1943 Pittsburgh Panthers football team

The 1943 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1943 college football season. The team compiled a 3–5 record under new head coach Clark Shaughnessy.

At the start of the season, Shaughnessy introduced red and white uniforms that departed from the team's traditional blue and gold color scheme. The team reverted to blue and gold in late 1945.

In the final Litkenhous Ratings, Pittsburgh ranked 65th among the nation's college and service teams with a rating of 76.2.

Preseason
On January 22, Chester L. Smith of The Pittsburgh Press reported that Pitt head coach Charles Bowser was leaving his post, and applying for a commission in the United States Navy Pre-Flight Schools under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Tom Hamilton, who would become Pitt's Athletic Director from 1949 to 1959. On August 27, Bowser was named executive director of the USO Council in the Pittsburgh district. After the war he sold insurance for the Aetna Insurance Company in the Pittsburgh area. On January 25, the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees formally approved the resignation of Charles Bowser, as Pitt football coach, and appointed Clark Shaughnessy as his successor. Athletic Director James Hagan stated: "In Shaughnessy we found a popular figure, who is liked by everyone...He has done a great teaching job wherever he has coached during the past 28 years, and gets the most out of what he has to work with...I'm convinced that Shaughnessy honestly believes in Pitt and feels he can do a good job."

On January 30, Shaughnessy hired ex-Chicago Bear guard Dr. Daniel Fortmann. He served as the assistant coach, and pursued his medical career on the staff of Presbyterian Hospital. On February 8, Shaughnessy announced that he would retain Charles “Doc” Hartwig from Bowser's coaching staff as an assistant.

In February, The Pittsburgh Press and The Pitt News reported that returning starters Jack Durishan (tackle) and Bill Dillon (guard), plus reserves Harold Scott (center), Wilbur Newstetter (guard) and John Montana (fullback) were to report for active duty the first week of March. Halfback Tony DiMatteo, along with back-up quarterbacks Bob Smith and Ed Slavin had withdrawn earlier in the year. Wilbur Newstetter and John Montana were also called to serve.

In 1943 most colleges and universities were either part of the V-12 Navy College Training Program or the Army Specialized Training Program. The Navy program allowed their students to take part in athletics at the member institutions. The Army program did not allow their students to join the athletic teams. Pitt hosted the Army Specialized Training Program on its campus.

With Pitt on the trimester system for the war effort, the spring practice drills did not start until June 28, so Shaughnessy could include all the incoming freshmen. 51 students attended the first session, and by July 3 the number had risen to 72. Practices were scheduled an hour and a half 4 days per week. Shaughnessy brought in Chicago Bear quarterback Sid Luckman to teach the T- Formation system to the Panther quarterbacks. On August 7, the Panthers ended their summer training with an intra-squad game. With several thousand fans in attendance, the Gold bested the Blue 26–16. Freshman Carl Mosso, all-state halfback from New Jersey, scored two touchdowns. Two weeks later he was summoned home by his draft board.

The student activities book was replaced by a single card that was punched upon entrance to the stadium. Most of the band members were marching with Uncle Sam, so the Army Corps band supplied the halftime music. New cheerleaders and the Panther mascot would be on the sidelines.

Coach Shaughnessy decided that the Panthers would wear red and white uniforms instead of their usual blue and gold. He told The Pittsburgh Press: "It will be the most stylish-looking team in the country. Oh, there's Stanford, too. But in equipment and color scheme and practicality our boys will lead."

Notre Dame
On September 25, Pitt, wearing their red jerseys, opened the season against third-year coach Frank Leahy's Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The all-time series was tied 5–5–1, but the teams had not met since 1937, when Jock Sutherland was coach. Notre Dame had a V-12 Navy College Training Program on their campus and 29 of the 35 men on the travel squad were Navy or Marine trainees. Pitt countered with a squad of freshmen and 4-Fs.

The Irish lineup had 5 consensus 1943 All-Americans: halfback – Creighton Miller; tackle – Jim White; guard – Pat Filley; end – John Yonaker and quarterback – Angelo Bertelli, who also won the Heisman Trophy. Johnny Lujack started at quarterback ahead of Bertelli and center Herbert Coleman was named second team on the United Press All-America team.

