1958 Maryland Terrapins football team
Encyclopedia
The 1958 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) college football
in its sixth season
as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
. They were led by third-year head coach Tommy Mont
, who guided Maryland to a 4–6 record. He resigned at the end of the season, and was replaced by Tom Nugent
.
predicted 1958 would prove to be Mont's first winning season because of increased depth, but also noted the difficulty of the schedule, which included six teams ranked in the Associated Press
preseason poll. Mont rated Clemson and Auburn
as the toughest opponents on the schedule.
The coaching staff consisted of:
champion."
Maryland rebounded to defeat the defending ACC champions, , in Raleigh
, 21–6. In the first quarter, a 73-yard Terrapins drive culminated with halfback
John Forbes scoring on a four-yard rush
. In the third quarter, quarterback
Dickie Lewis connected with Forbes, who ran without his left shoe, into the end zone
for a 71-yard touchdown
. In the fourth quarter, Forbes recovered an NC State fumble
on the opposing 25-yard line, which set up the third Maryland score. In the final period, Wolfpack back Randy Harrell intercepted a Maryland pass
on the Terrapins' 41-yard line, and on the ensuing possession, caught a 15-yard pass from Gerald Mancini for State's lone score.
The following week, tenth-ranked Clemson beat Maryland, 8–0. The Terrapins' first-team defense stood fast on their own four-yard line, but the second team was substituted into the game and forced to punt. On the first play of Clemson's subsequent possession, quarterback Harvey White
threw a 30-yard pass to end Wyatt Cox, who then beat two Maryland pursuers and ran twenty yards for a touchdown.
, running its single-wing offense, defeated Maryland, 14–10. Early in an 88-yard Texas A&M drive, Maryland's Tony Scotti
recovered a fumble on the Aggie 30-yard line, but it was overturned on an offsides call. Quarterback Charlie Milstead
took over, and capped the drive with a three-yard keeper
into the end zone. In the fourth quarter, Maryland repeatedly entered Texas A&M territory, only to give up a fumble and an interception.
's stout defense "bottled up" Maryland, and its offense scored on several sustained drives. The Tar Heels scored on their first possession with a 60-yard drive. In the second quarter, Tar Heels quarterback Jack Cummings led an 80-yard scoring drive. Later in the period, Carolina end Al Goldstein picked off a pass by Bob Rusevlyan and ran 46-yards for a touchdown. In the final quarter, Carolina scored again on an 70-yard drive for a final result of 27–0.
Fifth-ranked Auburn
handed Maryland its fourth straight loss, 20–7, and extended its own undefeated streak to nineteen games. Auburn scored first to take a 6–0 lead, but Maryland quarterback Rusevlyan connected with end Ben Scotti
for a 68-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. With the extra point, Maryland went up 7–6, which was the first time Auburn trailed an opponent since the previous season's game against . After the ensuing kickoff, Auburn scored in the span of two plays, but failed on the point after kick. At the end of the third period, a pass from Rusevlyan was intercepted by back Tommy Lorino, which put Auburn in position for their final score.
Maryland snapped its losing streak with an upset against , 10–6. The following week, however, routed Maryland, 40–14. Fullback Joe Matalavage compiled 102–rushing yards more than the entire Maryland team.
Maryland beat an injury-riddled , 26–14. The Miami News
wrote, "This MD—home of University of Maryland—produced some mad, unlicensed surgeons, some butchers in the middle of the line, notably guards Rod Breedlove
and Tom Gunderman, who chopped up the Hurricanes." Maryland quarterback Dick Scarbath led the team and back John Forbes scored three touchdowns.
In the finale, Maryland routed , 44–6. The Terrapins set a conference record with 350 passing yards, and tied the records for pass attempts with 40, and completions with 18. Guard Rod Breedlove also intercepted two Virginia passes, both of which set up Maryland touchdowns.
NC State head coach Earle Edwards
, Oklahoma
line coach Gomer Jones
, and Maryland assistant Jack Hennemier
were considered to be candidates for the vacant head coaching position. In January 1959, Maryland hired Florida State
head coach Tom Nugent
, an innovator of the I formation
.
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
in its sixth season
1958 college football season
The 1958 college football season was the first to feature the two point conversion. On January 13, 1958, the 11-man NCAA Rules Committee unanimously approved a resolution to allow teams to choose between kicking an extra point after a touchdown, or running or passing from the 3 yard line for 2...
as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. They were led by third-year head coach Tommy Mont
Tommy Mont
Thomas Allison "Tommy" Mont is an American educator, university administrator, college football coach, and NFL player. He played quarterback for the Washington Redskins as a back-up behind Sammy Baugh for three seasons. Mont served as the head football coach for three years at the University of...
