THE GREATEST EAGLE FOOTBALL TEAM 

November 25, 1940 ... Boston College and Lafayette are the only two East teams that remain undefeated and untied.  B.C. has scored 313 points to Lafayette's 238. The Eagles rank 4th in the national poll.

November 26, 1940 ... With the exception of 10 starters the Eagle squad scrimmaged at the Heights.  Ed Zabilski was the only first team member to participate.  Many team members are sick with colds.  The doctor has given Gene Goodreault the green light for Saturday's Holy Cross game.

November 28, 1940 ... The Eagle workout went indoors because of the snow storm.  The weather did not keep the team from their annual getaway dinner, just before they were shuttled to Belmont Country Club where they will remain until the game on Saturday.  At the dinner Captain Hank Toczylowski praised his team, kidded Charlie O'Rourke about being so skinny that he thought he wouldn't last a week, and praised Frank Leahy for making his squad better citizens and better gentlemen.

November 29, 1940 ... Boston College students paraded through the streets of Boston in a torchlight parade singing and doing football cheers as snow fell around them.  At a rally John Curley and William Sullivan of the B.C. Athletic Association addressed the 900 students and alumni.  At the Hotel Statler, the Boston College Alumni Association at its annual "Night Before" dance.  Over 300 Holy Cross alumni attended a senior class dinner and pre-game smoker at the University Club last night.

Holy Cross bows on Currivan's fumble recovery

November 30, 1940 ... Don Currivan the silent sophomore end provided the necessary margin for Boston College, as he literally stole a 7-0 victory over Holy Cross at Fenway Park, that gave the Eagles an undefeated and untied season, and an invitation to the Sugar Bowl.  In the second minute of the final quarter, he slapped the ball out of the hands of the Crusader's Bill Osmanski and recovered the fumbled ball on the Holy Cross 5-yard line.  Two belts at the line by second stringer, Dowdy Kissell behind lead blocker John Yauchoes, gave Boston College the only touchdown of the game. 

It was a fake quick kick by Holy Cross' Andy Natowich, who went through all the motions of punting the ball, but instead held it behind his back for Bill Osmanski to take, coming around from the right wing.  Currivan, playing defensive back fell for the fake and came slamming in at full throttle.  Somehow at that last split second, he made a lunge past Natowich at the racing Osmanski.  The only target he had was the football itself and he gave it an open-palmed vigorous slap.  The ball rolled out of Osmanski's arms and lay on the infield dirt, well within Currivan's reach.  He raked it an as Osmanski dove fruitlessly for it.

For three periods, Holy Cross put on an outstanding display of football the had the Eagles reeling.  The Crusaders took charge of the game on the very first play, outrushed the Eagles by 81 yards, and a well conceived defense foiled an Eagle attack that had baffled their nine previous opponents.  The Crusaders did everything but score and made every person on the Eagle team look bad except one guy.  The fact that they didn't score can be attributed to the brilliant defensive play of Chet Gladchuck.  Almost single handed, he put out the fire when Holy Cross really burst into flames during the second period.  From sideline to sideline he ranged burying ball carriers into the damp sod with ferocious tackles.  In five plays the Crusaders roared 50 yards down to the B.C. 30-yard line.  In came Gladchuck to make two crashing tackles on the Crusader's highly touted sophomore running back John Grigas from opposite sides of the field and stop the advance dead in its tracks.  Holy Cross was brilliant in defeat but B.C. had Gladchuck and Currivan and a therefore a trip down south to play Tennessee on New Year's Day.