Coach Shaughnessy was far from optimistic: "If Notre Dame doesn't beat us by at least 30 points it ought to go back home ashamed of itself." Pitt guard Francis Mattioli, tackle Martin Rosepink, center Ralph Hammond and halfback Louis Chelko were the only returning lettermen. Mattioli was named captain for the game.

In front of 59,050 fans, the largest opening day football crowd in Pittsburgh history, Notre Dame beat the Panthers handily 41–0. Jim Costin of The South Bend Tribune wrote: "The one-sided result proved conclusively what was apparent to everyone who wouldn't be blinded to the facts of life–that college teams that must depend upon players under the draft age of 18, and on 4-F's simply have no business on the same field with teams manned by naval special trainees."

Irish halfback Creighton Miller and substitute back Julius Rykovich each scored two touchdowns. Bob Palladino and Angelo Bertelli added one each. Bertelli connected on 3 of 4 placements and Fred Early made both of his attempts to reach a total of 41. Notre Dame dominated the stats as they earned 20 first downs, gained 372 yards rushing and completed 3 of 6 passes for another 30 yards. They did not throw a pass in the second half. Pitt made 6 first downs, 26 yards rushing and completed 1 of 13 passes for 19 yards.

Notre Dame finished the season ranked #1 in the AP football poll with a 9–1 record.

The Pitt starting lineup for the game against Notre Dame was Joe Pierre (left end), Milton Ebert (left tackle), Francis Mattioli (left guard), Donald Fisher (center), Gary Feniello (right guard), Martin Rosepink (right tackle), James Maloney (right end), Joseph Mocha (quarterback), Frank Knisley (left halfback), Louis Chelko (right halfback) and William Abromitis (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Pitt were Paul Massey, Clair Malarkey, Michael Podrasky, Joseph DeFrank, Leonard West, George Ranii, Walter Germusa, Steve Polach, Ralph Hammond, Joseph Kielb, Richard Trachok, Thomas Kalmanir, Don Matthews, Angelo Carlaccini, and Cyril Plazak.

at Great Lakes
On October 2, the Panthers traveled to the Great Lakes Naval Station near Lake Michigan to play the Bluejackets in front of 22,000 sailors in training. Coach Tony Hinkle's Jackets were 2–1 on the season. They had beaten Fort Riley and Iowa, and had lost to Purdue. With a backfield consisting of Steve Lach (Duke), Steve Juzwik (Notre Dame), Dewey Proctor (Furman) and Emil Sitko (Notre Dame), the Panthers were facing an All-Star team of seasoned college players.

The Bluejackets beat the Panthers 40–0. Steve Lach, who scored 2 touchdowns against the Panthers in Duke's 27–7 victory in 1941, scored 2 again to lead the Jackets. The remaining touchdowns were scored by Emil Sitko, Stan Vrabec, Ken Roskie and Art Murakowski. Joe Rogers added three placements and Frank Yokas made one. Great Lakes dominated on offense and defense. They made 16 first downs and gained 416 total yards, while holding the Panthers to 7 first downs and 121 total yards. The Panthers fumbled 7 times and threw 2 interceptions. The Bluejackets finished the season ranked #6 in the AP football poll with a 10–2 record.

The Pitt starting lineup for the game against Great Lakes was James Maloney (left end), Martin Rosepink (left tackle), Francis Mattioli (left guard), Don Fisher (center), George Ranii (right guard), Milton Ebert (right tackle), Joe Pierre (right end), Joseph Mocha (quarterback), Frank Knisley (left halfback), Louis Chelko (right halfback) and William Abromitis (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Pitt were Clair Malarkey, Paul Massey, Joseph DeFrank, William Galand, Steve Polach, Gary Feniello, Ralph Hammond, Joseph Kielb, Cyril Plazak, John Itzel, Richard Trachok, Don Matthews and Thomas Kalmanir.