, who guided Maryland to a 4–6 record. He resigned at the end of the season, and was replaced by Tom Nugent
Tom Nugent
Thomas N. "Tom" Nugent was an American college football coach and innovator, sportscaster, public relations man. He served as the head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute, Florida State University, and the University of Maryland. His career record was 89–80–3...
.
Before the season
The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
predicted 1958 would prove to be Mont's first winning season because of increased depth, but also noted the difficulty of the schedule, which included six teams ranked in the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
preseason poll. Mont rated Clemson and Auburn
1958 Auburn Tigers football team
1958 Auburn Tigers Football Team is the defending "National Champion" football squad for Auburn University during the 1958 season:-Schedule:-References:...
as the toughest opponents on the schedule.
Personnel
The 1958 team consisted of the following letterwinners:- Al Beardsley
- Ed Becker
- Joe Behrmann
- Dale Betty
- Pete Boinis
- Rod BreedloveRod BreedloveRodney Winston Breedlove is a former American football linebacker who played eight seasons in the National Football League with the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1960 to 1967...
- Everett Cloud
- Bob Cole
- Fred Cole
- Leroy Dietrich
- Tom Flor
- Dwayne Fletcher
- John Forbes
- Bob Gallagher
- Joe GardiJoe GardiJoseph Gardi was an American football coach. He served sixteen years as the head coach for the Hofstra University football team.-Early life:Gardi was born in Harrison, New Jersey where he attended Harrison High School...
- Tom Gunderman
- Jim Hatter
- Jim Joyce
- Fred Kern
- Ted Kershner
- Ron Laneve
- Bob Layman
- Bill Lazaro
- Dickie Lewis
- Ed Nickla
- Bob Rusevlyan
- Dick Scarbath
- Victor Schwartz
- Kurt Schwarz
- Ben ScottiBen ScottiBenjamin Joseph Scotti is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League. A graduate of the University of Maryland , Scotti played for the Washington Redskins , the Philadelphia Eagles , and the San Francisco 49ers...
- Tony ScottiTony ScottiAnthony "Tony" Joseph Scotti is an American actor, television and film producer, and co-founder of Scotti Brothers Records.-Acting:...
- Vincent Scott
- Ron Shaffer
- Gene Verardi
The coaching staff consisted of:
- Tommy MontTommy MontThomas Allison "Tommy" Mont is an American educator, university administrator, college football coach, and NFL player. He played quarterback for the Washington Redskins as a back-up behind Sammy Baugh for three seasons. Mont served as the head football coach for three years at the University of...
, head coach - Gene AldertonGene AldertonWayne Eugene "Gene" Alderton was an American football player. He played college football for the University of Maryland...
- William Dovell
- Ed FullertonEd FullertonEdward Reno Fullerton is a former American football halfback and defensive back. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1953 NFL Draft and played one season in the National Football League...
- Jack HennemierJack HennemierJohn M. "Jack" Hennemier was an American football coach and scout. He served as the head coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League for one and a half seasons, and also held assistant coaching positions at several colleges, most notably, the University of Maryland, College...
- Johnny Idzik
- Fred Layman
- Roy LesterRoy LesterE. Roy Lester is an American former college and high school football coach. After a successful career at the high school level, he served as the head coach of the University of Maryland football team from 1969 to 1971. Lester was the school's fourth head coach in five years, and compiled a 7–25...
Season
In the season opener, Wake Forest snapped a 12-game losing streak and routed Maryland, 34–0, which "about eliminated Maryland from consideration as a possible Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
champion."
Maryland rebounded to defeat the defending ACC champions, , in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, 21–6. In the first quarter, a 73-yard Terrapins drive culminated with halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
John Forbes scoring on a four-yard rush
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
. In the third quarter, quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Dickie Lewis connected with Forbes, who ran without his left shoe, into the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
for a 71-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. In the fourth quarter, Forbes recovered an NC State fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
on the opposing 25-yard line, which set up the third Maryland score. In the final period, Wolfpack back Randy Harrell intercepted a Maryland pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
on the Terrapins' 41-yard line, and on the ensuing possession, caught a 15-yard pass from Gerald Mancini for State's lone score.
The following week, tenth-ranked Clemson beat Maryland, 8–0. The Terrapins' first-team defense stood fast on their own four-yard line, but the second team was substituted into the game and forced to punt. On the first play of Clemson's subsequent possession, quarterback Harvey White
Harvey White
Harvey Talbert White was an American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who played for the American Football League's Boston Patriots. He was the first person to sign a Patriots contract on December 20 1959. He played in 3 games for the Patriots in 1960.-External links:*...
threw a 30-yard pass to end Wyatt Cox, who then beat two Maryland pursuers and ran twenty yards for a touchdown.
