ST PETERSBURG BOWL

| BOWL HISTORY | 1937 ORANGE BOWL
MISSISSIPPI STATE 12
DUQUESNE 13
January 1, 1937 • Orange Bowl • Miami, Fla.
A desperation 72-yard touchdown pass from tailback Boyd Brumbaugh to end
Ernie Hefferlie spelled an end to Mississippi State’s upset hopes as Duquesne edged
the Bulldogs 13-12 in the first decade of Orange Bowl history.
With time running out, coach John “Little Clipper” Smith’s Dukes went to the air.
His team had thrown six straight incompletions before Brumbaugh heaved one after
fading back all the way to his own 20-yard line. Hefferlie cradled it in at the State
25 and scored untouched for the game-winner.
“A shouting, shirt-sleeved crowd of 9,210 went wild when Brumbaugh’s bull’s eye
in the final period pulled the Dukes from almost certain defeat,” a local newspaper
account detailed.
Coach Ralph Sasse’s Bulldogs, who ended the year at a hearty 7-3-1 after the postseason
clash, scored first on a 10-yard run by back Ike Pickle. Pickle later boomed
an 82-yard punt for an Orange Bowl record that still stands.
After Brumbaugh plunged 1 yard and a PAT kick put the Dukes of Pittsburgh,
Pa., ahead 7-6, State reversed the advantage again when tailback Pee Wee Armstrong
of Meridian lofted a 40-yard touchdown pass to Fred Walters of Laurel to give the
Bulldogs a 12-7 lead. That same twosome had combined for a 65-yard scoring pass
to give MSU a stunning 13-7 upset at Army during the 1935 season.
Armstrong’s scintillating passes had provided State with the impetus to gain the
lead. His aerial strikes set up Pickle’s touchdown run prior to his throw to Walters
to gain Mississippi State the lead.
Brumbaugh later found Hefferlie for the game-winning TD pass in the fourth
quarter. The Dukes edged State after two Bulldog conversion tries had failed.
The narrow loss to Duquesne was a microcosm of the ‘36 season for State. The
Maroons lost three games by a total of 20 points.
Mississippi State 6 6 0 0 = 12
Duquesne 0 7 0 6 = 13
MSU — Pickle 10 run (kick failed)
DU — Brumbaugh 1 run (Brumbaugh kick)
MSU — Walters 40 pass from Armstrong (kick failed)
DU — Hefferlie 72 pass from Brumbaugh (kick failed)
MSU DU
First Downs 12 14
Rushing Yards 111 199
Passing Yards 159 110
Passes (C-A-I) 8-23-0 5-15-4
Total Offense 270 309
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 1-5 1-5
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