63 Year Old Rice Stadium in 2013. – GO OWLS!
The following (AP) story appeared in the Sunday, October 1, 1950 edition of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Thank you Newspaper Archive (dot) Com for making this kind of wonderful information available to the digital world:
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Rice Triumphs, 27-7, on Glass’ Passing
HOUSTON, Sept. 30 (AP) – Quarterback Vernon Glass, who didn’t see much action last year, threw four touchdown passes tonight as Rice’s Owls walloped Santa Clara, 27-7, in an intersectional game that dedicated Houston’s new stadium.
A near capacity crowd of 68,000 saw the 21-year old senior from Corpus Christi, whose talents had been hidden for two years by the quarterbacking of Tobin Rote, come into his own.
Decimated by the loss of Rote and 20 other letterman from the team that won the Southwest Conference championship last year and drubbed North Carolina, 27 to 13, in the 1950 Cotton Bowl game. Rice looked like it again had the makings of a major football power.
Glass completed 12 out of 21 passes as Rice totaled 217 yards in its first aerial offensive of the new season.
A blocked kick and two fumbles set up three of the Owls’ touchdowns, but Glass, who previously had enjoyed only fleeting moments of glory, gave Santa Clara nothing but trouble all night.
Outweighed Santa Clara, 1950 Orange Bowl champions, warded off two Rice touchdown bids with sporadic exhibitions of defensive brilliance.
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Historical Notes: Rice left end Bill Howton scored the first points in the new Rice Stadium in the first quarter when he caught a pass from Glass on the Santa Clara 35 and raced it home to the end zone for the first touchdown in the brand new history of the venue. – In the third quarter, Abraham Dung of Santa Clara reeled in a pass on the Rice 22 and scored with it to post the first opposition TD and score in the new book on Rice Stadium.
Happy 63rd Birthday, Rice Stadium!
Tags: Rice Stadium History
The Pecan Park Eagle 
September 16, 2013 at 4:56 pm |
Rice Stadium was ahead of it’s time as it was very well designed for excellent view lines no mattter where you sat. I have attended many football games there both college and high school. When it was getting some age a few years back, you had to be careful where you sat as the wooden seats could leave you with a splinter in the behind. It was and is a great stadium to witness a ball game.
Rice football was very competitive in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s with the excellent Jess Neely as coach. He was an excellent leader for his players leading to their great character development.
Thanks, Bill, for the story.
September 16, 2013 at 7:03 pm |
My father took me to that first game against Santa Clara. Our seats were on the last row in the corner of the upper deck. Of course we could see perfectly even though the players looked awfully small. I was 12 years old at the time, so was thrilled.
Rice had great teams back then under Jess Neely.
Enjoyed this reminder of a fun time.
Mike
September 16, 2013 at 7:28 pm |
I too was at that first game. The father of a neighborhood friend had three tickets, about 20 rows up, near the 50-yard line. and he asked me to go with them.
Although not the most avid football fan at the time, I had watched the stadium go up from the first shovel of dirt to the last seat installed. Every Friday my two brothers and I would scour vacant lots for empty soda pop and beer bottles, redeem them, and use the money to bowl at the Recreation Bowling Alley on South Main. We’d bike there and back, always cutting through the Rice campus to check the progress of the stadium. It was a special treat to be at the first game.
Jim