West Virginia
After a three-year lapse, the Backyard Brawl resumed on October 9. Pitt led the all-time series 26–8–1. Former Mountaineers coach Ira Rodgers replaced Bill Kern, who was serving in the Navy. Rodgers' Mountaineers were 0–1 on the season having lost to Virginia the previous week. Coach Rodgers was at the helm in 1928, when West Virginia last beat Pitt (9–6).

Prior to the game, the Pitt students held a pep rally. Coach Shaughnessy designated center Ralph Hammond captain for the game. Hammond named Martin Rosepink co-captain, because Rosepink was entering the Navy on Tuesday following the game. The Pitt Band was resurrected and performed at the rally and at halftime. The athletic department would sell $.25 tickets to children 12 and under for the rest of the home games.

The Panthers continued their mastery over the Mountaineers with a 20–0 shutout. Back-up quarterback Joe Kielb scored the first Panther points of the season in the second quarter on fourth down, with a 1-yard dash around the left end. The Panthers led 6–0 at halftime. After a scoreless third period, the Panthers added two more scores in the final quarter. Tom Kalmanir rushed 25-yards to cap a 6-play, 76-yard drive. Gary Feniello added the placement. The Panther offense drove 50 yards for the last score. Bill Abromitis ran the final 10 yards and Feniello added the extra point. The Panthers had the edge statistically with 15 first downs and 234 yards gained, against the Mountaineers 7 first downs and 100 yards gained. Pitt completed only 2 of 9 passes for 51 yards and had 3 intercepted. The Mountaineers completed 5 of 14 for 48 yards with 1 interception. West Virginia finished the season with a 4–3 record.

The Pitt starting lineup for the game against West Virginia was Joe Pierre (left end), Martin Rosepink (left tackle), Gary Feniello (left guard), Ralph Hammond (center), Francis Mattioli (right guard), Milton Ebert (right tackle), James Maloney (right end), Joseph Mocha (quarterback), John Itzel (left halfback), Louis Chelko (right halfback) and William Abromitis (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Pitt were Paul Massey, Joseph DeFrank, Robert Fowler, Leonard West, Albert Marrangoni, William Galand, George Ranii, Walter Germusa, Steve Polach, Robert Bock, Donald Fisher, Frank Knisley, Walter Jones, Thomas Kalmanir, Joseph Kielb, Richard Trachok, Don Matthews, Cyril Plazak and Jay Brown.

at Illinois
On October 16, the Panthers traveled to Champaign, IL to play the Fighting Illini for the first time. Ray Eliot's Illini were 1–3 on the season. The Illini, like Pitt, were a team of 17-year-olds and 4-Fs. They lost their first three games, but earned their first victory the previous week against Wisconsin. Two starters, end James Srednicki and guard Ralph Palmer, were due to report for military service.

Coach Shaughnessy replaced Martin Rosepink with Bill Galand at left tackle. Fullback Bill Abromitis played his final game as a Panther before entering the Navy. Left end Joe Pierre, one of two remaining holdovers from last year, was designated captain for this game. The Panthers were 0–8 against the (Western) Big Ten Conference since they de-emphasized the football program, and they were the underdog in this game.

The Panthers made a game of it, but lost to the Illini 33–25. After falling behind 19–0 in the first half, the Panthers offense scored 25 second half points, but their defense surrendered 14 more points to seal their fate. Illinois drove 66 yards on the opening drive with Eddie Bray going the final 23 yards for a 6–0 lead. In the second period, Bray ended an 80-yard touchdown march with a 38-yard run. Lester Joop missed both placements. Late in the half, Eddie McGovern scored on an 11-yard run and he added the extra point for the 19–0 lead. In the third quarter, Joe Pierre recovered an Illinois fumble on the Illini 25-yard line. Four plays later, John Itzel scored from the 1-yard line. Early in the final stanza, Pitt scored again on a 5-yard touchdown scamper by Itzel to cut the margin to 19–12. The Illini answered with McGovern racing 64-yards and he added the point after to make the score 26–12. Pitt drove 62-yards for their third touchdown, a 5-yard run by Frank Knisley, to cut the lead to 26–18. Illinois answered again with a 51-yard drive. McGovern scored his third touchdown on a 14-yard dash around left end, and Dan Greenwood converted the placement. Pitt drove 69-yards with John Itzel scoring his third touchdown, and Joe Kielb added the extra point to end the scoring.

