Strange But True: Coach’s Orders

Coaches expect to be obeyed. Players who don’t follow orders often get left out of the game. But on at least one occasion, players’ disobedience won a big football game.

In the Rose Bowl game of January 1, 1950 between Ohio State and California, the score was tied at 14-all, with less than a minute and a half to play. Ohio State had the ball on California’s 6-yard line, fourth down, 3 yards to go. Coach Wes Fesler pointed to his kicking specialist Jim Hague and told him to go into the game to try a field goal. Dick Widdoes was also sent in to hold the ball for Hague.

But when the kicker and his holder trotted onto the field, three Ohio State players began to scream at them. “Go back! Go back! We want the touchdown!”

Hague and Widdoes hesitated, unsure what to do. The coach had sent them in, but their teammates were waving them back. The officials milled around waiting for play to resume. Hague returned to coach Fesler, who was now enraged.

“Get in there and try for the field goal,” he shouted. “Krall and Hamilton out, Hague and Widdoes in!”

By this time, Ohio state had taken too much time. The referee picked up the football and marched off a 5-yard penalty for delay of game. He placed the ball down on the California 11-yard line, on the hash mark 20 yards in from the sidelines. Now it would be foolish to try for the touchdown.

When Hague finally got into the huddle, Krall and Hamilton, now smiling, trotted off the field.

“What’s the big idea?” Hague demanded in the huddle. “Coach Fesler almost had a fit. Why’d you cross him up?”

“We didn’t cross him, Jim,” said fullback Fred “Curly” Morrison. “We were trying to get you a better kicking angle.”

Morrison pointed out that if the play had started on the 6-yard line, the kicking angle would be bad. The five-yard penalty made the kick longer, but improved the angle. The Ohio State players had disobeyed the coach in order to get a penalty!

Holder Widdoes knelt at the California 18-yard line. The ball came back and he placed it down. Hague stepped forward and kicked. The ball just made it over the crossbar. The kick was good, and Ohio State won, 17-14.

There is no record of coach Fesler’s reaction.

From Strange But True Sports Stories by Howard Liss. Illustrations by Joe Mathieu.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/2013/09/25754/ohio-state-football-flashback-cal-1950-rose-bowl

No sound, but the winning field goal is at :47
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