42 Years Ago Today - The Most Controversial Rutgers Game Ever Played

[Source]

Rutgers played Princeton on September 28, 1974 in the most notorious game in the long rivalry. Tony Pawlik put Rutgers ahead on a 94 yard punt return that broke the previous record of 73 yards by John Pollack in 1968 against Holy Cross. But Rutgers failed on a two-point conversion after their kicker had been injured earlier in the game. The score remained 6-0 until the final minutes of the fourth quarter when Princeton scored a touchdown and was an extra point away from taking the lead. But thousands of Rutgers fans among the crowd of 26,000 had already stormed the field earlier and torn down one set of goalposts. Then, before the Princeton extra point kick, they (Rutgers fans) took the other goal posts down. The Tigers were forced to go for two and failed leaving the 6-6 game as the only tie of all the games played between Rutgers and Princeton. In a rare move, the NCAA immediately issued an emergency rule that schools must have an extra set of goal posts ready in the event the initial one/s are put out of order.

The September 28, 1974 Rutgers-Princeton tie was the first Rutgers had played since a 19-19 game with Muhlenberg on September 27, 1952 -- a nation-leading streak of 206 games played with a decision.

 

[RutgersMO]

Source....

Love your info / insights.

This outcome is similar the Cal- Stanford game - in that a clusterpoop of events, people prevented a different outcome.

And don't forget....Rutgers hasn't played a tie game for quite some time again (turn off the "whimsy" machine).~

MO:football:

 

[RU76]

I was there. My recollection is that Palmer Stadium was mostly filled and I am surprised that the attendance was only 26K. Also I believe that this game and our alleged commitment to "bigger time" football prompted Princeton not to agree to renew the contract with RU so that the series ended within a fewer years.

 

[Doctor Worm]

Younger readers of this space must be wondering: "Tearing down goalposts? That used to be a thing? That's insane!"

And they'd be right.

 

[RC1978]

My first "away" game as a freshman. I am pretty sure I know what frat has one of those goalposts.

 

[WhiteBus]

Source, you need to write a Rutgers history book. Im serious. You can not depart this world and take all that knowledge with you.
I usually post snarking or sarcastic comments on here. This is not one of them. Im sure 99% of us in here would buy it and promote it.

 

[RU in IM]

who are you referring to as "they" with regards to the 2nd goal post? The crazy frat members or was it directed by the officials or the university as a safety precaution?

 

[RU in IM]

My first "away" game as a freshman. I am pretty sure I know what frat has one of those goalposts.

Surprised Barchi hasn't taken action on this. And if he was the President back then, he probably would have banned the students from attending future games.

 

[newell138]

how were the goalposts torn down during the game? I recall seeing pieces of the wooden goal posts in some of the frats back in the day.

 

[iReC89]

I might have been there too. Got to see a few of those in the mid 70's. Insane scene with people swarming the posts overloading them until they came down.

 

[17Q66]

Rutgers played Princeton on September 28, 1974 in the most notorious game in the long rivalry. Tony Pawlik put Rutgers ahead on a 94 yard punt return that broke the previous record of 73 yards by John Pollack in 1968 against Holy Cross. But Rutgers failed on a two-point conversion after their kicker had been injured earlier in the game. The score remained 6-0 until the final minutes of the fourth quarter when Princeton scored a touchdown and was an extra point away from taking the lead. But thousands of Rutgers fans among the crowd of 26,000 had already stormed the field earlier and torn down one set of goalposts. Then, before the Princeton extra point kick, they (Rutgers fans) took the other goal posts down. The Tigers were forced to go for two and failed leaving the 6-6 game as the only tie of all the games played between Rutgers and Princeton. In a rare move, the NCAA immediately issued an emergency rule that schools must have an extra set of goal posts ready in the event the initial one/s are put out of order.

The September 28, 1974 Rutgers-Princeton tie was the first Rutgers had played since a 19-19 game with Muhlenberg on September 27, 1952 -- a nation-leading streak of 206 games played with a decision.

"Tony Pawlik" is the most Rutgersy name in Rutgers Football history.

Surprised Barchi hasn't taken action on this. And if he was the President back then, he probably would have banned the students from attending future games.

I see what you're trying to do here, but Barchi doesn't really fit the mold of a Dean Killjoy, Alley closure notwithstanding.

 

[rc64]

I was at the 1952 Muhlenberg tie and the 1974 tie at Princeton.

 

[RUsince52]

how were the goalposts torn down during the game? I recall seeing pieces of the wooden goal posts in some of the frats back in the day.

Usually weren't during the game. Mostly torn down easily because they were wooden and not cemented into the ground. Most were torn down for a big rival game at the end of the season. Sort of a trophy for frats.
Because of over jealous students, especially early in the season, security surrounded the goal post to prevent them from being torn down. RU did this all the time. Later on when goalposts became metal it all but eliminated this practice, but not entirely.

 

[RUsince52]

I was at the 1952 Muhlenberg tie and the 1974 tie at Princeton.

Me too. My first game ever at RU and they didn't win or lose.
Also, the 1989 season started with 2 ties and 2 wins, 2-0-2, but finished with 7 straight loses. Maybe could only happen to RU.

 

[rubaseball78]

I was there. If I remember right, also tore goal posts down on the practice field as well.

