A Century of Carolina Football

Aug. 8, 1999

y: Joe Bray
TarHeelBlue.com

Year-by-Year:

Johnny Branch
ran wild in 1930.

1930: The Tar Heels got off to a 3-0 start before faltering to a 5-3-2 mark.. Carolina beat Wake Forest (13-7), Virginia Tech (39-21) and Maryland (28-21) to stretch its winning streak to nine behind its incredible punt return team, led by the elusive Johnny Branch, a tough guy who disdained hip pads. ranch had a non-scoring 63-yard return in the opener, while Johnny Peacock scored on an 85-yard return in the same game. Branch had an 85-yard scoring return in the next game with Virginia Tech, then returned one 96-yards for a TD against Maryland, the longest punt return in UNC's history. Pete Wyrick added a 75-yard non-scoring return in the same game... The thrills soon subsided, as a 2-3-2 finish followed the exciting start. Georgia's 26-0 win at Athens, Ga. stopped the Heels' winning streak, then Tennessee took a 9-7 win at Knoxville. A tie with Georgia Tech was followed by wins over N.C. State and Virginia, while Davidson topped the Heels 7-6 despite Branch's 68-yard non-scoring punt return...The 5-3-1 Tar Heels played host to the rejuvenated 8-1 Duke Blue Devils in the season's final game. For the first time in years, Duke was considered the favorite to win. The game, played on Dec. 6, was the third year in a row the teams had played nine days after Thanksgiving. It was cold, dark and rainy at Kenan Stadium, and the elements were to much for either team's offense. Each team punted twelve times, and neither team could complete a pass in a 0-0 tie. It would be four more years before UNC would score a point against Duke... Three of the four longest punt returns in school history occurred this year.
1931: Carolina went 4-3-3 and once again won the state title... Johnny Peacock ran a kickoff back 85 yards for a TD in 37-0 win over Wake Forest to start the season. UNC then suffered three losses and a tie to current SEC teams Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. An 18-15 over N.C. State in Raleigh stopped the slump. A 76-yard bomb from Bill Croom to Rip Slusser gave UNC the win. The next week Slusser became the first Tar Heel to be officially credited with a 100-yard rushing game, picking up 116 yards on the ground in a 19-19 tie with Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Slusser's total was made possible by an 85-yard touchdown run... After a 20-0 win over Davidson, Carolina ventured to Durham for its second appearance at Duke Stadium against the Blue Devils and their new coach, Wallace Wade. This year's game was played in clear weather, but the two low-scoring teams could not put a single point on the board, and UNC and Duke played to their second consecutive 0-0 tie before a crowd of 20,000...UNC then topped Virginia 13-6 at home on Thanksgiving Day to finish the season... From 1931-1950, the Virginia game was the final regular season game... This was the last season Carolina would have as many as three tie games... It was also the first season a Carolina team selected game captains.
1932: The Tar Heels recorded a dismal 3-5-2 record this year... A 0-0 tie with Wake Forest was followed by big losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. UNC then gained a 6-6 tie at Georgia thanks to John Phipp's 62-yard scoring pass to Hanes Lassiter before dropping a 43-14 game to Georgia Tech to fall to 0-3-2. The Heels then picked up their first win of the season with a 13-0 win over N.C. State, the Pack's only loss of the season. The sky was full of footballs that day, as UNC and State combined for a record 32 punts. John Daniels returned a kickoff 95 yards to spark an 18-13 win over Florida the next week, then the Heels evened their record at 3-3-2 with a 12-0 win at Davidson... Duke was up next in another muddy UNC-Duke game at Kenan Stadium. Each team punted the ball 14 times, and Duke scored the game's only touchdown in the second quarter for a 7-0 victory, Duke's first win over Carolina since a 6-4 win all the way back in 1893. A 14-7 loss at Virginia gave the Heels their worst mark since 1920's 2-6 record... The Southern Conference underwent a radical change following the season. The league's 13 members that were located west and south of the Appalachian Mountains reorganized into a new league, the Southeastern Conference, to help reduce the extensive travel demands that were present in the league at that time. Those thirteen teams were Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisiana St., Mississippi, Mississippi St., Sewanee, Tennessee, Tulane and Vanderbilt. The ten remaining Southern Conference schools were Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina St., South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech and Washington & Lee.
1933: Coach Collins' final team finished with a 4-5 record, leaving Collins with a 38-31-9 mark for his eight-year tenure... Carolina opened the season with a 6-0 win over Davidson, the school's 200th win. UNC then dropped games to Vanderbilt, Georgia, Florida and Georgia Tech before topping N.C. State 6-0, Carolina's fifth straight win over the Pack...Following a 26-0 win over Wake Forest, the 3-4 Heels met Wallace Wade's 7-0 Blue Devils in Durham. Duke intercepted eight Carolina passes on the way to a 21-0 win before 30,000 fans... Carolina then concluded the Collins' era with a 14-0 win over Virginia at Kenan Stadium on Thanksgiving Day... Carolina averaged just 157.7 yards of total offense per game, the second lowest total in school history. Only the makeshift 1944 squad of the war years did worse, averaging but 99.9 yards a game.
