1936 Fordham Rams football team

The 1936 Fordham Rams football team represented Fordham University during the 1936 college football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Jim Crowley, the Rams' offense scored 128 over eight games, while the defense allowed no more than seven points in any game, and shut out three teams, including second-ranked Pittsburgh.[1]

1936 Fordham Rams football
Conference	Independent
Ranking
AP	No. 15
1936 record	5–1–2
Head coach	Jim Crowley (4th season)
Home stadium	Polo Grounds

1936 Eastern college football independents records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Saint Anselm			–					6	–	0	–	1
No. 3 Pittsburgh			–					8	–	1	–	1
No. 10 Penn			–					7	–	1	–	0
No. 12 Yale			–					7	–	1	–	0
No. 13 Dartmouth			–					7	–	1	–	1
Franklin & Marshall			–					7	–	1	–	1
No. 14 Duquesne			–					8	–	2	–	0
Boston College			–					6	–	1	–	2
No. 15 Fordham			–					5	–	1	–	2
Holy Cross			–					7	–	2	–	1
Villanova			–					7	–	2	–	1
Army			–					6	–	3	–	0
Colgate			–					6	–	3	–	0
Drexel			–					6	–	3	–	0
Temple			–					6	–	3	–	2
Buffalo			–					5	–	3	–	0
Columbia			–					5	–	3	–	0
NYU			–					5	–	3	–	1
Princeton			–					4	–	2	–	2
Manhattan			–					6	–	4	–	0
La Salle			–					6	–	4	–	1
Northeastern			–					5	–	4	–	0
CCNY			–					4	–	4	–	0
Tufts			–					3	–	3	–	1
Harvard			–					3	–	4	–	1
Cornell			–					3	–	5	–	0
Penn State			–					3	–	5	–	0
Brown			–					3	–	7	–	0
Carnegie Tech			–					2	–	6	–	0
Massachusetts State			–					2	–	6	–	0
Syracuse			–					1	–	7	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

This team is best remembered for its offensive line, the Seven Blocks of Granite,[2] which included future National Football League (NFL) head coach Vince Lombardi; the line coach was Frank Leahy.[3]

By mid-November, the Rams were 5–0–1 and ranked third with two games to play, and the leading candidate for a Rose Bowl invitation, but a tie with Georgia at the Polo Grounds dropped them to eighth.[2][4] Five days later at Yankee Stadium on Thanksgiving, the NYU Violets handed the Rams a 7–6 defeat.[5][6] Right guard Lombardi called it "the most devastating loss of my life," dashing the hopes of a bowl game. (The previous year, Fordham had spoiled NYU's undefeated season and bowl hopes with a 21–0 shutout.)[7][8]

Fordham ended up 15th in the Final AP rankings in the first year for the poll.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance
October 3	Franklin & Marshall		Randall's Island Stadium New York, NY	W 66–7	12,000[9]
October 10	SMU		Polo Grounds New York, NY	W 7–0	30,000[10]
October 17	Waynesburg		Randall's Island Stadium[11] New York, NY	W 20–6	3,000[11]
October 24	No. 12 Saint Mary's	No. 16	Polo Grounds New York, NY	W 7–6	50,000[10]
October 31	No. 2 Pittsburgh	No. 5	Polo Grounds New York, NY [1]	T 0–0	57,000[10]
November 7	Purdue	No. 3	Polo Grounds New York, NY	W 15–0	40,000[10]
November 21	Georgia	No. 3	Polo Grounds New York, NY [2][4]	T 7–7	35,000[10]
November 26	vs. NYU	No. 8	Yankee Stadium Bronx, NY [5][6]	L 6–7	50,000[12]
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. Smith, Chester L. (November 1, 1936). "Pitt, Fordham battle to scoreless tie". Pittsburgh Press. p. 1, sports.
2. "Georgia ties Fordham, 7-7". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. November 22, 1936. p. 6.
3. "Captain of Fordham's 'Seven Blocks of Granite' dies". ESPN. Associated Press. December 29, 2005. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
4. Gannon, Pat (November 22, 1936). "It's no bowl of roses for Fordham, either". Milwaukee Journal. p. 1, part sports.
5. "New York beats Fordham in upset, 7-6". Milwaukee Journal. November 27, 1936. p. 6, part 2.
6. "Fordham bows in big upset". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 27, 1936. p. 12.
7. "New York bows out of picture". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 29, 1935. p. 10.
8. "Fists fly as New York U bows to Fordham, 21-0". Milwaukee Journal. United Press. November 29, 1935. p. 6, part 2.
9. Deegan, Thomas J. (October 4, 1936). "Fordham Conquers F. and M. by 66-7". New York Times. p. S1.
10. Luchter, P.S. "List of all Amateur Football games played at The Polo Grounds, New York". luckyshow.org.
11. Deegan, Thomas J. (October 18, 1936). "Mautte, Mulrey and Druze Tally for Fordham in Victory Over Waynesburg". New York Times. p. S4.
12. "New York University Wrecks Rams by 7 to 6". Daily Boston Globe. November 27, 1936. p. 21.