Offensively the Panthers gained 14 first downs to 11 for the Illini. Illinois gained 318 yards on the ground to 103 yards for Pitt, although the Panthers completed 14 of 17 passes for 156 yards. At one point quarterback Joe Mocha completed 9 passes in a row.

The Pitt starting lineup for the game against Illinois was Joe Pierre (left end), Milton Ebert (left tackle), Francis Mattioli (left guard), Ralph Hammond (center), Gary Feniello (right guard), William Galand (right tackle), James Maloney (right end), Joseph Mocha (quarterback), John Itzel (left halfback), Louis Chelko (right halfback), and William Abromitis (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Pitt were Jay Brown, Paul Massey, James Reber, George Ranii, Gary Feniello, Robert Fowler, William Galand, Steve Polach, Joseph Kielb, Thomas Kalmanir, Don Matthews, Richard Trachok and Frank Knisley.

Bethany
On October 23, the Panthers welcomed the Bethany Bisons for the seventh time. Pitt had won the previous 6 meetings and had yet to surrender a point to Bethany (194–0). The Bisons had a Naval Training Program on campus, and expected to do well on the gridiron. But, John Knight's Bisons were 0–3 on the season, having lost to Miami (Ohio), Ohio Wesleyan and Oberlin.

Coach Shaughnessy replaced: Bill Abromitis with Frank Knisley at fullback; Bill Galand with James Reber at tackle; and Gary Feniello with George Ranii at guard. Halfback Louis Chelko was designated Captain for the game.

Pitt continued its mastery over the Bisons with a hard-fought 18–0 victory. The first half was scoreless. The Panthers offense received the third-quarter kick-off and moved the ball 58 yards in 19 plays. Tom Kalmanir raced 2-yards around left end for the score. Paul Massey missed the placement. Pitt scored twice in the final stanza. A 16-yard touchdown pass from Joe Mocha to Joe Pierre doubled the score to 12–0. Following the kick-off, Bethany substitute halfback, Charles Fultineer, fumbled a Ralph Hammond punt, and Joe Kielb recovered for the Panthers on the Bison 29-yard line. On second down, Tom Kalmanir ran 28 yards around left end for the final touchdown. Both of Massey's extra point attempts were blocked. Late in the game, Kalmanir returned a punt 77-yards for an apparent touchdown, but the Panthers were penalized for clipping.

The Pitt starting lineup for the game against Bethany was Joe Pierre (left end), James Reber (left tackle), Francis Mattioli (left guard), Ralph Hammond (center), George Ranii (right guard), Milton Ebert (right tackle), Paul Massey (right end), Joseph Mocha (quarterback), John Itzel (left halfback), Louis Chelko (right halfback) and Frank Knisley (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Pitt were James Maloney, Jay Brown, Joseph DeFrank, Robert Fowler, William Galand, Robert Schneider, Steve Polach, Don Fisher, John Foley, Walter Jones, Joseph Kielb, Richard Trachok and Don Matthews.

Carnegie Tech
On October 30, the Panthers and Tartans played the final chapter of the "City Game". Pitt led the series 23–5–1. Tech's last win was in 1938, when, in front of 61,000 fans, the Sugar Bowl bound Tartans, under the leadership of former Pitt star Bill Kern, beat the Panthers 20–10. The Tartans were now led by Joe Skladany, another former Pitt All-American. This was the final game of Tech's abbreviated war-time schedule. They were winless in their first four games. They tied Lehigh and lost to Rochester, Case and West Virginia. Due to injuries, Skladany had to replace a tackle, end, quarterback and fullback in his starting lineup.

Pitt was a heavy favorite, but Coach Shaughnessy was cautious: "There's no rhyme nor reason why Tech should beat us Saturday, but that makes me worry more than ever. I know how scraps like this can be and I don't intend to let up any between now and Saturday just because we're supposed to win." Tom Kalmanir replaced Louis Chelko at left halfback in the starting lineup and Francis Mattioli was designated Captain.

