1945 NFL Semifinal-Cleveland Rams-28, Detroit Lions-0

December 16, 1945

Weather-22 degrees, wind 14 mph W, light snow

Cleveland took control of the line of scrimmage in the second quarter, smothering the Lions offense and eventually shutting them out, 28-0. Detroit would finish with only 165 yards, 93 of those coming in the last three quarters. Cleveland was also struggling to mount anything offensively in the first 20 minutes of the game, as Bob Waterfield was intercepted 3 times on the Rams first 4 positions. The Rams changed the game once they committed to the run for an entire possession, finishing with a 1-yard Tom Colella plunge and a 7-0 lead.

The Rams would finish with 218 yards on the ground, led by Fred Gehrke's 96 yards on 13 carries. Don Greenwood ran for 55 yards and 2 TD. Bob Waterfield finished with 134 yards passing, 54 of them to Jim Benton. The Rams will host the Eagles for the NFL Championship.

Detroit Lions.....(7-4)-0-0-0-0-0
Cleveland Rams.(10-1)-0-7-7-14-28

Cle-Colella 1 run (Waterfield Kick)
Cle-Greenwood 23 run (Waterfield Kick)
Cle-Benton 15 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield Kick)
Cle-Greenwood 2 run (Waterfield Kick)

Rushing (season totals in parentheses)
Det-Farkas-6-46-0 (37-183-0), Callihan-5-32-0 (32-117-0), Fenenbock-7-17-0 (79-160-1), Westfall-14-13-0 (96-247-6), Booth-1-1-0 (5-21-0)
Cle-Gehrke-13-96-0 (87-563-7), Greenwood-17-55-2 (118-431-6), Gillette-11-38-0 (74-428-1), Colella-8-32-1 (54-256-3), Waterfield-3-(-3)-0 (21-15-5)

Passing
Det-Fenenbock-19-5-63-0-0 (129-50-817-7-11), Ryan-3-1-6-0-0 (47-14-337-3-10)
Cle-Waterfield-12-8-134-1-3 (183-97-1743-15-20)

Receiving
Det-Greene-3-44-0 (29-594-5), Farkas-1-14-0 (10-146-2), Matheson-1-6-0 (20-247-1), Westfall-1-5-0 (13-214-3)
Cle-Benton-4-54-1 (49-1,121-9), Pritko-3-65-0 (22-320-4), Hamilton-1-15-0 (5-65-0)

1945 NFL Semifinal-Philadelphia Eagles-28, Washington Redskins-21

December 16, 1945

Weather-35 degrees, wind 20 mph NW

Philadelphia QB Roy Zimmerman threw 2 TD and intercepted a pass, and Steve Van Buren ran for 103 yards and 2 TD as the Eagles advanced to the NFL Championship Game for the second consecutive season, 28-21. Philadelphia had taken a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter on a Van Buren 1-yard TD plunge when Washington QB Sammy Baugh threw an interception to Zimmerman. Five plays later, Zimmerman found Jack Ferrante for Ferrante's eighth TD of the season and a 28-14 lead. Washington was able to cut the deficit to 28-21, but would never cross the 50-yard line for the rest of the game.

Frank Akins ran for 136 yards for the Redskins in a losing effort. Washington finished their season at 8-3.

Philadelphia Eagles.(8-3)-7-0-7-14-28
Washington Redskins..(8-3)-0-7-7-7-21

Phi-Karnofsky 1 pass from Zimmerman (Zimmerman Kick)
Was-Moore 1 run (Aguirre Kick)
Was-Akins 43 run (Aguirre Kick)
Phi-Van Buren 27 run (Zimmerman Kick)
Phi-Van Buren 1 run (Zimmerman Kick)
Phi-Ferrante 3 pass from Zimmerman (Zimmerman Kick)
Was-Bagarus 38 run (Aguirre Kick)

Rushing (season totals in parentheses)
Phi-Van Buren-20-103-2 (163-935-17), Bleeker-10-24-0 (60-191-2), Steele-6-17-0 (26-229-2), Karnofsky-9-6-0 (50-140-2), Zimmerman-1-2-0 (30-(-9)-1)
Was-Akins-16-136-1 (163-933-7), Bagarus-6-34-1 (45-188-2), Moore-6-12-1 (35-218-2), Seymour-2-1-0 (32-103-2), Baugh-1-0-0 (20-(-71)-0)

Passing
Phi-Zimmerman-17-8-70-2-0 (144-75-1,061-11-8)
Was-Baugh-22-10-73-0-2 (204-138-1,742-11-6)

Receiving
Phi-Meyer-2-24-0 (13-159-1), Ferrante-2-19-1 (23-483-8), Van Buren-1-12-0 (11-135-2), Cabrelli-1-11-0 (16-151-0), Humbert-1-3-0 (7-56-0), Karnofsky-1-1-1 (6-114-1)
Was-Aguirre-3-19-0 (19-208-0), Millner-2-17-0 (15-147-2), Bagarus-2-16-0 (36-633-5), Moore-1-10-0 (14-125-1), Dye-1-8-0 (9-92-2), Miller-1-3-0 (12-87-0)

The 1945 Season

Playoff seeds for 1945...