1934: The quiet Dutchman, Carl Snavely, came from Bucknell and began the first of two tours of duty as head coach. His first team was a huge success, as the Heels went 7-1-1 and won the Southern Conference championship... An opening 21-0 win over Wake Forest was followed by the only loss of the season, 19-7 to Tennessee at home. Shutout wins over Georgia and Kentucky preceded a 7-7 tie at home to N.C. State. Wins over Georgia Tech and Davidson put UNC at 5-1-1 as the Heels played host to Wallace Wade's 6-1 Blue Devils... Interest in this year's game was huge. Temporary wooden bleachers were installed behind the end zones in each end of Kenan Stadium, and an estimated 30,000 fans packed Kenan Stadium. The game was another defensive struggle, with the two teams combining for 27 punts. The score was 0-0 late in the third quarter when Carolina struck quickly. With the ball on the Heels' 40-yard line, Don Jackson hit Dick Buck with a short pass, and Buck broke several tackles on the way to a 51-yard gain to the Duke nine. After the quarter ended, two plays netted minus three yards. On third-and-goal from the twelve, Jackson hit Buck with a pass for the game's only score. Buck's touchdown, Carolina's first points against Duke since 1929, gave the Heels a thrilling 7-0 win... A 25-6 win over UVA at Charlottesville the next Saturday clinched the Southern Conference championship... The Heels' stingy defense gave up just 34 points for the season, while giving up a still-record 105 yards of total offense per game and no touchdowns by passing... Guard George Barclay became Carolina's first first-team All-America in football.
1935: Carolina had another great team, finishing 8-1, but the season was marred by a shocking upset loss to Duke... After a 14-0 win over Wake Forest to start the season, the Heels overcame a major hurdle in Knoxville, Tenn. Tennessee had beaten Carolina six times in a row, but this year's Tar Heels were too much for the Vols. Carolina won 38-13 behind nine interceptions (four by Don Jackson), then shut out Maryland (33-0), Davidson (14-0) and Georgia Tech (19-0). The next week Carolina grabbed nine turnovers (5 fumbles and 4 interceptions) in a 35-6 win over N.C. State. A 56-0 win over VMI set the stage for one of the biggest games ever in the Carolina-Duke series... The 7-0 Heels, the hottest team in the South, were rumored to be going to the Rose Bowl (there was no Big-10, PAC-10 agreement at this time), and were heavy favorites over the 5-2 Blue Devils. The much-hyped game, broadcast nationally over radio, drew a record southern crowd of 47,000 to Duke Stadium. Played under a steady rain, the game soon turned into a battle of punting and turnovers. Duke won both categories. The Blue Devils' Ace Parker had a fabulous day punting the ball, and seven Carolina turnovers to just two for Duke were too much for UNC to overcome. Duke carried a 13-0 lead into the final quarter, but the Tar Heels were threatening to score. Carolina had moved from their own 32 to the Duke 14 when Duke's Jack Alexander made the play that sealed the win for Duke. Alexander intercepted a Don Jackson pass and raced 90 yards for a TD that gave Duke a 19-0 lead. Parker's 30-yard run then gave Duke its final 25-0 margin. In one afternoon Carolina had gone from Rose Bowl dreams to runners-up for the state championship... Carolina rebounded to trounce Virginia 61-0 at home, their largest victory margin ever against the Cavaliers. UNC allowed UVA just 25 plays from scrimmage while holding them to -33 yards rushing, both records which still stand... The Heels picked off 23 passes for the season.. Don Jackson made several second-team All-America squads... Carolina, which played before a record 149,500 fans during the season, finished eighth in the final AP rankings..
1936: Carl Snavely returned to Cornell, and Ray Wolf took over the helm at UNC. The first of Wolf's six squads went 8-2... The Heels won their first four games despite, oddly, scoring just 14 points in each of these games. UNC won over Wake Forest (14-7), Tennessee (14-6), Maryland (14-0) and NYU (14-13). The NYU game marked Carolina's first game at Yankee Stadium in New York City. The Heels traveled from New York to a sweltering New Orleans and fell 21-7 to Tulane to drop to 4-1... UNC then won four of its last five games, falling only to Duke, 27-7, as Ace Parker had a great all-around performance at Kenan Stadium. Parker, who had a big day punting and on defense, returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown after UNC had tied the score at 7-7. Carolina finished the season with a 59-14 drubbing of Virginia at Charlottesville... UNC managed to top Tennessee in the season's second game despite generating just 89 yards of total offense, the lowest total ever in a victory... This was the first season that the Associated Press published an "official" weekly poll.
