September 28 Crowd Reacts

The crowd for the Cal Bears 1940 home opener went with high spirits to watch their team play. Their cheers were all but dismissed as an opposing All-American Player struck them with awe. The young half back at an away game heard...

The scene was September 28, 1940 in Berkeley, California where the University of Michigan gridders traveled to play their first game of the new season. 35,000 fans packed Memorial Stadium to watch their California Golden Bears kick off their football year as well. It was dubbed as an instersectional game for both, sort of a warm up against quality opposition to ready themselves for League play which would commence soon.  Michigan had a young man in their backfield who was celebrating his 21st birthday. Harmon led the nation in scoring and was a consensus All-American the year prior, so the Bears went into the game knowing what they had to contend with.  What Cal may not have realized was that Harmon would be bring the birthday party to the field that day. The guest of honor at this celebration the elusive back was blowing by defenders like candles on a cake. He took the opening kick off the distance starting his work of scoring just 15 seconds into the contest!  The legendary Wolverine had one of his finest collegiate days with runs of 72, 86 and 94 yard touchdowns just in the first half of play!

Harmon's second TD may have topped the first one as a Cal punt sailed over his head, hit the ground as the returner raced back to scoop it up. The LA Times descibes it the next morning as; "like a flash, (he) swooped and spun through an open field for 70 (yards) and a score."

Could anyone stop, Number 98 of Michigan on this day? Cal fans were getting frustrated I am sure watching Harmon run through their befuddled defense like a bowling ball goes through a wet paperbag. There was maybe one way to stop him though at least that was the thought of a fella which the Los Angeles Times described as a 'bald-headed coatless man" later found to be a guy named Bud Brennan. Brennan a fan at Memorial Stadium, during Harmon's 86 yard scamper to paydirt, raced out of stands to become a 12th man in the defense of Cal's goal line. The spectator having seen enough of the Michigan back's heroics on the afternoon attempted to tackle Harmon at the 3-yard line. That strategy failed too as Harmon easily put a move on him and scurried into the endzone past. The now embarassed fan was quickly escorted out of the stadium by authorities.

Harmon on the day scored 28 of Michigan's 41 points

In post script Tom Harmon won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, Big  Ten MVP, and the Associated Press Athlete of the Year award in 1940. Harmon rushed for 844 yards on 186 carries, an average of 4.5 yards per carry and 105.5 yards per game. The amazing player also led the country in scoring for the second straight year, with 117 points on 16 touchdowns, 18 extra points, and one field goal. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954 and played in the NFL for the LA Rams in 1946 and 1947. The Wolverines retired his famous Number 98 jersey from further use.

The 1940 Michigan team compiled a 7–1 record, losing to national champion Minnesota by one point, and finished the season ranked number three in the final AP polls. A few decades later. Tom's son would be a star quarterback for UCLA, and then become a big name in Hollywood, Mark Harmon.

The banner photo is of Jim Thorpe with the New York Giants of the National League of Baseball, at the Polo Grounds ready to bat in 1913. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons and taken by the Bain News Service.

A Very Special thanks to information obtained from the following brilliant internet sites: On This Day Sports, the Sports Reference's family of website databases & Stathead.com