#4 seed-Detroit Lions (7-3)
Last Playoff Appearance...first appearance in franchise history
All-Pro-FB Bob Westfall, RG Bill Radovich

The Lions are in the postseason for the first time, thanks to a 5-game winning streak in midseason. Detroit was able to win a few close games which helped them edge out the Packers for the last seed. The Lions were outgained and nearly outscored by their opponents in 1945.

#3 seed-Philadelphia Eagles (7-3)
Last Playoff Appearance...1944, NFL Champions
Playoff Record-2-0, 1944 NFL Champions
All-Pro-RT Al Wistert, RB Steve Van Buren

Philadelphia had the best point differential in the league, as they attempt to go back-to-back. The Eagles had a 5-game winning streak of their own, using a stout run defense to control the clock and grind down their opponents. Steve Van Buren scored 18 touchdowns in his first full season as the feature back.

#2 seed-Washington Redskins (8-2)
Last Playoff Appearance...1943, NFL Champions
Playoff Record-4-0, 2-time NFL Champions (1942, 1943)
All-Pro-PR Steve Bagarus

The Redskins have never lost a playoff game, and they are trying for a third NFL title led by QB Sammy Baugh. Baugh set an NFL record by completing 70.3% of his passes. Washington lost the opener before ripping off 6 straight victories to secure a playoff position.

#1 seed-Cleveland Rams (9-1)
Last Playoff Appearance...first appearance in franchise history
All-Pro-QB Bob Waterfield, LE Jim Benton, LG Riley Matheson

Cleveland used a balanced offense and a solid defense on their way to securing home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The Rams were led by league MVP Bob Waterfield, who threw for 14 TD and picked off 6 passes. His primary target was Jim Benton, who went over 1,000 yards receiving for the season.

1945 Playoffs

December 16, 1945

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins, 3 pm
Detroit Lions at Cleveland Rams, 6:30 pm

December 23, 1945

NFL Championship Game

2011 NCAA National Championship-Alabama-38, Stanford-22

Tuscaloosa, AL-Alabama got an MVP performance from QB A.J. McCarron, who completed 22 of 26 passes for 367 yards and 3 TD, on their way to another national title, 38-22. Alabama struggled more in this game than in any other postseasons game, as Stanford's defense did an excellent job of keeping the Alabama running game in check. Trent Richardson was limited to 83 yards, although his 2 fourth quarter touchdowns helped put the Cardinal away. Where Stanford failed was in trying to stop McCarron, who spread the ball to 7 different receivers, each of which had at least 3 catches.

Stanford RB Stepfan Taylor had enjoyed an excellent postseason, but Alabama's defense did a great job of limiting him, holding Taylor 30 yards on 20 carries. Andrew Luck was able to throw for 347 yards to help keep Stanford in the game, but Alabama was able to secure their second national title in 3 years.

Stanford Cardinal......(14-2)-7-6-3-6-22
Alabama Crimson Tide.(15-1)-7-17-0-14-38

SU-Taylor 15 pass from Luck (Williamson Kick)
Ala-Lacy 42 pass from McCarron (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Bell 15 pass from McCarron (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Shelley 49 FG
SU-Taylor 2 run (Kick Missed)
Ala-Smelley 70 pass from McCarron (Shelley Kick)
SU-Williamson 49 FG
Ala-Richardson 4 run (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Richardson 16 run (Shelley Kick)
SU-Taylor 21 pass from Luck (Pass Failed)

Rushing (season totals in parentheses)
SU-Gaffney-7-106-0 (103-668-8), Taylor-20-30-1 (291-1,587-15), Luck-8-(-15)-0 (75-148-3)
Ala-Richardson-27-83-2 (379-2,132-29), Fowler-5-28-0 (66-426-5), Lacy-8-27-0 (110-713-8), McCarron-9-(-7)-0 (61-(-53)-3)

Passing
SU-Luck-37-20-347-2-0 (496-342-4,413-45-10)
Ala-McCarron-26-22-367-3-0 (426-288-3,776-26-6)

Receiving
SU-Owusu-5-101-0 (51-605-3), Whalen-4-55-0 (64-867-5), Taylor-4-54-2 (36-368-5), Fleener-3-55-0 (47-888-13), Montgomery-2-53-0 (22-367-1), Toilolo-1-24-0 (31-448-7), Terrell-1-5-0 (10-105-1)
Ala-Hanks-4-49-0 (38-549-1), Smelley-3-110-1 (39-526-5), Lacy-3-64-1 (17-239-1), Maze-3-45-0 (43-883-3), White-3-38-0 (21-229-5), Bell-3-35-1 (28-424-3), Richardson-3-26-0 (42-526-5)

2011 NCAA National Championship

Here is the matchup for the 2011 National Championship, to be held in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

2011 NCAA National Championship

Monday, January 9, 2012
8 pm EST-#4 Stanford (14-1) at #2 Alabama (14-1)

2011 NCAA Semifinal-Stanford-44, Wisconsin-31

Stanford, CA-Stanford and Wisconsin looked like the marquee matchup for the semifinals, and the game was even for 30 minutes as the two teams battled to a 17-17 first half, but Stanford used a 20-point third quarter to blow open the game and earn the Stanford Cardinal a spot in the NCAA National Championship game against Alabama, 44-31. Stepfan Taylor was a difference maker for Stanford, running for 136 yards and catching passes for 66 more while scoring 3 touchdowns.

