Anyone alive on this board who remembers Cannon's run back vs. Ole Miss?

Your wish is my command. I was like 12 at the time. I remember being in my bedroom listening to the broadcast. Like to have killed me. In those days, you could go downtown, from store to store, and never miss anything because all the stores had the game on. I became a die hard Reb, most of my family was then.
After I got to my teenage years, I had this experience. I asked this young lady out for the first time. She asked me where we were going. I told her that I would like to go to the "drive-inn." She said that she did not go to the drive-inn on the first date. I told her that I only wanted to be able to check on the LSU/OM game that was on that night. She said no. I took her home.

The following is from the book OLE MISS REBELS MISSISSIPPI FOOTBALL by William W. Sorrels and Charles Cavagnaro-----------

The Bengals of Coach Paul Dietzel arrived at the seventh game on schedule, allowing just two field goals while defeating Rice, TCU, Baylor, Miami, Kentucky, and Florida, to rank No. 1 in the nation. The Rebels stood at third.

Pre-game festivities had a carnival atmosphere as airplanes dropped leaflets on each campus. Coaches went underground to avoid ticket seekers, and Louisiana newspapers billed the game as the greatest sporting event in the state since the Corbett-Sullivan heavyweight boxing match in 1882.

"Tiger meat...Tiger meat," screamed the partisans in Tiger Stadium jammed to 68,000-seat capacity an hour before kickoff on Halloween Night October 31.

College football was rewarded with one of the most dramatic games ever. The Rebels struck first when Billy Brewer recovered a Billy Cannon fumble at the LSU 21, then drove for a 22-yard field goal by Bob Khayat midway through the first quarter.

The advantage held until in the fourth quarter, Coach Vaught ordered a series of third-down punts by reliabble Jake Gibbs, hoping to take advantage of the tough Rebel defense and the slick field.

THEN THE FAMOUS BROADCAST THAT I'M SURE YOU HAVE HEARD.

Doug Elmore, the sophomore qb, stood on the sidelines watching Cannon run so close to the Rebel bench he could almost smell his breath.

Coach Vaught began looking for his youngster from Reform, Alabama, because he knew the other qbs Gibbsand Franklin-were weary. He hollered: "Elmore."

No answer. Elmore was looking at the crowd.

"Elmore!"

Still no answer.

"Elmore, dammit, come here. Get in."


There went Elmore to face the Chinese Bandits and to try to slap history in the face. He almost made it by driving the Rebels the length of the field with time running out in a display of courage that went unnoticed because of Cannon's shot heard around the world.

Ole Miss took over on its 32 with 9:52 remaining after the kickoff. A five yard penalty put the ball on the 37. Elmore got things moving by sending Cowboy Woodruff for two, then again for a first down at the 44.

Cowboy rode for three more, then Bobby Crespino collected five by running wide, and Hoss Anderson bulled for two yards and a first down at the Tiger 46. Woodruff stumbled to the LSU 40, then Anderson got three at right guard and three more and a first down at the 35.

Elmore followed with the drive's only pass, for nine to Woodruff. Anderson hit for three more and another first down at the 23. The Chinese Bandits trudged off the field and were replaced by the first-team White unit.

With the crowd screaming on every play, Woodruff hit the middle to the 19, tried again but was stopped for no gain. Elmore sprinted for two yards, bringing fourth and four. Elmore called his play again and tore around left end for a first at the Tiger 7.

George Blair replaced Woodruff and battered for two yards to the 5. Elmore inched closer to the 2. Anderson was stacked up. FOURTH DOWN.

"Time out."

Vaught sent in the only play of the series via assistant trainer Glynne Simpson, who wiped every player's face while repeating "35 slant keep." It was a slide play to the left by Elmore.

A young Rebel lineman blocked the wrong way, and a Bengal lineman shot a hand through and hit Elmore a glancing blow after his second step. It was enough to turn him toward the line where Warren Rabb and Cannon applied the finisher.

The drive consumed almost nine minutes. Only 48 seconds remained, and the drained crowd counted down the final moments.

"It was billed as the football game of the year," one writer penned. "And that was a vast understatement."

ANYONE WANT AN ACCOUNT OF THE REMATCH IN THE SUGAR BOWL?

Any of the names above ring a bell? Billy Brewer (Dog) ex-coach, Khayat, (the big boss man now)..........

 

No thanks.

Thanks for posting the excerpt from the book.

 

I am friends with a man who was at the game. He was a LSU student but believe it or not, a Rebel fan. He has told me several times that he was sitting in the student section and hollering "where's that great all-american." Over and over he says he yelled that. When Cannon scored, a young lady tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around, she smiled and said "There he is." He says he just laughed. "What could I say?":hihi:

 

Dizzy Dean & Pee wee My Dad and I watched and we were Yankee fans. In the day a player stayed on a team long enough for a man to know all the players. Now, today you pull more for the City than the players ont he team.:geauxtige

 

One of my friends at LSU used to tell the story of his father every time we played ole miss. His father was at the game, and after holding it for so long, he could hold it no more. He was in the bathroom in tiger stadium during the most famous LSU play of all time. What a memory!

 

Same thing happened to me. Sportsman's Park, St. Louis, Cards vs. Milwaukee Braves. No score, late innings. Couldn't wait anymore. While I'm gone, Stan Musial hit one. 1-0. Over. Always hated that I missed that.

Sorry for changing sports. Back to football.....

 

My dad was only 3 when it happened, so he hadn't started going to games yet, but his older brother was 12 or so and remembers it like it was yesterday.

 

This is a great thread imho....Thanks for the reading:tigerhead

 

hawthorne was so fired up during cannon's runback he credited jack hunt with the miracle touchdown.

 

macatak,

Thanks for posting the replay!!!

Another thing. I talked to the great Johnny Robinson some years back about the runback.

He said in spite of the huge crowd noise, he could hear nothing on the sidelines, or else it was so loud he could hear nothing; at any rate, it was like time stood still waiting for Cannon to get across the goal line.

Thanks again!!!