Governors' Trophy Game
SportCollege football
Teams
First meetingThanksgiving 1929
Saint Mary's, 31–6
Latest meetingOctober 21, 1950
Saint Mary's, 18–13
StadiumsKezar Stadium
Hayward Field
TrophyThe Governors' Perpetual Trophy
Statistics
Meetings total10
All-time seriesSaint Mary's leads,
7–3–0 (.700)
Largest victorySaint Mary's, 31–6 (1929)
Longest win streakSaint Mary's, 4 (1929–1932)

The Governors' Trophy Game[1] was a college football rivalry game[2] played between the University of Oregon and Saint Mary's College. The Webfoots and Gaels played an annual Thanksgiving Day classic from 1929 to 1935 in San Francisco's Kezar Stadium. Beginning in 1932 the teams played for The Governors' Perpetual Trophy, awarded to the victors jointly by the governors of the states of California and Oregon.

After a 12-year hiatus, and breaking from the Thanksgiving tradition, the teams met three more times from 1948 to 1950. The 1950 game would be the last time the rivalry was contested, as Saint Mary's College discontinued football in 1951 due to restrictions resulting from the Korean War.

History

Thanksgiving Day classic

The Webfoots and Gaels met seven times on the gridiron between 1929–1935.[2] The games were scheduled as an annual Thanksgiving Day classic, always held at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.[3][2]

Their first meeting in 1929 was a crucial contest.[4] Saint Mary's entered the game 7–0–1, having never been scored upon. Oregon was 7–1, with an invitation to the Rose Bowl on the line if they won the game.[4] The Gaels prevailed but gave up their first and only points of the season.

In 1935 the game was played on Sunday, December 8, due to conflicting schedules. This was the first time the schools met on a day other than Thanksgiving.[3]

The Governors' Perpetual Trophy

The rivalry gained a trophy in 1932 when The Governors' Perpetual Trophy was presented to Saint Mary's on the field following their 7–0 win.[5][2] The trophy was awarded jointly by governors James Rolph of California and Julius Meier of Oregon.[5] The trophy's inscription reads:

The Governors' Perpetual Trophy

Annual Football Game

University of Oregon and St. Mary's College

The trophy was again awarded upon the resumption of the series in 1948, this time by governors Earl Warren of California and Douglas McKay of Oregon.[1]

Later years

After a 12-year hiatus, the schools resumed annual football competition in 1948. These games were not scheduled for Thanksgiving, and for the first time games were held at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene. The states' governors continued to award the Perpetual Trophy to the winner of the Governors' Trophy Game.[1]

The 1950 contest would prove to be the last time the rivalry was contested. Saint Mary's College discontinued the Gaels football and baseball teams in 1951 due to the national emergency sparked by the Korean War.[6]

In their statement discontinuing the varsity football team, the Saint Mary's board of trustees thanked their athletic rivals for their longstanding competition: "The board is also gratefully mindful of the valued association maintained by St. Mary's college with other colleges and universities of long standing rivalry on the field of sport."[6]

Game results

Oregon victoriesSaint Mary's victories
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 Thanksgiving 1929 Kezar Stadium Saint Mary's 31–6
2 Thanksgiving 1930 Kezar Stadium Saint Mary's 7–6
3 Thanksgiving 1931 Kezar Stadium Saint Mary's 16–0
4 Thanksgiving 1932 Kezar Stadium Saint Mary's 7–0
5 Thanksgiving 1933 Kezar Stadium Oregon 13–7
6 Thanksgiving 1934 Kezar Stadium Saint Mary's 13–7
7 December 8, 1935 Kezar Stadium Saint Mary's 18–0
8 October 30, 1948 Hayward Field Oregon 14–13
9 September 16, 1949 Kezar Stadium Oregon 24–7
10 October 21, 1950 Hayward Field Saint Mary's 18–13
Series: Saint Mary's leads 7–3

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Oregon vs. Saint Mary's — Governor's[sic] Trophy Game". The Gael Kickoff. Vol. 2, no. 1. Office of Public Relations, Saint Mary's College. September 16, 1949. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Newland, Russell J. (November 30, 1933). Written at San Francisco. "Webfeet Rated as Underdogs in Annual St. Mary's Battle On San Francisco Grid Today". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. Associated Press. Retrieved November 28, 2022. gridiron rivalry was established in 1929.
  3. 1 2 "Gaels Hold Edge Over Webfoots in Games Played". The Eugene Guard. Eugene, Oregon. November 24, 1935. Retrieved November 28, 2022. The series, which was inaugurated in 1929 as an annual Thanksgiving day classic, is played in San Francisco. The governors of the states of Oregon and California donated a "Governor's [sic] Trophy,", which is awarded each year to the winning team.
  4. 1 2 "Oregon Has Chance to Represent West in Pasadena Football Classic — St. Mary's Game Becomes Crucial". Eugene Register. Eugene, Oregon. November 26, 1929. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  5. 1 2 "St. Mary's Wins New Governors' Trophy". Corvallis Gazette–Times. Corvallis, Oregon. November 28, 1932. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "St. Mary's Quits Football". Oakland Tribune. January 5, 1951. pp. 32–33.
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