Columbia Puts End to Army’s Win Streak

During World War II, a disproportionate number of high school football stars found their way to West Point, N.Y.

It was a time when most young men were destined for military service. So, better to go in as officers, many figured.

Predictably, Army ruled the roost in college football, particularly after the war ended in 1945. Between 1944 and 1947, the Cadets were unbeaten in 32 games, a streak that included victories of 83-0 over Villanova, 69-0 over Pittsburgh and 59-0 over Notre Dame.

But the streak ended 52 years ago today in New York City, at Columbia’s Baker Field. There, about 35,000 watched a stunning second-half comeback, with the Lions scoring what remains one of the century’s major football upsets, 21-20.

Columbia partisans then and now gave it higher marks than even Columbia’s 1934 upset of Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

And it didn’t seem to be in the cards--until the third quarter.

Army initially had no trouble with the Lions, cruising to a 20-7 halftime lead. Then Columbia’s quarterback, Gene Rossides, suddenly began throwing strikes to his best receiver, Bill Swiacki.

Overall, Swiacki caught eight passes, the most unforgettable a leaping, twisting catch in the end zone for Columbia’s third touchdown, with 3:32 left. The winning conversion was kicked by Ventan Yablonski.

Of Swiacki’s end-zone catch, the New York Times reported: “Nothing like it has been seen since Al Gionfriddo robbed Joe DiMaggio in the sixth game of the 1947 World Series.

Swiacki also helped set up the second touchdown, making an outstanding reception on a 26-yard play that gave Columbia the ball at Army’s three.

Also on this date: In 1973, Ethiopian Abebe Bikila, who stunned the sports world in 1960 by running barefoot over the cobblestones of the Appian Way to win the marathon at the Rome Olympics and then won again in 1964, died at 41. . . . In 1990, Evander Holyfield knocked out Buster Douglas in the third round to win the heavyweight boxing championship. It was Douglas’ first defense after upsetting Mike Tyson in Tokyo. . . . In 1964, Minnesota defensive end Jim Marshall picked up a fumble and ran 66 yards to the wrong end zone. But his Vikings still beat San Francisco, 27-22. . . . In 1986, the New York Mets’ Mookie Wilson bounced a grounder between Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner’s legs for a 6-5 victory in Game 6 of the World Series.