12,000 spectators watched as the Panthers beat the Tartans 45–6. This was the largest margin of victory in the 30-game series. Shaughnessy played 39 substitutes, and seven different Panthers scored touchdowns. Fullback Frank Knisley's 1-yard plunge at the end of the opening quarter started the rout. Paul Massey added the extra point. In the second period, a Joe Mocha 40-yard touchdown pass to John Itzel and Paul Massey missed extra point was followed by a 33-yard touchdown pass from Joe Kielb to Dick Trachok. Gary Feniello was good on the placement and Pitt led 20–0. Late in the quarter substitute halfback, Walter Jones, ran 59-yards and John Foley missed the extra point to raise the halftime score to 26–0. Pitt opened the third quarter with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Joe Mocha to Tom Kalmanir. Frank Knisley missed the placement. Then, Joe Kielb connected with Don Matthews on a 27-yard touchdown pass, and Matthews added the point after to bring the score to 39–0 at the end of the third quarter. The Tartans offense sustained a drive in the last period, and an Irwin Breier 37-yard touchdown pass to Al Ghizzoni gave the Tech Homecoming crowd a reason to cheer. Breier's placement was blocked. Pitt closed the scoring on a 45-yard interception return by Bob Steytler. After fumbling the snap, Steytler was stopped short on running for the extra point.

The Pitt starting lineup for the game against Carnegie Tech was Paul Massey (left end), James Reber (left tackle), Francis Mattioli (left guard), Ralph Hammond (center), George Ranii (right guard), Milton Ebert (right tackle), Joe Pierre (right end), Joseph Mocha (quarterback), John Itzel (left halfback), Thomas Kalmanir (right halfback) and Frank Knisley (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Pitt were John Pager, Myron Pavuk, Donald Owen, James Maloney, Jay Brown, Paul Oberkircher, Warren Humes, Herbert Lurie, Herbert Sheinberg, Robert Fowler, James McDonough, Albert Marrangoni, William Galand, Robert Schneider, Max Scherb, Peter Siedyia, Paul Steinlauf, Joseph DeFrank, Steve Polach, Gary Feniello, Harry Alward, Al Beckman, Robert Bock, Donald Fisher, George Saphos, Edward Reese, Frank Gallo, Samuel Grecco, George Linelli, John Foley, John Fox, Walter Germusa, Robert Steytler, Dean Carey, Walter Jones, Joseph Kielb, Richard Trachok, Don Matthews and Cyril Plazak.

Ohio State
On November 6, Coach Paul Brown's Ohio State Buckeyes were Pitt's opponent. The Buckeyes arrived in Pittsburgh with a 1–5 record. After the Carnegie Tech victory, Coach Shaughnessy was optimistic: "I'm not saying what the result of the game with Ohio State will be, but I think it will be a fine battle all the way." Shaughnessy lost 6 straight games to Ohio State when he coached Chicago and the Panthers had not beaten a Western Conference team since the football program was de-emphasized (0–9). Louis Chelko was back in the lineup at left halfback, and Ralph Hammond was the designated Captain for the two touchdown underdog Panthers.

In front of 30,000 Homecoming fans, the second-largest crowd of the season, Ohio State scored 7 unanswered touchdowns in the first half, and cruised to a 46–6 blowout victory over the Panthers. The Pitt defense could not stop the Buckeyes' first or second stringers. Mercifully, Coach Brown played his third and fourth string in the second half. Buckeye halfback, Ernie Parks, scored the first time he touched the ball on a 68-yard end sweep and the rout was on. Next, Dean Sensanbaugher scored on a 21-yard reverse before Parks added his second touchdown on a 9-yard run at the end of a 65-yard drive. Fullback, Glen Oliver, scored the next three touchdowns. Late in the half, Bob Hecker connected with Ernie Plank on a 40-yard touchdown pass. John Stungis converted 4 of 7 extra points and the Buckeyes had a 46–0 halftime lead. In the third period the Panthers managed a 5-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a John Itzel 1-yard plunge for the score. Itzel missed the placement. Ohio had 2 scoring opportunities in the second half, but the Panther defense managed to thwart both drives.

