By Howell Peiser
1941 was one of the most eventful years in modern American history. All year long, the threat of entering the terrible new war in Europe and the threat from rising power Japan led to “expert” predictions of death and destruction. Americans read this gloom and doom in their newspapers and heard these prophets on their radios. Germany’s Nazi leader Adolph Hitler had conquered much of Europe and now saw his troops occupy a piece of Soviet Russia larger than pre-war Germany itself.
In a time before television, moviegoers flocked in droves to see outstanding films like Citizen Kane, How Green Was My Valley, The Maltese Falcon, Meet John Doe, Suspicion, and Sergeant York.
Locally, the Nashville Vols won their second consecutive Southern Association and Dixie Series championships, besting the Texas League’s Dallas Rebels four games to none.
In the horse racing world, a long-tailed, temperamental colt name Whirlaway won the Triple Crown and added the Travers among his other stakes wins.
In the college football world, 1941 was a dominating year for the Southeastern Conference. While Alabama was the preseason choice to take the conference championship, Ole Miss, Tulane, Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi State were tabbed by the experts to all be good enough to contend for conference and national honors.
In the SEC preseason poll, Vanderbilt was picked to finish in a seventh place tie with Auburn. Second year coach Henry “Red” Sanders had played quarterback at Vanderbilt under legendary coach Dan McGugin. Top assistant coach Paul “Bear” Bryant was in charge of both sides of the interior line. Coming off a 3-6-1 season in 1940 and with a majority of underclassmen on the roster, the experts figured the Commodores were not ready to challenge for a spot in the upper half of the league. However, with two of the greatest coaches of all time on the sidelines and some underrated talent, the Commodores were about to surprise those experts. With all the other news and sports stories dominating the nation’s newspapers, Vanderbilt was about to sneak up and challenge for the Southeastern Conference Championship and a spot in a New Year’s Day Bowl.
39 men showed up for the opening of fall practice in oppressive 95-degree heat. Nevertheless, they were ready to scrimmage by the second day. 21 of the 39 players were sophomores (freshmen were ineligible for varsity competition).
As practiced commenced, Coach Sanders noted that this team had more depth than the 1940 squad. The team was on the light side, averaging less than 185 pounds per man, so they would have to rely on speed and deception. Blocking back Jack Jenkins led the charge of faking magicians out of Sanders’ single wing backfield. Jenkins also served as the team’s place kicker, and he was one of the best in the nation in a time when very few college teams successfully kicked more than one or two field goals all season. Many teams made no field goals, and some teams never attempted one during the season.
Fleet junior Art Rebrovich started at tailback with power running junior John “Red” Burns backing him up. Rebrovich was a solid passer for his time; Sanders moved him from wingback to tailback the second day of practice with the thought of passing the ball more in 1941. Rebrovich’s forte was the running pass. In the single wing, the tailback received a majority of the direct snaps from the center. The running pass progressed like a sweep. The tailback ran wide behind interference looking for the ends or wingback to get open downfield, giving him a run-pass option.
Defensively, Rebrovich was the team’s best pass defender. Seldom did he let a receiver on his side of the field get open for a pass.
Bernie Rohling started at the fullback spot. The strong sophomore’s key play was a line buck straight up the middle behind a triple team block. When Vanderbilt needed to convert on third and short, Rohling frequently carried the ball or carried out a big fake.
When Sanders moved Rebrovich to tailback, sophomore J. P. Moore moved from tailback to wingback. Moore would split time on the wing with junior Binks Bushmiaer.
Senior Bob Gude headed the offensive line from his center position. In the single wing, a competent center was vital. While most of the blocking assignments called for him to double and even triple team block, Gude had to perfect snaps to three different locations. On most offensive plays, the tailback, fullback, and blocking back (quarterback) aligned in a position to receive the snap. Gude rarely missed the bullseye by more than an inch. Defensively, he led the team in tackles from his linebacker spot. At the end of the year, he would be named as a first team All-American.
Eddie Atkinson and Emile Fritz started at guard, while seniors Mac Peebles and Dan Walton anchored the line at the tackle spots. At 6-4 and 221 pounds, Peebles was the biggest player on the squad.
The starting ends gave Sanders’ offense two excellent passing targets. Jimmie Webb was without a doubt the finest end Vanderbilt had produced thus far. He could block in or out on the perimeter as soundly as anybody in the league, and he had the speed to catch the deeper routes, rarely dropping one in his vicinity. Junior Julian Olsen joined Webb at the other end spot.
The season opened with a tough road opponent in Purdue. Prognosticators picked Purdue to contend with Michigan for the Western Conference title (The conference did not pick up the nickname “Big 10” until after Michigan State joined the league in 1953, but it was referred to as “The Big Nine,” just like the SEC was nicknamed “The Big 12” in those days).
The odds makers installed the 11th-ranked Boilermakers as a 12-point favorite, citing a 12-pound per man average weight advantage and a big advantage in experience. Purdue started nine seniors and two juniors.
