1949 Sugar Bowl - Oklahoma vs. North Carolina скачать в хорошем качестве

1949 Sugar Bowl - Oklahoma vs. North Carolina

The outcome of the North Carolina-Oklahoma game may have been determined three days before when Choo-Choo Charley Justice, the Tar Heels’ engine, came down with a virus. Despite the illness, Justice had North Carolina looking like the favorite it was early, driving to the Oklahoma 7. Then he took the snap from the Tar Heel single-wing formation, started to roll out, stumbled and tried to force a pass in the flat anyway. Oklahoma linebacker Myrle Greathouse picked it off and brought the crowd to its feet as he picked up three blockers and rumbled 69 yards to the UNC 14 before Eddie Knox tackled him from behind. Eight plays later, quarterback Jack Mitchell scored from the 1. The ‘Heels got right back in it, taking advantage of a lost Sooner fumble on the OU 30. A spectacular double reverse on which Bob Kennedy, who had taken the ball from Hosea Rodgers, gained 27 yards set up Rogers for a short TD plunge. A missed PAT kept the Sooners on top. North Carolina still had a chance to go into the half in front, going to the 8 in the fading minutes before intermission. But Justice was off-target with one pass and failed to gain the necessary two yards on fourth down. The Tar Heels didn’t get past their own side of the field again until the last stages of the Sugar Bowl. “North Carolina never used it as an excuse,” said OU’s Darrell Royal, “but I always felt Charley Justice’s strength diminished as the game went along, that his health had a lot to do with it.” The Sooners added a second touchdown on a fortuitous play in the third quarter. Royal, who moved to quarterback for one snap, lofted a long pass to Frankie Anderson, but it was underthrown. However, defender Dick Bunting deflected it right to Anderson at the 10. Lindell Pearson followed with an 8-yard scoring run allowing the Sooners to concentrate on ball control and defense the rest of the way.