1938 Saint Mary's Gaels football
ConferenceIndependent
Record6–2
Head coach
Home stadiumKezar Stadium
1938 Western college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
San Jose State   –  11 –1 –0
Cal Poly   –  7 –2 –0
Santa Clara   –  6 –2 –0
Saint Mary's   –  6 –2 –0
San Francisco   –  5 –2 –1
Humboldt State   –  4 –2 –0
Idaho Southern Branch   –  4 –3 –0
Portland   –  5 –3 –0
Hawaii   –  4 –4 –0
Loyola (CA)   –  4 –5 –0
San Francisco State   –  2 –5 –0
La Verne   –  1 –4 –0
Santa Barbara State   –  2 –8 –0
Gonzaga   –  1 –7 –0

The 1938 Saint Mary's Gaels football team was an American football team that represented Saint Mary's College of California during the 1938 college football season. In their 18th season under head coach Slip Madigan, the Gaels compiled a 6–2 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 106 to 41. The season ended in January with a 20–13 victory over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl,[1][2] led by sophomore back Mike Klotovich.[3]

The Gaels were unranked in the AP Poll for the entire season; the final poll was released in early December. They did not win a game on Saturday all season; all of the regular season wins were played on Sunday and the two losses were road games.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 24at California
L 7–1250,000[4]
October 2Gonzaga
W 20–012,000[5]
October 9at Loyola (CA)
W 7–050,000[6]
October 16Portland
  • Kezar Stadium
  • San Francisco, CA
W 32–78,000[7]
October 23vs. San Francisco
  • Kezar Stadium
  • San Francisco, CA
W 13–620,000[8]
November 5at No. 10 Fordham
L 0–344,274[9]
November 13vs. No. 8 Santa Clara
  • Kezar Stadium
  • San Francisco, CA
W 7–060,000[10]
January 2, 1939vs. No. 11 Texas Tech
W 20–1340,000
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • Five games were played on Sunday (Gonzaga, Loyola, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Clara)

Season overview

At California

On September 24, the Gaels opened their 1938 season with a close 12–7 loss to California before a crowd of 50,000 in Berkeley. The preceding year's Cal team were undefeated and ended second-ranked in the final AP poll. The Gaels dominated the game for three quarters and led 7–0 at the start of the fourth quarter.[11]

Gonzaga

On Sunday, October 2, the Gaels defeated Gonzaga 20–0 at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. St. Mary's touchdowns were scored by Mike Klotovich, Ed Heffernan, and Mike Pierrie.[12]

At Loyola

On Sunday, October 9, the Gaels defeated the Loyola Lions 7–0 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Fullback Herb Smith scored the only touchdown.[13]

Portland

On Sunday, October 16, the Gaels defeated Portland 32–7 at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.[14]

Vs. San Francisco

On Sunday, October 23, the Gaels defeated the San Francisco Dons 13–6 before 20,000 in the rain at Kezar. San Francisco took a 6–0 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Gaels' scored two touchdowns, first on a pass from Klotovich to Aronson and later on a 53-yard run by Klotovich.[15]

At Fordham

The Gaels' November 5 game against tenth-ranked Fordham drew 44,274 to the Polo Grounds in New York City. A Fordham field goal in the second quarter counted for the game's only points, as Fordham defeated St. Mary's 3–0.[16]

Vs. Santa Clara

Eight days after losing a close game to Fordham, the Gaels upset previously undefeated Santa Clara 7–0 before 60,000 at Kezar in San Francisco. It ended Santa Clara's 16-game winning streak, dating back to the 1936 season. Fullback Herb Smith scored the Gaels' touchdown.[17]

Cotton Bowl

After the regular season, the Gaels were invited to play unbeaten and #11-ranked Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on January 2, 1939. The Gaels took a 20–0 lead into the fourth quarter and held on to defeat the Red Raiders 20–13 before 40,000. St. Mary's touchdowns were scored by Ed Heffernan and Michael Klotovich and by Whitey Smith on an interception return for a touchdown.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Saint Mary's Yearly Results (1935–1939)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  2. ↑ "1938 Saint Mary's (CA) Gaels Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Fordham To See All-American in Klotovich, Says Madigan". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 3, 1938. p. 20.
  4. ↑ Sullivan, James A. (September 25, 1938). "California beats St. Mary's, 12 to 7". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 5, sports.
  5. ↑ "St. Mary's giants crush Gonzaga under their sheer weight and power". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 3, 1938. p. 10.
  6. ↑ "St. Mary's gets close victory". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 10, 1938. p. 10.
  7. ↑ "St. Mary's beats Portland, 32-7". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 17, 1938. p. 10.
  8. ↑ "St. Mary's gets narrow victory". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 24, 1938. p. 10.
  9. ↑ "Fordham victor by field goal". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 6, 1938. p. 2, sports.
  10. ↑ Prescott Sullivan (November 14, 1938). "Gaels Explode Bronc Win Streak, 7-0". The San Francisco Examiner. pp. 17, 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Cal Wins: Golden Bears Score Late To Defeat Gaels". San Bernardino Sun. September 25, 1938. p. 15.
  12. ↑ "Galloping Gaels Blast Gonzaga 20-0". The Eugene Guard. October 3, 1938. p. 2.
  13. ↑ "Gaels Down Loyola, 7-0". Santa Cruz Evening News. October 10, 1938. p. 6.
  14. ↑ "Madigan Revamps Gael Team Following Victory". Oakland Tribune. October 17, 1938. p. 17.
  15. ↑ "Gaels Rally to Nip USF Eleven 13-6". Santa Cruz Evening News. October 24, 1938. p. 5.
  16. ↑ "Fordham on Top: Stanton's Field Goal Defeats St. Mary's, 3-0". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 6, 1938. p. D1.
  17. ↑ "St. Mary's Tumbles Santa Clara From Unbeaten Ranks: Gaels Check Six Bronco Assaults For 7-0 Triumph". Arizona Republic. November 14, 1938. p. 2-2.
  18. ↑ "St. Mary's Gaels Weather Late Aerial Barrage Beat Raiders". The Corsicana Daily Sun. January 3, 1939. p. 9.
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