 

[Blitz Pakage]

Rutgers played Princeton on September 28, 1974 in the most notorious game in the long rivalry. Tony Pawlik put Rutgers ahead on a 94 yard punt return that broke the previous record of 73 yards by John Pollack in 1968 against Holy Cross. But Rutgers failed on a two-point conversion after their kicker had been injured earlier in the game. The score remained 6-0 until the final minutes of the fourth quarter when Princeton scored a touchdown and was an extra point away from taking the lead. But thousands of Rutgers fans among the crowd of 26,000 had already stormed the field earlier and torn down one set of goalposts. Then, before the Princeton extra point kick, they (Rutgers fans) took the other goal posts down. The Tigers were forced to go for two and failed leaving the 6-6 game as the only tie of all the games played between Rutgers and Princeton. In a rare move, the NCAA immediately issued an emergency rule that schools must have an extra set of goal posts ready in the event the initial one/s are put out of order.

The September 28, 1974 Rutgers-Princeton tie was the first Rutgers had played since a 19-19 game with Muhlenberg on September 27, 1952 -- a nation-leading streak of 206 games played with a decision.

Rutgers played Princeton on September 28, 1974 in the most notorious game in the long rivalry. Tony Pawlik put Rutgers ahead on a 94 yard punt return that broke the previous record of 73 yards by John Pollack in 1968 against Holy Cross. But Rutgers failed on a two-point conversion after their kicker had been injured earlier in the game. The score remained 6-0 until the final minutes of the fourth quarter when Princeton scored a touchdown and was an extra point away from taking the lead. But thousands of Rutgers fans among the crowd of 26,000 had already stormed the field earlier and torn down one set of goalposts. Then, before the Princeton extra point kick, they (Rutgers fans) took the other goal posts down. The Tigers were forced to go for two and failed leaving the 6-6 game as the only tie of all the games played between Rutgers and Princeton. In a rare move, the NCAA immediately issued an emergency rule that schools must have an extra set of goal posts ready in the event the initial one/s are put out of order.

The September 28, 1974 Rutgers-Princeton tie was the first Rutgers had played since a 19-19 game with Muhlenberg on September 27, 1952 -- a nation-leading streak of 206 games played with a decision.

Source, I was at that game as a kid with my brother and I have a piece of that goal post. Once the crowd tore it down, We went on the field and took a piece that was still left in the ground. So we pulled it out of the
ground and still have it. I also have a down marker which I took from Rutgers Stadium after an Army game. The good ole times!

 

[Source]

Source, I was at that game as a kid with my brother and I have a piece of that goal post. Once the crowd tore it down, We went on the field and took a piece that was still left in the ground. So we pulled it out of the
ground and still have it. I also have a down marker which I took from Rutgers Stadium after an Army game. The good ole times!

I have my September 25, 1976 Rutgers-Princeton ticket stapled to a piece of the goalposts from a 17-0 Rutgers shutout. I was one of the first to arrive at the goal posts and realized there were a sea of fans right behind me. Barely got away from the posts alive. When two fraternities fought over the posts, they broke it in half. At that moment, I was near the break point of the wooden post and ripped a sliver from the site.

They say the first time Rutgers fans tore down the goal posts was at the November 5, 1938 upset victory of Princeton at the Rutgers Stadium Dedication Game.

A Harvard-Yale game around 1910 is the first reported tearing down of the goal posts. The practice, as stated above, ended when the wooden goal posts turned into metal goal posts. If you noticed at the 2006 win by Rutgers over Louisville, the grounds crew had the goal posts bent down to the playing surface to prevent a forceful yanking of the posts.

 

[75liteweight]

My Freshman year and my first RU game ever. Been hooked ever since.

 

[pnosker]

I have my September 25, 1976 Rutgers-Princeton ticket stapled to a piece of the goalposts from a 17-0 Rutgers shutout. I was one of the first to arrive at the goal posts and realized there were a sea of fans right behind me. Barely got away from the posts alive. When two fraternities fought over the posts, they broke it in half. At that moment, I was near the break point of the wooden post and ripped a sliver from the site.

They say the first time Rutgers fans tore down the goal posts was at the November 5, 1938 upset victory of Princeton at the Rutgers Stadium Dedication Game.

A Harvard-Yale game around 1910 is the first reported tearing down of the goal posts. The practice, as stated above, ended when the wooden goal posts turned into metal goal posts. If you noticed at the 2006 win by Rutgers over Louisville, the grounds crew had the goal posts bent down to the playing surface to prevent a forceful yanking of the posts.

Ah yes, Chi Psi has a large chunk. I wonder which other fraternities do too.

 

[BeantownKnight]

Wait ... The students stormed the field for, what would have been, a win against Princeton?

And they criticized storming the field over Navy.

 

[75liteweight]

Wait ... The students stormed the field for, what would have been, a win against Princeton?

And they criticized storming the field over Navy.

Back then the Princeton game was THE rivalry. Nothing else came close.

 

[RUich]

Great piece of history, thanks. Surprised that Princeton was forced to go for two though. IF, Rutgers fans did the damage, why penalize Princeton?
For those of you way too young to appreciate what used to be, we now live in a world where everything is considered dangerous or criminal.
Wonder what the SL had to say about this?

 

[iReC89]

Great piece of history, thanks. Surprised that Princeton was forced to go for two though. IF, Rutgers fans did the damage, why penalize Princeton?
For those of you way too young to appreciate what used to be, we now live in a world where everything is considered dangerous or criminal.
Wonder what the SL had to say about this?

Tearing down the goal posts was dangerous and criminal. I'm glad I got to see it, but also glad the game day has evolved above that level of stupidity.