, running its single-wing offense, defeated Maryland, 14–10. Early in an 88-yard Texas A&M drive, Maryland's Tony Scotti
Tony Scotti
Anthony "Tony" Joseph Scotti is an American actor, television and film producer, and co-founder of Scotti Brothers Records.-Acting:...
recovered a fumble on the Aggie 30-yard line, but it was overturned on an offsides call. Quarterback Charlie Milstead
Charlie Milstead
Charles Frank Milstead is a former American football quarterback and defensive back for the Houston Oilers of the American Football League. He played college football at Texas A&M University and was drafted in the fourteenth round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins.-References:...
took over, and capped the drive with a three-yard keeper
Quarterback keeper
A quarterback keeper or keeper in American football is a designed play in which the quarterback does not pass or hand off the ball to another player and instead rushes forward with it in an effort to gain yardage...
into the end zone. In the fourth quarter, Maryland repeatedly entered Texas A&M territory, only to give up a fumble and an interception.
's stout defense "bottled up" Maryland, and its offense scored on several sustained drives. The Tar Heels scored on their first possession with a 60-yard drive. In the second quarter, Tar Heels quarterback Jack Cummings led an 80-yard scoring drive. Later in the period, Carolina end Al Goldstein picked off a pass by Bob Rusevlyan and ran 46-yards for a touchdown. In the final quarter, Carolina scored again on an 70-yard drive for a final result of 27–0.
Fifth-ranked Auburn
1958 Auburn Tigers football team
1958 Auburn Tigers Football Team is the defending "National Champion" football squad for Auburn University during the 1958 season:-Schedule:-References:...
handed Maryland its fourth straight loss, 20–7, and extended its own undefeated streak to nineteen games. Auburn scored first to take a 6–0 lead, but Maryland quarterback Rusevlyan connected with end Ben Scotti
Ben Scotti
Benjamin Joseph Scotti is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League. A graduate of the University of Maryland , Scotti played for the Washington Redskins , the Philadelphia Eagles , and the San Francisco 49ers...
for a 68-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. With the extra point, Maryland went up 7–6, which was the first time Auburn trailed an opponent since the previous season's game against . After the ensuing kickoff, Auburn scored in the span of two plays, but failed on the point after kick. At the end of the third period, a pass from Rusevlyan was intercepted by back Tommy Lorino, which put Auburn in position for their final score.
Maryland snapped its losing streak with an upset against , 10–6. The following week, however, routed Maryland, 40–14. Fullback Joe Matalavage compiled 102–rushing yards more than the entire Maryland team.
Maryland beat an injury-riddled , 26–14. The Miami News
The Miami News
The Miami News was the dominant evening newspaper in Miami, Florida for most of the 20th century, its chief concurrent competitor being the morning-edition of The Miami Herald. The paper started publishing in May 1896 as a weekly called The Miami Metropolis. The Metropolis had become a daily paper...
wrote, "This MD—home of University of Maryland—produced some mad, unlicensed surgeons, some butchers in the middle of the line, notably guards Rod Breedlove
Rod Breedlove
Rodney Winston Breedlove is a former American football linebacker who played eight seasons in the National Football League with the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1960 to 1967...
and Tom Gunderman, who chopped up the Hurricanes." Maryland quarterback Dick Scarbath led the team and back John Forbes scored three touchdowns.
In the finale, Maryland routed , 44–6. The Terrapins set a conference record with 350 passing yards, and tied the records for pass attempts with 40, and completions with 18. Guard Rod Breedlove also intercepted two Virginia passes, both of which set up Maryland touchdowns.
After the season
Mont resigned at the conclusion of the 4–6 season. The St. Petersburg Times wrote the resignation "had all the earmarks of having been forced", coming just a day after the Board of Regents concluded its discussions on whether to extend his expiring contract. He said, "I'll never apologize for the performance of my Maryland teams." Mont compiled an 11–18–1 record during his tenure.NC State head coach Earle Edwards
Earle Edwards
-External links:...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
line coach Gomer Jones
Gomer Jones
-External links:...
, and Maryland assistant Jack Hennemier
Jack Hennemier
John M. "Jack" Hennemier was an American football coach and scout. He served as the head coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League for one and a half seasons, and also held assistant coaching positions at several colleges, most notably, the University of Maryland, College...
were considered to be candidates for the vacant head coaching position. In January 1959, Maryland hired Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
head coach Tom Nugent
Tom Nugent
Thomas N. "Tom" Nugent was an American college football coach and innovator, sportscaster, public relations man. He served as the head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute, Florida State University, and the University of Maryland. His career record was 89–80–3...
, an innovator of the I formation
I formation
The I formation is one of the most common offensive formations in American football. The I formation draws its name from the vertical alignment of quarterback, fullback, and running back, particularly when contrasted with the same players' alignments in the T formation.The formation begins with...
.