Jello
October 5, 2016
The lowest scoring game of the day was Michigan's 14-7 win over Wisconsin. Early in that contest Michigan lined up its offensive players single file behind the ball, then raced into formation and ran a play.
My good friend Roger Ebert told me that the formation was inspired by the movie "The Human Centipede". He then started talking about how they sewed people together to make the movie. I said I'd feel sorry for anyone whose mouth was sewed to me as their sinuses would be sulfur-poisoned within about 30 seconds of me finishing my jalapeno lunch.
The unusual formation did remind me of a game between Southern Cal and Oregon State back in the 1950's. The Trojans were coached by Jess Hill, who was a pretty innovative coach and was in his first year at USC. Oregon State was led by Kip Taylor, who was more focused on fundamentals.
USC's most famous player on that team was one that folks today will still remember, running back Frank Gifford. But they had a fine supporting cast and headed into the game at the Coliseum undefeated and ranked #14.
Oregon State played a fine game and, late in the game, they led 14-10. USC was driving, faced a 4th down, and called time out. Assistant coach Irvin Yeaworth set up the play. Quarterback Dean Schneider put on a new tearaway jersey made of a new material based on jello. Coach Yeaworth believed the texture of the jersey would be extra slippery. The play was to be a play action pass, with a fake to Gifford and a pass to wide receiver Bob Buckley.
Schneider went back into the game just as a rare Los Angeles thunderstorm broke out. The gelatin in the jersey absorbed the water and the jersey began to swell as the ball was snapped. As Schneider faked the handoff to Gifford, the jersey stuck to and swallowed up Gifford. The two players, unable to separate, ran to the right and forward. Oregon State pass rushers then were stuck to the USC backs. Schneider, whose hands were still free, threw the ball at the last second and it was caught by Buckley for the game-winning touchdown.
Oregon State screamed bloody murder as they argued that it should have been an illegal forward pass - while Schneider was behind the line of scrimmage, he was attached to Gifford who was in front of the line by the time the ball was released. The refs ignored their complaints and USC won the game, 16-14.
The next week the NCAA banned gelatin jerseys. Coach Yeaworth and Dean Schneider moved on to new careers in nearby Hollywood. Yeaworth became a director and Schneider starred in a horror movie loosely based on the play. Irvin Yeaworth directed Dean Schneider under his new stage name Steve McQueen in "The Blob".
And now you know the rest of the story.