What the experts and odds makers couldn’t measure was how well-prepared the Goldmen were. Coach Bryant’s line dominated both sides of the ball for most of the afternoon. Defensively, they held the Boilermaker offense in check all day. The Vandy stop troops limited Purdue to just three first downs and 93 total yards, while keeping the Boilermakers off the scoreboard. Vanderbilt could fare little better offensively, but they moved the ball into scoring territory a couple times. One of those drives ended with Jenkins connecting on a 34-yard field goal. Vandy pulled off a 3-0 upset to start the season.
Next up was the home opener against Tennessee Tech. While the Commodores were an 18-point favorite, there was cause for concern. Numerous injuries from the first game and subsequent practices forced all the tailbacks but Rebrovich to the sidelines for a few days, as well as the top three ends. Just two years before, The Golden Eagles had ventured to Nashville and played the Commodores to a 13-13 tie.
For 13 minutes, the two teams battled evenly with neither squad able to move the ball. Jenkins broke the ice near the end of the first period when he tallied Vanderbilt’s first touchdown of the season to culminate a long drive. After Tennessee Tech failed to move the ball, Vanderbilt began the second quarter from their own 30 yard line and quickly marched 70 yards down the field for touchdown number two. Bushmiaer ran wide for the final 23 yards to pick up the score.
Vanderbilt’s defense set up the next touchdown. Moore intercepted a Tech pass and returned it to the Golden Eagle 32 yard line. Burns passed to Webb for 28 yards, and then Burns scored on the sweep on the next play. The half ended with Vanderbilt up 19-0. Two more third quarter touchdowns and a touchdown and a field goal in the final period made the final score 42-0. Once again, Bryant’s defensive line looked masterful. Tennessee Tech failed to pick up even one first down, as they rushed for -14 yards and failed to complete a pass. Meanwhile, the black and gold single wing rushing attack plowed through the Techsters for 393 yards. The Commodores picked up an additional 120 yards through the air for 513 total yards.
The Commodores ventured north to Lexington to take on Kentucky in the conference opener, hoping to spoil homecoming. The Wildcats, like Vandy, had begun the season with two wins. Kentucky coach Ab Kirwan promised his team would surprise Vanderbilt’s strong defense. He was correct.
Vanderbilt helped Kentucky score the first points of the game. Following a Moore fumble, Kentucky recovered the ball at Vandy’s 20 yard line. Two plays later, Rebrovich intercepted the ball just a few feet in front of the goal line. He knelt down in the end zone believing he had made a touchback, but the officials ruled it a safety. Following an exchange of punts, Kentucky’s tailback Noah Mullins ran off tackle for 76 yards to give the Wildcats a first down at Vandy’s 14 yard line. Kentucky scored a few minutes later to make the score 9-0 after one quarter.
A 57-yard punt return by Ermal Allen put the ‘Cats in business at the Commodore three, and three plays later, Kentucky scored again to make it 15-0 with four minutes to go until the half. Kentucky’s last possession of the first half brought the Wildcats within scoring range to put the game away, but a Burns interception deep in Commodore territory gave the Goldmen life with just over a minute to play
No Vanderbilt team had ever rallied to win from a 15-point deficit, until this game. In the next 31 minutes, Vanderbilt scored six touchdowns and added three extra points to win 39-15. Rebrovich was the big star with three scores. The defense stiffened and held Kentucky to just 10 total yards in the final half. The Commodore passing game came to life in this game; the final stats showed 9 of 17 for 125 yards and no interceptions. Jenkins caught two of Moore’s passes for touchdowns.
At a surprising 3-0, Vanderbilt next entertained Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were coming off a rough and tumble battle with Notre Dame. Six of their key players would play this game plagued with injuries. At the same time, the Commodores were in their worst shape of the season. Two starters were out for this game and four others would play hurt. One of those starters unable to play was Peebles at tackle.
With neither team at full strength, reserves were forced into action. The weakness showed itself in the defensive lines. Both teams had success running the ball; Tech gained 209 yards, while Vanderbilt picked up 181. Jack Jenkins proved to be the difference maker in this one. He scored twice on power moves and connected on both point after attempts, as Vanderbilt won its fourth consecutive game and second conference game by a score of 14-7.
To date, Vanderbilt had never defeated an Ivy League team (The Ivy League did not become a lower-tiered conference until the 1950’s). Princeton ventured south to Dudley Field, and the Commodores ended the Ivy losing streak. Vandy was clearly the quicker team, and the Tigers couldn’t stop the Commodores’ perimeter attack. The offense quickly ran the ball down the field on its first possession. The black and gold defense intercepted Princeton passers six times and scored four touchdowns off those changes of possession. The game was never in doubt, as Vanderbilt won 46-7. Vandy’s contingent of backs rushed for 296 yards and completed four of six passes for 93 yards.
Halfway into the season, the Commodore mark was a perfect five for five. With powerful Tulane coming to Dudley Field, it promised to be the first sellout since the stadium had been enlarged to 22,600 seats.