Montee Ball ran for 168 yards in a losing cause for the Badgers, who finish the 2011 season at 13-3.

Wisconsin Badgers.(13-3)-7-10-0-14-31
Stanford Cardinal.(14-1)-10-7-20-7-44

Wis-Ball 34 pass from Wilson (French Kick)
SU-Taylor 51 run (Williamson Kick)
SU-Williamson 29 FG
SU-Fleener 11 pass from Luck (Williamson Kick)
Wis-French 29 FG
Wis-Toon 5 pass from Wilson (French Kick)
SU-Williamson 40 FG
SU-Williamson 31 FG
SU-Taylor 49 pass from Luck (Williamson Kick)
SU-Whalen 6 pass from Luck (Williamson Kick)
Wis-White 7 run (French Kick)
SU-Taylor 26 run (Williamson Kick)
Wis-Byrne 6 pass from Wilson (French Kick)

Rushing (season totals in parentheses)
Wis-Ball-31-168-0 (358-2,071-33), White-14-37-1 (176-882-8), Wilson-8-2-0 (100-347-5)
SU-Taylor-20-136-2 (271-1,557-14), Gaffney-8-29-0 (96-562-8), Hewitt-1-0-0 (13-34-0), Luck-10-(-18)-0 (67-163-3)

Passing
Wis-Wilson-34-21-271-3-0 (369-267-3,632-39-3)
SU-Luck-26-19-295-3-0 (459-322-4,066-43-10)

Receiving
Wis-Toon-5-53-1 (68-993-12), Pedersen-4-47-0 (41-449-9), Ball-3-68-1 (28-368-7), Abbrederis-3-32-0 (60-926-7), White-3-30-0 (22-224-1), Duckworth-2-35-0 (21-317-1), Byrne-1-6-1 (3-31-2)
SU-Whalen-4-26-1 (60-812-5), Taylor-3-66-1 (32-314-3), Fleener-3-46-1 (44-833-13), Owusu-3-40-0 (46-504-3), Montgomery-2-60-0 (20-314-1), Toilolo-2-47-0 (30-424-7), Gaffney-2-10-0 (16-108-2)

2011 NCAA Semifinal-Alabama-59, Baylor-7

Tuscaloosa, AL-Baylor's offense had carried them to the Semifinals, but they ran into a buzzsaw in the Crimson Tide, who blew them out, 59-7. The Alabama defense kept Baylor out of the end zone until there were less than 2 minutes to play. Meanwhile, the Alabama offense gained 590 yards and moved the Baylor defense off of the ball all day long. Crimson Tide QB A.J. McCarron completed 25 of 29 passes for 399 yards and 3 scores, including 116 yards to Darius Hanks and 103 yards to Marquis Maze.

Trent Richardson continued to dominate in the postseason, carrying 32 times for 176 yards and catching 4 passes for 41 more. Richardson finished the day with 5 TD (3 rushing, 2 receiving). Alabama will host the National Championship Game on January 9.

Baylor Bears..............(11-4)-0-0-0-7-7
Alabama Crimson Tide.(14-1)-14-17-14-14-59

Ala-Maze 9 pass from McCarron (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Richardson 2 run (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Shelley 33 FG
Ala-Richardson 1 run (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Lacy 6 run (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Richardson 17 pass from McCarron (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Richardson 21 run (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Richardson 4 pass from McCarron (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Fowler 1 run (Shelley Kick)
BU-Griffin 9 run (Jones Kick)

Rushing (seasons totals in parentheses)
BU-Ganaway-21-89-0 (306-2,044-24), Martin-5-31-0 (60-377-3), Griffin-22-8-1 (219-773-10)
Ala-Richardson-32-176-3 (352-2,049-27), Lacy-6-10-1 (102-686-8), Fowler-2-6-1 (61-398-5), McCarron-8-(-1)-0 (52-(-46)-3)

Passing
BU-Griffin-20-12-156-0-1 (438-315-4,729-42-8)
Ala-McCarron-29-25-399-3-0 (400-266-3,409-23-6)

Receiving
BU-Wright-7-90-0 (123-1,913-15), Williams-4-31-0 (66-1,070-12), Reese-1-35-0 (53-982-7)
Ala-Hanks-5-116-0 (34-500-1), Maze-5-103-1 (70-838-3), Richardson-4-41-2 (39-500-5), Bell-3-53-0 (25-389-2), Smelley-3-32-0 (36-416-4), Gibson-2-27-0 (16-167-1), Lacy-1-12-0 (14-175-0), Williams-1-9-0 (18-206-2), White-1-6-0 (18-191-5)