Well, yet another season of exciting NCAA gridiron football is well underway once again, and not one moment too soon, either. It has probably also been far too long since any new posts have appeared at this particular site, which focuses on pre-World War II era history of UCLA Bruins football. So the one-man production staff here finds its especially inspirational to see that old friend “Tom Sawyer” is back in the saddle, so to speak, over at his excellent blog which also specializes in the earliest histories of gridiron football played on campus in Westwood : https://thesouthernbranch.wordpress.com
On the subject of confessions, it must be mentioned that the research has never really stopped around here and that, as a result, there prevailing overall mood of ‘unfinished business’ about. Not just with respect to all the published articles concerning the unbeaten 1939 UCLA Bruins team, but other agenda items including the other campaigns that comprised All-America left halfback Kenny Washington’s entire career at Westwood and a few other topics, as well.
The exhibit presented to begin this blog entry is a cartoon by Karl Hubenthal which appeared in the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper on November 1, 1939, three days before the annual intra-state clash between the older, more established University of California at Berkeley and its ‘upstart’ younger brother institution to the south, the University of California at Los Angeles, that year.
Towards the bottom of the cartoon, on a hill overlooking the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is California head coach Leonard “Stub” Allison, who had already earned at least a share of three Pacific Coast Conference titles in his first four years as the boss in Berkeley but, in the fall of 1939, was also well on his way to what would be his worst ever season at the Golden Bears’ helm. “Your first trip away from home (a reference to the fact that the UCLA contest was, indeed, the first away game for Cal that year) – and we run into stormy weather!” Allison explains to his obviously battered and bruised companion. Adorning the evidently frightened bear’s numerous bandages are the names of the College of Pacific, St. Mary’s, Oregon as well as the University of Southern California … coincidentally enough, the very same four schools that had already beaten the then 2-4 California Golden Bears earlier that season.
The non-conference losses to both Pacific and St. Mary’s were particularly humbling for once mighty Cal, who had posted an impressive 10-0-1 record and been crowned Rose Bowl champions in 1937 before registering another successful mark of 10-1 in 1938.
About the star UCLA left halfback, it is written that, “The key man in the Bruins attack, Washington has rolled up a record 1809 yards in his three years (a clear reference to Kenny’s cumulative ‘total offense’ rushing and passing after his sophomore and junior seasons in 1937 and 1938, respectively) – an ambidextrous passer, one of the best on the coast, he is also the stand out defensive back on the team.”
About the Westwood Warriors’ quicksilver right halfback, Robinson, it is written that, “The Bruins’ most effective weapon, Jackie is a demon in broken field – his speed and elusiveness has befuddled the best safety men in the conference.”
Of course, as it turned out, although he had dazzled the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum crowd one week earlier by rushing 83 yards for one touchdown and catching a 66-yard pass to score another against the Oregon Ducks, the UCLA Bruins simply did not require the services of Jackie Robinson for their memorable date with the California Golden Bears on November 4th in 1939. This because, in large part, 141 yards and one touchdown rushing plus two more touchdowns passing by the legendary Kenny Washington rendered the absence of his far more famous backfield mate, who had suffered a knee injury in practice and was a late scratch as a result, meaningless in a 20-7 UCLA triumph. The victory was only the Bruins’ second-ever versus their “Big Brothers to the North” in seven all-times games played to that point as well as the very first time ever that UCLA beat Cal in the city of Los Angeles.
Classic UCLA Bruins Rediscovered 