown exchanged punts before Dawkins recovered Mathias' second fumble on his own 32. A 15-yard penalty and Thompson's 25-yard run on the old Statue of Liberty on a fake quick kick moved FSU deep down to Tampa's 28. A 5-yard loss and a 5-yard penalty set the Seminoles back to the Spartan 35, but Italiano speared Whitmer with a first down shot to the 10.

Italiano took three cracks at the line, moving to the 7, then passed incomplete in the end zone. Three Tampa running plays moved to the 11, then a penalty set them back to the 6. Williams punted out on his own 44. Fiveash hit Whitmer on the Tampa 31, but the next toss was incomplete and the half ended as Fiveash passed short to Huey after being trapped.

Third Quarter

Thompson trucked Aplin's kickoff from his 10 to the 29 where he fumbled and Campbell recovered. After FSU stalled and Brown punted out on Tampa's 49, King fumbled at right end and T. Brown recovered on his 41 for FSU. Brown punted out on Tampa's 26 after a roughing-the -kicker penalty had barely missed giving FSU a first down, and the teams traded fumbles around midfield. Brown hauled Williams' punt from his 20 to the 31, and FSU sped into Tampa territory, on two Italiano slashes and 1 15-yard penalty, to the 46. Fiveash and Italiano went to the Tampa 33, but a 15-yard penalty set FSU back to the 48. Italiano passed to Whitmer on Tampa's 32. Whitmer lateraled to a lineman who fumbled and the ball bounded to the Spartan six where Marley recovered. King ran Tampa's back away from the wall to the 18, but the Spartans finally had to punt. Williams booted out at midfield. Turk slammed to the 46, then Campbell scooted to the Spartan 35 on a buck lateral pitchout to the end. Italiano broke off right tackle on a beautifully determined run, shook off four men, and finally dove over the goal after apparently being stopped at the three. Huggett's placement was wide to the right and it was Tampa 7-6 with 1:20 left in the period.

Chicko returned Huggett's kickoff 42 yards to the Seminole 46, and Tampa got 15 more when an Indian was detected slugging.. With Lahosky running and passing Tampa churned to the 18 as the period ended.

Fourth Quarter

On the first play of the period Mathis fought his way around right end on a reverse and battled over for the score. Aplin's kick was low, but good and it was 14-6.

Thompson raced the kickoff back 30 yards to his 39 and a Turk pass to Whitmer moved to Tampa's 39. Turk got away up the middle for 11, but a 15-yard penalty set the Indians back and they finally had to kick, Brown booting out beautifully on the 4.

After a flurry of 15-yard penalties moved the ball back and fourth crazily, Williams punted to FSU's 34.

Fiveash speared Whitmer on Tampa's 42 but he fumbled and King recovered on his 38. Another series of penalties was interrupted by Brown's interception of a Lahosky pass on his 30 which he returned to midfield. Fiveash's pass to Thompson moved the ball to the 35. FSU was penalized back to the 39 before Fiveash hit Whitmer on the 27. FSU was set back 5 more to the 32. Fiveash dashed up the middle to the 27.

Chicko raced around right end, almost getting away, before being stopped on FSU's 29. A 15-yard penalty set Tampa back to the 44. Arnold recovered Chicko's fumble at midfield.

A Fiveash-Brown pass carried to the 37, but Fiveash was trapped away back on his own 48 and three passes failed.

Tampa crunched to the 20 in seven plays before Lahosky was hit back on the 28 as the game ended.

FSU
Left Ends - Campbell, Jimmie Lee Taylor
Left Tackles - Wodrich, Szczpanik
Left Guards - C. Brown, Bradley, O'Neal
Centers - Kalenich, Owen
Right Guards - Slabaugh, Schmeltz, Booth
Right Tackles - Dawkins, Merrit, Karlowicz
Right Ends - Arnold, Whitmer
Quarterbacks - Huey, Huggett
Left Halfbacks - Fiveash, T. Brown, Brenner
Right Halfbacks - Bringger, Thompson, Italiano, Woodham
Fullbacks - Turk, Sellers

  1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Florida State
0
0
6
0
6
Tampa
7
0
0
7
14

1st   0- 7  Opp, 75, punt return/blocked punt (kick), 8:35 
3rd   6- 7  Nelson Italiano, 35, run (Ernie Huggett, kick failed), 1:20 
4th   6-14  Opp, 18, run (kick)


TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP First downs 15 9 Rushes-yards 9-138 144 Passing 158 74 Att-Comp-Int 25-11-1 13-8-1 Total Yards 34-296 218 Punt Returns 1-11 1-75 Kickoff Returns 3-64 Interception Ret. 1-20 1- Fumble Returns 5-0 3-0 Punts 7-33.0 8-29.0 Fumbles-Lost 3 5 Penalties-Yds 11-95 13-144 Attendance 12,000 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Team 0 44 0 Nelson Italiano 4 38 1 35t Roy Thompson 1 25 0 Dick Turk 2 15 0 Curt Campbell 1 11 0 Bobby Fiveash 1 5 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 9 138 1 35t Opp 144 1 Receiving No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Bob Whitmer 5 75 0 Team 5 68 0 Roy Thompson 1 15 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 11 158 0 Opp 8 74 0 Passing C- A- I Yds TD Lng ----------------------------------------------- Team 5 18 0 68 0 Nelson Italiano 2 2 0 41 0 Bobby Fiveash 3 4 1 40 0 Dick Turk 1 1 0 9 0 ----------------------------------------------- FSU 11 25 1 158 0 Opp 8 13 1 74 0 Punt Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Tommy Brown 1 11 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 1 11 0 Opp 1 75 1 75t Kickoff Return No Yds TD Lng --------------------------------------------- Roy Thompson 3 64 0 --------------------------------------------- FSU 3 64 0 Punting No Yds Lng ---------------------------------------- Team 6 190 Tommy Brown 1 41 ---------------------------------------- FSU 7 231 Opp 8 232 |---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Dawkins . . . . . . . . 1- 0 1 . . Nelson Italiano . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . Tommy Brown . . . . . 1- 20 . . 1- 0 . . . Jim Arnold . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . Team . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FSU 0 0 0 . . 1- 20 . . 5- 0 1 . . Opp . . . . . 1- . . 3- 0 . . . STARTERS
Pos  ##  OFFENSE
----------------------------------
RE   23  Jim Arnold
QB   24  Mac Huey
LHB  28  Bobby Fiveash
LT   33  Bob Wodrich
FB   34  Dick Turk
C    35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
LE   45  Curt Campbell
RHB  49  Harry Bringger
RG   52  Roger Slabaugh
LG   53  Charlie Brown
Pos  ##  DEFENSE
----------------------------------
RE   23  Jim Arnold
DB   24  Mac Huey
DB   28  Bobby Fiveash
LT   33  Bob Wodrich
LB   34  Dick Turk
MG   35  Steve Kalenich
RT   39  Bill Dawkins
LE   45  Curt Campbell
DB   49  Harry Bringger
RG   52  Roger Slabaugh
LG   53  Charlie Brown
PARTICIPANTS
##  NAME
-----------------------------
11  Roy Thompson
16  Tommy Owen
18  Charlie Booth
20  Tommy Brown
27  Preston Bradley
29  Ernie Huggett
30  Vic Szczepanik
31  Jimmy Lee Taylor
37  Al Woodham
##  NAME
-----------------------------
42  Nelson Italiano
43  Wayne Benner
44  Mike Sellers
56  Dossey Merritt
57  Earl O'Neal
58  John Karlowicz
59  Bob Schmelz
60  Bob Whitmer