1937: Coach Wolf's team had another great season, finishing 7-1-1 and winning the Southern Conference championship... South Carolina tied UNC 13-13 in the season opener at home, then Carolina topped N.C. State, NYU and Wake Forest on the road and Tulane at home... The fifth-ranked Fordham Rams, a traditional Eastern power at the time, came to Chapel Hill to face the 4-1 Heels. The wrong Ram won, as Fordham's defense was too much for the Heels in a 14-0 victory. Legendary coach Vince Lombardi was a member of Forham's "Seven Blocks of Granite", renowned in their day (1934-37) for being the most unyielding line in college football. UNC's Tom Burnette had the longest punt in school history against the Rams, an 85-yard rocket...A 27-0 win over Davidson put Carolina in position to win the Southern Conference championship if they could win their last two games. The first hurdle was the 6-0-1 Duke Blue Devils...Duke's success under Wallace Wade, combined with UNC's recent success behind Carl Snavely and Ray Wolf, had escalated the Carolina-Duke rivalry to a fever pitch. UNC had dominated the early years of the series, but the Blue Devils had won four of the last five against the Heels. The games were now routinely played before standing-room-only crowds, and this year's was no exception. 45,000 fans overflowed Duke Stadium to see if the Blue Devils could pin another loss on the Heels. Duke got on the scoreboard first, but Crowell Little's short TD run gave Carolina a 7-6 lead at the half. The second half was scoreless until a late trick play by Carolina put the game away. The Heels lined up to attempt a field goal on fourth down on the Duke 8-yard line, but the ball was snapped to Burnette, the kicker, who hit George Watson for a touchdown and a 14-6 win for UNC...Carolina wrapped up the conference championship by feasting on the Virginia Cavaliers, 40-0, on Thanksgiving Day... Carolina held Wake Forest to a school-record -19 yards of total offense (-27 rushing, 8 passing) in a 28-0 Tar Heel win... This team tied the 1935 team's record of 23 interceptions... Andy Bershak became Carolina's second first-team All-America. Bershak, a two-way end, was an honor student who also started on the basketball team... Carolina finished 19th in the final AP poll.
1938: Wolf's string of good teams continued with a 6-2-1 campaign, a season in which Carolina made two appearances in New York City... Wins over Wake Forest and N.C. State combined with a 17-14 loss to Tulane gave UNC a 2-1 mark to open the season. Next up was the first of two train trips to New York. The Heels took care of NYU 7-0 at Yankee Stadium, then came home to down Davidson 34-0...The unbeaten, unscored upon Duke Blue Devils came to Kenan Stadium and blanked the Heels 14-0 before another packed house. Duke did not allow a single point on the way to a 9-0 regular season and a Rose Bowl appearance against Southern California. Duke led the Trojans 3-0 until fourth-string USC quarterback Doyle Nave, a name that will forever live in infamy in Durham, threw a 16-yard scoring pass with forty seconds left in the game for a 7-3 USC win. Duke had held its opponents scoreless for 599 minutes and 20 seconds. It wasn't quite enough... The Duke loss was followed by a sloppy game against Virginia Tech. Carolina and Tech combined for just one passing attempt in UNC's 7-0 win, a game in which the Heels had to overcome losing eight fumbles...It was back to New York for a rematch with Fordham at the Polo Grounds, the home of baseball's New York Giants. The two rams butted heads for 60 minutes, but neither team could score in a 0-0 tie. A 20-0 win at Virginia finished up the 6-2-1 campaign... Steve Maronic, a two-way tackle bolstered by two great performances in front of the New York media, made first-team All-America... The Heels outscored their opponents by a 117-37 margin, and this year's team did not give up a single touchdown through the air... Tackle Steve Maronic was a second-team All-America... The NYU game at Yankee Stadium would not be the last time that backfield member George "Snuffy" Stirnweiss would appear in America's most famous stadium. Stirnweiss, born in the Bronx and a great baseball player at Carolina, went on to a fine career as a second baseman for the Yankees. Stirnweiss and Phil Rizzuto formed one of the best double-play combinations in the major leagues.
1939: The Tar Heels finished off the 1930s with an 8-1-1 season... Carolina opened with an easy 50-0 win over the Citadel, a game in which UNC averaged a school-record 9.6 yards per rush (50-482). Wins over Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and NYU preceded a train ride to New Orleans. Carolina and Tulane tied 14-14 as Paul Severin, who made first team All-America this year, tied the game on a touchdown catch. Easy wins over Penn, N.C. State and Davidson put the Heels at 7-0-1 going into the Duke game in Durham...The 6-1 Blue Devils had another excellent team, and interest in this year's game was at an all-time high, as 52,000 fans packed Duke Stadium. In those days, temporary bleachers behind the permanent seats encircled the entire stadium other than the horseshoe end. Harry Dunkle's 42-yard field goal gave UNC a 3-0 lead at the half, but Duke came back for a 13-3 win with the aid of a blocked punt that was recovered for a touchdown...A 19-0 win over Virginia at home wrapped up the 1930s... Harry Dunkle's 46.6 yard punting average led the nation... George Stirnweiss was named first-team All-Southern Conference and second-team All-America... UNC and N.C. State combined for the fewest yards gained by both teams in a game with 254. The Heels picked up 132 yards and N.C. State had 122 in UNC's 17-0 win.