The Green Wave invaded Nashville as three to seven-point favorites by various odds makers. Coming off an upset loss to Ole Miss, Tulane’s players were angry and ready to take that anger out on the upstart Commodores. They outweighed Vanderbilt by an average of 20 pounds per man and planned to play power football.
The Goldmen struck first when Jenkins bulled his way in to the end zone to conclude a long drive. He added the extra point to give the V-Men a 7-0 lead. Tulane scored two touchdowns in the second period to take a 14-7 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Rohling darted wide and caught a screen pass. 70 yards later, he scored and Jenkins converted to knot the game at 14 apiece. As the clock advanced, Vanderbilt’s lack of size began to take its toil. Tulane overpowered the Commodores in the last two and a half quarters scoring three times to win 34-14. Sportswriters across the nation wrote that Tulane had been the “best team in America” on that Saturday afternoon.
The Commodores could have easily overlooked their next opponent. Sewanee had recently left the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers had been fodder for most SEC teams for the past decade. Still, Coach Sanders knew this game could be trouble for his team coming off its first loss.
Any cause for concern disappeared shortly after the kickoff. Vanderbilt scored on two sustained first quarter drives and one quick strike to take a 20-0 lead. Sanders quickly sent in his reserves, and the score remained the same for the duration of the game. The win guaranteed the black and gold a winning season, but the team was now looking for more than just that.
Victory number seven was the easiest one of the season. Vanderbilt went north to the Bluegrass state for the second time and left 68-0 victors over Louisville. The statistics told the story. Vanderbilt picked up 17 first downs; Louisville never moved the sticks. The Commodores rushed for 267 yards and held the Cardinals to -15. The Vandy backs attempted 12 passes and completed nine for 184 yards. Louisville completed seven passes for nine yards, but four of those passes were completed to Commodores. After a scoreless opening quarter, Vanderbilt scored five touchdowns in the second stanza and five more in the final half. Jenkins was responsible for three of those scores on line bucks up the middle.
The mighty Alabama Crimson Tide journeyed north to Nashville the following Saturday. Both teams sported identical 7-1 records. Alabama had beaten Tennessee, Tulane and Georgia to knock them out of the conference championship picture. This game could be the deciding factor in the 1941 SEC Championship race. Members of the Sugar Bowl were looking at Alabama as their first choice. However, if Vanderbilt could pull the upset, the Commodores would find themselves squarely on the top of their wish list.
On a positive note, the Commodores were finally back to full strength after playing most of the previous month’s games missing several key players. The interior line was in its best shape since the opening week. Assistant coach Bryant had his troops ready to face off with his alma mater, and they didn’t disappoint. After threatening early and being held on downs, the Crimson Tide could not solve the first line of Commodore defense. A third quarter score by Mr. Dependable Jack Jenkins and his subsequent extra point provided the scoreboard operator with his only work of the day. Vanderbilt pulled off the upset of the week by a 7-0 score to move to 8-1. Vandy out-gained ‘Bama by a 242 to 72 yard margin. The victory shot the Commodores into the national top 10 ranking at number eight.
Now, both the Sugar and Orange Bowls showed an interest in the Commodores. The Cotton Bowl was also in the mix. All that was needed for the black and gold fans to celebrate New Year’s Day in warmer, sunnier climes was one final victory. Of course, that victory would have to come against Tennessee in Knoxville.
The Volunteers’ 1941 season had not been as fruitful as the previous three seasons when the orange and white went undefeated in the regular season each year including a 1939 campaign when none of the 10 regular season opponents scored. Still, this was a potent team that had won seven and lost two games. The two losses came to undefeated and soon-to-be Rose Bowl-Bound Duke and to Alabama. The Vols were without their top star—field general Robert Neyland. Coach Neyland had been called to active military duty, and former Vol star and captain John Barnhill had taken his place.
Even though this game was at Shields-Watkins Field, Vanderbilt was a three to seven point favorite. Of the 32,000 fans expected to show up, more than 4,000 were coming from Nashville to cheer for the black and gold.
As he had in the previous nine games, Jack Jenkins scored. His touchdown and point after provided Vanderbilt with their only tally of the day. Unfortunately, by the time Jenkins scored his fourth quarter touchdown, Tennessee had already scored three of their own. The Vols added a final touchdown to win 26-7 and spoil the Commodores’ bowl hopes. The season ended with an 8-2 record.
The pain of that loss lasted exactly eight days. The Tennessee game occurred on November 29. Eight days later, Vandy fans, enjoying a nice Sunday afternoon, received the news over their radios that the Japanese had successfully carried out a surprise attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The country was now involved at war.
Sources: The Nashville Banner, The Nashville Tennessean, The Atlanta Constitution, the official athletic websites from Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Tulane, and Purdue, and the Wikipedia. Special thanks goes to Katy Hamlett of the Vanderbilt Athletics Media Relations Department.
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