Countdown to 2019 IUFB Kickoff: 10 Days (IUFB 1950-1975)

Written by Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

1950 – 1975

Overview

This quarter century of Indiana football featured perhaps the peak of the program’s success when head coach John Pont led the Hoosiers to the 1968 Rose Bowl. This era got off to a rocky start as the Hoosiers cycled through three head coaches: Clyde Smith (1948-1951), Bernie Crimmins (1952-1956), and Bob Hicks (1957). These three coaches combined for just a 22-67-1 record. By the time Hicks took charge, Indiana was being investigated for potential NCAA violations. Phil Dickens came to town during the investigation and led Indiana to a modest fifth place finish in the Big Ten, a 3-2-1 overall record.

However, at the dawn of the 1960 season, IU was slapped with devastating sanctions for cash payments made to players and free flights. What a crime! The Hoosiers were seriously hampered by these sanctions, making it difficult to attract recruits and sustain any continuity. Dickens left the program in 1964 after seven seasons. During his tenure, Indiana went just 20-41-2. Despite the penalties off the field and the losses on it, 1960 saw the opening of the current Memorial Stadium. Holding over 50,000 fans, this limestone creation replaced the old Memorial Stadium stationed on Tenth Street, now home to the arboretum.

The late 60’s brought better times to Bloomington. Legendary Hoosier coach John Pont took over in 1965. The sanctions expired and after a 1-8-1 opening season, Pont’s Hoosiers roared back in 1967, achieving a 9-2 record to go along with a share of the Big Ten Conference title. Indiana lost to USC in the Rose Bowl 14-3, failing to stop OJ Simpson and unable to get anything going on offense. John Pont was unable to sustain this momentum, failing to win more than five games in a single season after the success of 1968. Pont’s overall record at IU was 31-51-1.

Lee Corso attempted to build off of John Pont’s early success but was ultimately unable to do so. Corso took over in 1973, and slowly worked Indiana back to respectable play. However, Corso didn’t notch a winning season until the 1979 season. Thus, the Hoosier football era from 1950-1975 concluded with one Rose Bowl loss and just three winning seasons. Nevertheless, the memories of the 1968 Rose Bowl season will live on. 

Best Coach

Clearly the best coach Indiana had from 1950 thru 1975 was John Pont. Pont instilled a confidence in Hoosier football unlike anything in its prior history. Pont has the third most head coaching victories at Indiana since 1950. Following NCAA penalties, Pont helped lift the program from hardship when he took over in 1965. Despite winning just three games in his first two seasons, Pont quickly found his footing when IU won a share of the Big Ten title with a 9-2 record, 6-1 in conference.  Unfortunately, the Hoosiers couldn’t quite replicate this success, failing to finish higher than fifth in the Big Ten. Regardless, Pont’s peak was memorable enough to make him the best coach of this era.

Best Team

The best team Indiana fielded was the 1968 squad. They were perhaps the best team IU has ever had. This Hoosier team raced off to an 8-0 start, compiling several impressive victories. In the first two games of the season, Indiana escaped with two narrow victories, beating Kentucky 12-10 and Kansas 18-15. In their next six games, the Hoosiers won four of them by a touchdown or less. IU had earned themselves a top-ten ranking by the midpoint of the season.

On the road against Minnesota, the Hoosiers suffered their first loss of the season. However, the quickly bounced back against rival Purdue, defeating them 19-14. Purdue was ranked in the top five at the time and sported an 8-1 record. Despite being two-touchdown favorites, IU emerged victorious. Hours later Indiana was voted into the Rose Bowl. They would fall short against USC by a score of 14-3, but the season was a great success overall.

Image: IU AThletics

The 1968 roster saw three players get drafted to the NFL: Doug Crusan, Terry Cole, and Brown Marks.  Head coach John Pont received national recognition, winning the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award and the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award. Other notable Hoosiers included quarterback Harry Gonso, defensive back Ken Kaczmarek, kicker Dave Kornowa and many others.

Best Player

The Hoosiers best player of this era also came from the Rose Bowl team. Doug Crusan played tackle, both on offense and on defense. He was team captain at the Rose Bowl and played his way into a successful professional career. After the 1967-68 season, Crusan was a first-round draft pick; 27th overall. He joined the Miami Dolphins and sustained a seven-year playing career as an offensive tackle, winning two Super Bowls. Crusan is also immortalized in football lore as a member of the 1972 Dolphins: the only undefeated team in NFL history.

Best Game

The best game of the era was the victory over Purdue that catapulted Indiana to the Rose Bowl. Watch footage of the game here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtOBaqcy_nQ IU was a massive 14-point underdog heading into the game. The Hoosiers jumped out to a 19-7 lead in the first half. Then they shut down the Boilermakers, holding them scoreless throughout the entire fourth quarter, capping off the best regular season in school history.