Bonnie Banks vs. Chuckin’ Charlie
The 29th meeting between Clemson and Boston College is scheduled for this Saturday night at 7:30 in Death Valley. The ACC Network will televise the game as its featured prime time contest. The Eagles and Tigers first met in the Cotton Bowl following the 1939 season. It was the first bowl appearance for both programs. Let’s take a look back to January 1, 1940.
Bonnie Banks vs. Chuckin’ Charlie
Clemson vs. Boston College – January 1, 1940
By Jim Roberts
Following the 1939 season, the fledgling Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas sought to significantly boost its prestige by inviting Texas A&M to play in the four-year-old classic. The Aggies, however, spurned the offer in order to meet Tulane in the Sugar Bowl for the de facto national championship. Tennessee and Oklahoma also declined invitations. The Vols chose the Rose Bowl and who could blame them for choosing the oldest and most prestigious bowl in existence. Oklahoma, however, stayed home altogether for reasons unknown to this writer. Perhaps the Sooners gambled for a bigger payday and lost or the administration did not allow the team to play the extra game, as was the custom of several schools at the time (ie: Notre Dame, Army, and Navy). There were only five bowls in 1940-Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton and Sun.
In any event, the door to the Cotton Bowl was opened for two one-loss teams in Clemson and Boston College. The Eagles entered the game ranked 11th and the Tigers were 12th.
The News Year’s Day clash featured two great All Americans, QB Charlie O’Rourke of BC and single-wing TB Banks McFadden of Clemson. O’Rourke was possibly the greatest passer in the country and McFadden was a triple threat tailback who could run, pass, kick and play terrific defense. On the offensive line, the Tigers had end Joe Blalock who would become a two-time All American in 1940-41. Both teams boasted prolific offenses and stout defenses. On this day, however, some of the best defense ever played in a bowl game, even to this day, was on display on the burnt brown grass of the Cotton Bowl.
Overall, the teams that met in Dallas that day were extraordinarily talented, but they were led by two young Hall of Fame Coaches who were among the greatest of all-time: Frank Leahy of BC and Jess Neely of Clemson. Both would gain most of their notoriety at other schools, Neely at Rice and Leahy at Notre Dame, but the 1939 season was among their best.
It became evident early in the contest on a sunny News Year’s afternoon that this would be a defensive struggle. Neither team registered a point in the first quarter. Early in the second stanza BC finally scored on a 24-yard field goal by Alex Lukachik. Trailing 3-0 the Clemson offense quickly went to work. With the Eagle defense keying on McFadden and wingback Shad Bryant, fullback Charlie Timmons pounded the line, repeatedly picking up first down yardage until he concluded the drive with a short burst off tackle for the game’s only touchdown.
On their way down the field to the Eagle goal line, the Tigers mixed in an 18-yard scramble by McFadden and a completion by Bonnie Banks to back-up end “Warhorse” Jackson which had picked up a vital first down at the BC 18 yard line. Jackson appeared to be covered well on the play, but Eagle defensive back Pete Cignetti went for the interception and misjudged the loft of McFadden’s pass which Jackson snagged for the first down. Clemson botched the extra point attempt and the teams went to the locker room at the half with the Tigers leading 6-3.
The halftime show featured the synchronized marching maneuvers of the Clemson Senior Drill Platoon. Their performance gained national recognition for the unit. The following story appeared in the Boston Post the next day.
Clemson Senior Drill Platoon in Exhibition
The Clemson Senior Drill Platoon, the largest R.O.T.C. unit of its kind in the country, monopolized all the between-the-half honors for itself with a snappy drill exhibition. Called by many an outfit better than even the West Point Cadets, the Clemson lads marched through a series of intricate maneuvers, which contrasted sharply with the straight regulation formations of the West Pointers and proved equally interesting to watch. Musical honors for the day went to the Clemson Cadet Band and that of St. Joseph’s Academy of Dallas, who represented Boston College.
Both bands remained in the stands between the two halves, however, yielding to the show of the Clemson platoon.
The third quarter was reminiscent of the first as both defenses were nearly impregnable. Boston College did manage to drive deep into Clemson territory to the seven-yard line. Aided by a 15-yard holding penalty and a strong Tiger secondary, The Eagles were turned away on downs.
Clemson’s ball-control offense ate up a chunk of the clock in the fourth quarter. Chuckin’ Charlie O’Rourke filled the air with passes as BC desperately tried to score. The Clemson defense held firm and the contest came down to a late drive by O’Rourke and his men which began on the Tigers’ 34 after BC nose-guard Al Morro grabbed a deflected pass and rumbled 17 yards. The Tigers had their backs to the wall and responded in a manner which would have made current DC Brent Venables leap with joy.
An Eagle guard got the ball on a trick play and chugged down to the 25. Then Cignetti picked up 3 to the 22 for a first down. With time becoming a factor Cignetti faked to wingback George Kerr and kept the ball as the Tigers overpursued. Linebacker Timmons saved a touchdown and probably the game by dragging Cignetti down at the 16-yard line.
The Clemson defense really tightened up at this point as two running plays netted only three yards. O’Rourke went to the air on 3rd and 4th down, but his passes were batted down in the end zone by the great McFadden.
The Eagles got the ball back one more time, just long enough for O’Rourke to fire a long pass to receiver Dick Harrison in the Clemson end zone. Harrison was covered by two Clemson defenders. He split them and was open briefly, but could not quite reach the ball.
The Clemson fans, coaches and team breathed a huge sigh of relief as the Tigers won their first bowl game. It was a long, but happy train ride home that first week in January 1940.
Clemson had many standout performers in Charlie Timmons, “Warhorse” Jackson, blocking back Joe Payne who opened the hole for Timmons to score, but one man stood out to the selection committee – TB and DB Banks McFadden. The senior kept Boston College bottled up much of the day with seven punts averaging 42.5 yards each. His 18-yard scramble while attempting to pass kept Clemson’s lone touchdown drive alive. On defense, he was all over the field and batted down two of O’Rourke’s potential TD passes in the end zone.
The Clemson – Boston College match-up in the 1940 Cotton Bowl is clearly one of the most historically significant football games in Southern football history.