Santa Clara Broncos football
First season1896
Last season1992
StadiumKezar Stadium (in San Francisco, 1925–1952)
Buck Shaw Stadium
(1962–1992)
(capacity: 6,800)
Field surfaceNatural grass
LocationSanta Clara, California
NCAA divisionDivision II
ConferenceDivision II independent
All-time record352–244–28 (.587)
Bowl record3–0 (1.000)
Conference titles2 (1983, 1985)
RivalriesSt. Mary's Gaels (Little Big Game)
California Golden Bears
Stanford Cardinal
San Francisco Dons
Consensus All-Americans2 (1938, 1939)
ColorsMaroon and white[1]
   
Santa Clara played the Big Game from 1915 to 1917, after the University of California dropped rugby union

The Santa Clara Broncos football program was the intercollegiate American football team for Santa Clara University located in Santa Clara, California. Santa Clara played its first football game against St. Mary's College in San Francisco in 1896. Santa Clara compiled an all-time record of 352–244–28 (.587).[2]

The team was known as ‘The S.C.U. Elevens’ from 1896 to 1907, The football program went on hiatus from 1908 to 1918. The football program returned as the Santa Clara "Missionites" in 1919, and were newly named the ‘Broncos’ in 1923.

After the 1992 season, the Santa Clara football program was discontinued due to new NCAA regulations which mandated all sports be played at the same level at each university, as well as due to the high cost of funding football.[3] Santa Clara had fielded all Division I teams with the exception of the Division II football team, and elected not to field a team at the Division I-AA level.[4]

Santa Clara played in three major bowl games and won all three: 1937 Sugar Bowl, 1938 Sugar Bowl, and 1950 Orange Bowl.

Conference affiliations

Championships

Conference championships

Year Conference Coach Overall record Conference record
1983Western Football Conference (Co-Championship)Pat Malley6–4–02–1
1985Terry Malley8–2–14–0–1
Total conference championships 2


Playoff appearances

NCAA Division II

The Broncos made one appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs. They had a combined record of 1–1.

Year Round Opponent Result
1980 Quarterfinals
Semifinals		 Northern Michigan
Cal Poly		 W, 27–26
L, 14–38


Bowl game appearances

Season Date Bowl City W/L Opponent PF PA Head coach
1936January 1, 1937SugarNew OrleansWLSU2114Buck Shaw
1937January 1, 1938SugarWLSU60
1949January 2, 1950OrangeMiamiWKentucky2113Len Casanova
Total 3 bowl games 3–04827


AP Poll Rankings

1937 Final Poll No. 6
1938 Final Poll No. 9

Rivalries

St. Mary’s

'The Little Big Game' was played annually between the 2 rival Jesuit institutions located in the San Francisco Bay Area. The name was reference to 'The Big Game' rivalry between larger Bay Area universities, Stanford and Berkeley.

San Francisco

Rivalry with a 3rd San Francisco Bay Area Jesuit Institution.

College Football Hall of Fame

College Football Hall of Fame
Name Position Year Inducted Ref
Nello FalaschiQB1934–19361971[5]
Buck ShawHead Coach1929–19421972[6]
Tom FearsWR/ DE1941–19421976[7]
Len CasanovaP / Head Coach1923–19491977[8]
Brent JonesWR / TE1982–19852002[9]

Nello Falaschi

Quarterback, Nello "Flash" Falaschi led the Broncos to a 21–14 upset over LSU in the 1937 Sugar Bowl. Little Santa Clara was a decided underdog going against Louisiana State.

Buck Shaw

Buck Shaw's teams compiled a record of 47–10–4, including a span of 16 consecutive wins. The 1937 Santa Clara team allowed only nine points over a nine-game campaign. Highlighting Shaw's tenure at the Bronco helm were a pair of Sugar Bowl victories over heavily-favored Louisiana State, 21–14, in 1937, and 6–0, in 1938.

Tom Fears

Tom Fears was a two-way end who played for Santa Clara in 1941–1942. While with the 7–2 1942 Santa Clara Broncos football team, Fears helped Santa Clara defeat Utah and three Pacific Coast Conference schools in a row in Stanford, Cal and Oregon State. During that 1942 season Fears won All-Pacific Coast honors before joining the Air Force in World War II.

Len Casanova

Leonard Casanova was a skilled Punter for Santa Clara in 1923. Standing on his own one-yard line, he punted a ball that went out of bounds on rival St. Mary's one yard line. Total distance, 98 yards. His career as head coach began in 1946 and covered four years at Santa Clara, one at Pittsburgh, 16 at Oregon. His 1949 Santa Clara Broncos football team team beat Bear Bryant's Kentucky in the 1950 Orange Bowl.

Brent Jones

Brent Jones helped the Broncos to two Western Football Conference championships and was named to the all-conference team three times.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Pro Football Hall of Fame
Name Position Year Inducted
Tom FearsWR/ DE1941–19421970

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Fears was the son of a Mexican mother, Carmen Valdés, and an American father, mining engineer Charles William Fears. Selected as a defensive back by the Los Angeles Rams in the eleventh round (103rd overall) of the 1945 NFL Draft, he is distinguished as being the first Mexican-born player to be drafted into the National Football League. Fears quickly made his mark as a wide receiver, while also displaying his versatility by playing on defense. During his first three seasons at the professional level, he led all NFL receivers in catches, and broke the league's single-season record with 77 catches in 1949.

Individual awards and honors

National awards

Len Casanova (1990)
Brent Jones (1998)
  • Division II Football Team of the Quarter Century (1975–2000)
Brent Jones

Conference awards

Terry Malley (1985)
Brent Jones (1985)

All Americans

  • Francis "Hands" Slavich, DE- 1932 (AP-1st Team, UP-1st Team, INS-3rd Team)
  • Frank Sobrero, HB- 1933 (UP-2nd Team)
  • Paglia, FB- 1933 (UP-2nd Team)
  • Nello Falaschi, Quarterback- 1936 1st Team
  • Phil Dougherty, G 1937 (INS-1st Team)
  • Phil Dougherty, C 1937 (3rd Team)
  • Alvord Wolff, Tackle- 1937 3rd Team
  • Alvord Wolff, Tackle- 1938 Consensus 1st team
  • John Schiechl, C- 1939 Consensus 1st Team
  • Bill Anahu, DE- 1939 (INS-2nd Team)
  • Alyn Beals, DE- 1941 (NEA-3rd Team)
  • Alyn Beals, DE- 1942 (CP-2nd Team)
  • Jesse Freitas, QB- 1942 (AP-3rd Team)
  • Vern Sterling, G- 1948 (AP-3rd Team)
  • Vern Sterling, G 1949 3rd Team
  • Vern Sterling, C 1949 (AP-3rd Team)
  • Dan Pastorini, Quarterback- 1970 1st/2nd Little All American
  • Brent Jones, TE/WR -1985 AP 1st Team

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "SCU Color Palette - University Marketing and Communications - Santa Clara University". Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Santa Clara Historical Data". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Santa Clara to drop football: Money troubles the cause of program's demise". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. Associated Press. February 3, 1993. pp. B2.
  4. ↑ "History". Letthemplay.
  5. ↑ "Nello Donald Falaschi". www.cfbhall.com. College Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Lawrence Timothy Shaw". www.cfbhall.com. College Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Thomas Jesse Fears". www.cfbhall.com. College Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Len Casanova". footballfoundation.org. National Football Foundation. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Brent Michael Jones". www.cfbhall.com. College Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
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