A Look Back: Susquehanna Football

In celebration of Susquehanna’s storied gridiron tradition, we share a few scenes of football through the years and several alumni recollections of Crusader pigskin moments. Pictured, from top: Cheerleaders root the team on to victory in 1965; fans pack the stands to cheer on the Crusaders in this undated picture; a photo from 1892 depicting the school’s first football team.

My foremost memory of Susquehanna football was also my first encounter with the team. The year was 1963, the year before I entered SU and played for Coach Garrett. It was a cold, overcast fall day in Philadelphia and my father, not the biggest football fan in the world, called me into the room to watch an unbelievable game between well-known Temple and an upstart SU team.

My father, who had degrees from Penn and Temple, often casually watched local teams, but he had a particularly soft spot for underdogs, which SU surely was that day. It was already in the 4th quarter when I joined him; Temple was losing but had the ball and was driving down the field. I am sure everyone watching the game thought at that point that Temple would somehow win the game. The only problem was they didn't tell John Vignone, a talented defensive back for SU, who made a crucial interception and preserved the 22-18 victory. Philadelphia was stunned, Temple was shocked; no one could believe this scrappy team no one really knew actually had beaten Temple on their own field! In fairness, under Coach Garrett the team was 39-4-1, but still! It was amazing just to watch the improbable finish to this “David & Goliath” match-up!

Temple never played Susquehanna again…

—Bill Lewis '68

October 1972 – SU 7 Delaware Valley 0 at SU. SU wins on a final tackle by John Basti with no time remaining on the clock. It was fourth down and goal for Del Val at the SU seven-yard line. John broke through the line and sacked Del Val's quarterback to end the game.

—Patrick Gallagher '73

In the late 1970s, SU football struggled. We worked hard and improved each year but had few wins to show for it. About 52 of us began together as freshmen but just 15 of us remained for our senior season opener at home against Lycoming in 1981. They had beaten us at least three years in a row by an average of about 30 points. Rumor had it they didn't even bother to scout us.

The entire game was a hard fought battle. SU scored first on Frank Riggitano's school record 51-yard field goal. Lycoming tied it near halftime. In the second half neither team could gain an edge. It seemed likely to end in a tie. With seconds left a long SU pass allowed “Big Rigg” to kick the game winner from about 37 yards as time expired. It set off a celebration I doubt any of us will ever forget. Years of frustration ended as we finally saw in ourselves the kind of team we always knew we could be. Even the opposing coach, Frank Girardi, came into our locker room to congratulate our coach, Bill Moll, and our entire team.

We went on to win six games that year. Although we didn't win the championship it was clear that SU football was headed in the right direction as more talented players arrived. The team won seven games the following year, went undefeated in 1983 and enjoyed many consecutive winning seasons after that. I've always felt that 6-3 upset over Lycoming was a turning point because it raised expectations inside and outside the SU football program. It is also a nice memory to share with a great group of guys and the loyal supporters who stood by us through it all.

—Scott Heller '82

I remember Howie Teitelbaum's game-winning interception return for a TD in a playoff game against Dickinson in 1991. SU came from behind to win 21-20 at Dickinson in the first-round of the 1991 NCAA Division III playoffs. With a 20 to 13 lead, Dickinson (unnecessarily) tried a trick play throwback pass to their QB. Good thing Howie stayed at home, as he picked off the pass and rumbled, stumbled & bumbled all the way for the winning score.

—Sean Oakes '93

I remember playing football at SU with my twin brother during the years of 1995 to 1998 and having such a great time with all of my friends. One game in particular comes to mind, when we played Albright College. Rusty Yost, a very good friend of mine, threw a unbelievable pass to Brian “Pudge” Christiana. Pudge is one of the fastest individuals that I have ever met. He ran down the field with only seconds left on the clock to score a 92-yard touchdown and we beat Albright!

Everyone stormed the field; we held Pudge up on our shoulders and carried him into the locker room. I still have dreams about this event and it has definitely changed my life and the SU football team and coaches have instilled values and ethics that I still use in my day-to-day functions in the real world!

Thanks to coach Briggs and his brother, and the rest of the SU football team for making my college experience one of the best!

—Josh H. Wright '98

I saw a program with very few upper classman and I really was not confident that this was a good choice for me. I arrived at Susquehanna University to find that I was coming into a program that had been in a down time. I met another freshman who had a vision of winning a championship. Tom Lyons believed we could do it. We climbed on his back and we rose to the top. In four years we became Middle Atlantic Champions. We took the program and turned it around with a staff of coaches who believed in us. That creates bonding as it is hard work and lots of struggle. We were a horrible defensive team in the beginning but the freshman learned a lot in the first year. We got better each year. We learned a good offensive system which had roots in the Stagg era training. Both Coach Jim Hazlett and Coach Pittello had played for “The Old Man.” We carried on the tradition to the next generation. This was important to all of us. We brought the “Old Hat” trophy back to roost in our trophy case for a few years. This, too, was important. The struggle seems romantic enough now but I assure it was not. We were living here in this beautiful little campus but we were watching a country turned on its ear in protest over a war that was, by all accounts, an unjust and unnecessary war. The dissent and the protest came to a head in 1970 with the shootings at Kent State students for no good reason. The nation was inflamed by this senseless act and the colleges all decided to shut it down early for the year. All colleges closed across the country. It was decided after the millions who marched on Washington, to step back and hear the protesters. The war would soon come to an end. But along with being football players we had become agitated students who lost respect for authority. In spite of our quest to bring football honor to the school we had lost our relationship with our coaches. We were not trusting of authority figures. The championship, in some small way, became bittersweet. As years added to our perspective we found our hearts began to open to the coaches once again. We are proud to be a whole family again. It is a part of understanding the pain of the Vietnam war and its influence on the Seventies. We can finally all share in our accomplishment. What we do know is that success breeds success. We as a team will always have these fond memories together. It keeps us together and always coming back.

—Whitney Gay '71

I can remember when we didn't have a fancy field and new uniforms every year, and we went out and knocked people on their a** and beat damn near everybody they put in front of us.

—Jeff Rainess '92