The Decade By the Numbers:

Overall Record: 60-24-11
Home: 30-12-5
Away: 24-12-5
Neutral: 6-0-1
Longest Unbeaten Streak: 14 (Oct. 13, 1934 - Nov. 9, 1935)
Longest Losing Streak: 4 (Oct. 7, 1933 - Oct. 28, 1933)
Most Points Scored (Game): 50 in 1939. UNC 50 - The Citadel 0
Least Points Scored (Game): None 15 times
Most Points Scored (Season): 270 in 1935
Least Points Scored (Season): 71 in 1933
Most Points Allowed (Game): 43 in 1932. Georgia Tech 43 - UNC 14
Least Points Allowed (Game): None 41 times
Most Points Allowed (Season): 142 in 1932
Least Points Allowed (Season): 34 in 1934

1930 (5-3-2)

Coach: Chuck Collins
Captain: Strud Nash

Sep 27  Wake Forest          W,  13-7
Oct  4  @ Virginia Tech      W, 39-21
Oct 11  Maryland             W, 28-21
Oct 18  @ Georgia            L,  0-26
Oct 25  @ Tennessee          L,   7-9
Nov  1  Georgia Tech         T,   6-6
Nov  7  N.C. State           W,  13-6
Nov 15  @ Davidson           L,   6-7
Nov 27  @ Virginia           W,  41-0
Dec  6  Duke                 T,   0-0
                               ------
                              153-103

1931 (4-3-3)

Coach: Chuck Collins
Captain: game captains

Sep 26  Wake Forest          W,  37-0
Oct  3  @ Vanderbilt         L,  0-13
Oct 10  @ Florida            T,   0-0
Oct 17  Georgia              L,  7-32
Oct 24  Tennessee            L,   0-7
Oct 31  @ N.C. State         W, 18-15
Nov  7  @ Georgia Tech       T, 19-19
Nov 14  Davidson             W,  20-0
Nov 21  @ Duke               T,   0-0
Nov 26  Virginia             W,  13-6
                               ------
                               114-92

1932 (3-5-2)

Coach: Chuck Collins
Captain: game captains

Sep 24  Wake Forest          T,   0-0
Oct  1  Vanderbilt           L,  7-39
Oct  8  @ Tennessee          L,  7-20
Oct 15  @ Georgia            T,   6-6
Oct 22  Georgia Tech         L, 14-43
Oct 29  N.C. State           W,  13-0
Nov  4  Florida              W, 18-13
Nov 12  @ Davidson           W,  12-0
Nov 19  Duke                 L,   0-7
Nov 24  @ Virginia           L,  7-14
                               ------
                               84-142

