University of Detroit - Tower Yearbook (Detroit, MI)

Page 33 text:

thirteen Perry Richards, LE

Page 32 text:

S M . :. . Titan team finds in Triumphant Thirteen young men, mode of iron. This is the backbone of the 1955 Tifon foot- ball team. Thirteen ' ' iron-men. ' Jim Lobkovich, OB Frank O ' Connor. FB

Page 34 text:

- - - ?- :, ' ON THE TURF WITH THREE ROCKETS OVER HIM AND A MASS OF WOULD BE TACKLERS SURROUNDING HIM IS FULLBACK FRANK O ' CONN(. Failure marks opener I HE optimistic spirit which had been so prevalent at the Titans ' training camp at Brighton was virtually wiped away by a 12-7 opening game defeat to Toledo on the muddy turf of the University stadium Friday evening, Sep- tember 24. It was raining that night and Coach Fromhart ' s men had donned their 1954 maroon and white uniforms to avoid dirtying the new cardinal red and white jerseys they would be wearing for the rest of the season. The old apparel proved fitting for the occasion, because the Titans showed, at least temporarily, that they were not yet over the losing habits of the previous year. Only once in the second half did the Titans cross the mid-field stripe, and only thrice during the entire game were they successful in 30 penetrating into Toledo territory. End Perry Richards ' touch- down, coming just five seconds before intermission and after the Rockets had struck for both their touchdowns, was the single play enlivening the drab U. of D. effort. The 6 ' 3 flanker culminated a 56-yard Titan march with a magnificent leap over the heads of two Toledo defenders to spear a high, hard, 11 -yard toss from Tom Tramski. But an hour later, even the consolation of that catch faded. For the first time since 1909, a U. of D. team had been beaten in its opening game for two years in succes- sion, and it seemed that Fromhart ' s training camp obser- vation. ... we ' ll have more speed and finesse . . . , would prove faulty.