1933 (4-5)

Coach: Chuck Collins
Captain: Bill Croom

Sep 30  Davidson             W,   6-0
Oct  7  @ Vanderbilt         L, 13-20
Oct 14  Georgia              L,  0-30
Oct 21  @ Florida            L,   0-9
Oct 28  Georgia Tech         L,  6-10
Nov  4  @ N.C. State         W,   6-0
Nov 11  Wake Forest          W,  26-0
Nov 18  @ Duke               L,  0-21
Nov 30  Virginia             W,  14-0
                               ------
                                71-90

1934 (7-1-1)

Coach: Carl Snavely
Captain: George Barclay

Sep 29  Wake Forest          W,  21-0
Oct  6  Tennessee            L,  7-19
Oct 13  @ Georgia            W,  14-0
Oct 20  Kentucky             W,   6-0
Oct 27  N.C. State           T,   7-7
Nov  3  @ Georgia Tech       W,  26-0
Nov 10  @ Davidson           W,  12-2
Nov 17  Duke                 W,   7-0
Nov 24  @ Virginia           W,  25-6
                               ------
                               125-34

1935 (8-1)

Coach: Carl Snavely
Captains: Herman Snyder &
Harry Montgomery

Sep 28  Wake Forest          W,  14-0
Oct  5  @ Tennessee          W, 38-13
Oct 16  v Maryland           W,  33-0
Oct 19  @ Davidson           W,  14-0
Oct 26  Georgia Tech         W,  19-0
Nov  2  @ N.C. State         W,  35-6
Nov  9  VMI                  W,  56-0
Nov 14  @ Duke               L,  0-25
Nov 28  Virginia             W,  61-0
                              -------
                               270-44

1936 (8-2)

Coach: Ray Wolf
Captain: Dick Buck

Sep 26  v Wake Forest        W,  14-7
Oct  3  Tennessee            W,  14-6
Oct 10  Maryland             W,  14-0
Oct 17  v NYU                W, 14-13
Oct 24  @ Tulane             L,  7-21
Oct 31  N.C. State           W,  21-6
Nov  7  @ Davidson           W,  26-6
Nov 14  Duke                 L,  7-27
Nov 21  @ South Carolina     W,  14-0
Nov 26  @ Virginia           W, 59-14
                               ------
                              190-100

1937 (7-1-1)

Coach: Ray Wolf
Captains: Andy Bershak & Crowell Little

Sep 25  South Carolina       T, 13-13
Oct  2  @ N.C. State         W,  20-0
Oct  9  @ NYU                W,  19-6
Oct 16  @ Wake Forest        W,  28-0
Oct 23  Tulane               W,  13-0
Oct 30  Fordham              L,  0-14
Nov  6  @ Davidson           W,  26-0
Nov 13  @ Duke               W,  14-6
Nov 27  Virginia             W,  40-0
                               ------
                               173-39

1938 (6-2-1)

Coach: Ray Wolf
Captains: Steve Maronic & George Watson

Sep 24  Wake Forest          W,  14-6
Oct  1  @ N.C. State         W,  21-0
Oct  8  Tulane               L, 14-17
Oct 15  v NYU                W,   7-0
Oct 22  @ Davidson           W,  34-0
Oct 29  Duke                 L,  0-14
Nov  5  Virginia Tech        W,   7-0
Nov 12  v Fordham            T,   0-0
Nov 24  @ Virginia           W,  20-0
                               ------
                               117-37

1939 (8-1-1)

Coach: Ray Wolf
Captains: George Stirnweiss & Jim Woodson

Sep 23  The Citadel          W,  50-0
Sep 30  Wake Forest          W,  36-6
Oct  7  v Virginia Tech      W,  13-6
Oct 14  NYU                  W,  14-7
Oct 21  @ Tulane             T, 14-14
Oct 28  @ Penn               W,  30-6
Nov  4  N.C. State           W,  17-0
Nov 11  v Davidson           W,  32-0
Nov 18  @ Duke               L,  3-13
Nov 30  Virginia             W,  19-0
                               ------
                               228-52

Decade-by-Decade

1888-1899 | 1900-1909 | 1910-1919 | 1920-1929
1930-1939 | 1940-1949 | 1950-1959 | 1960-1969
1970-1979 | 1980-1989 | 1990-1998

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