The Buckeyes finished Paul Brown's last season with a 3–6 record.

The Pitt starting lineup for the game against Ohio State was Joe Pierre (left end), Milton Ebert (left tackle), Francis Mattioli (left guard), Ralph Hammond (center), George Ranii (right guard), James Reber (right tackle), Paul Massey (right end), Joseph Kielb (quarterback), John Itzel (left halfback), Louis Chelko (right halfback) and Frank Knisley (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Pitt were James Maloney, Jay Brown, Joseph DeFrank, James McDonough, William Galand, Robert Schneider, Steve Polach, Donald Fisher, Joseph Mocha, John Foley, Walter Jones, Richard Trachok, Thomas Kalmanir and Don Matthews.

Penn State
The final game on the schedule of this war-time season was against Penn State. Pitt led the all-time series 24–16–2, but the Lions had won the last two games and three of the past four games. Penn State was one of two schools that had the Army, Navy and Air Force Training Programs on campus. Coach Bob Higgins had 600 trainees report for try-outs. His main problem was who would be available at game time. Oddly, Bill Abromitis was the starting halfback for the Lions. The first four weeks of the season Bill was the starting fullback for the Panthers, and then he joined the Navy. The Lions were 4–3–1 for the season.

Coach Shaughnessy had to adjust the Pitt lineup due to injuries: Jimmy McDonough replaced Milt Ebert at left tackle; Dick Trachok replaced Frank Knisley at fullback; and Walter Jones replaced Louis Chelko at right halfback. Since the Nittany Lions defense only surrendered 53 points in their 8 games, while the Panthers defense gave up 166 points in 7 games, the Panthers were two touchdown underdogs.

Penn State beat the Panthers 14–0 and for the first time in forty years, extended their win streak over Pitt to three games. Former Pitt fullback, Bill Abromitis set up the first touchdown with a 17-yard pass completion to Dick Trumbull to the 3-yard line. Then, on second down he ran the ball into the end zone. Ed Czekaj booted the point after and State led 7–0. Late in the second quarter, State gained possession on the Panther 45-yard line. A 21-yard reverse by Tubby Crawford and 10-yard run by Cass Sisler highlighted the drive to the 8-yard line. The Pitt defense stiffened and the Lions lined up for a field goal with Dick McCown holding for Ed Czekaj's attempt from the 12-yard line. It was a fake and Dick McCown raced around right end for the touchdown. Ed Czekaj added the point and State led 14–0. The second half was scoreless. Pitt was in State territory once in the third period, and again on the last play of the game. Statistically, the Panthers' offense gained minus-26 yards on the ground, and completed 4 of 18 passes for 97 yards. Penn State intercepted 2 passes and recovered 3 Pitt fumbles. Pitt ended the season with a 3–5 record. They scored 114 points and surrendered 174. Coach Shaughnessy told the Sun-Telegraph: "I'm satisfied, our boys fought their hearts out, showed they knew how to tackle and that they are better than they looked in the game with Ohio State."

Even though Bill Abromitis ended up on the Penn State team, his school of choice was Pittsburgh, so he received his football letter from Pitt.

The Pitt starting lineup for the game against Penn State was Joe Pierre (left end), James McDonough (left tackle), Francis Mattioli (left guard), Ralph Hammond (center), George Ranii (right guard), James Reber (right tackle), Paul Massey (right end), Joseph Mocha (quarterback), John Itzel (left halfback), Walter Jones (right halfback) and Richard Trachok (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Pitt were James Maloney, Donald Owen, Joseph DeFrank, Albert Marrongoni, Milton Ebert, William Galand, Robert Schneider, Walter Germusa, Steve Polach, Gary Feniello, John Fox, Donald Fisher, John Foley, Joseph Kielb, Kalmanir, Louis Chelko and Don Matthews.

Postseason
Three Panthers were named to the Associated Press All-State football team. Third-year guard, Francis Mattioli, was named to the second team as a tackle. Two seventeen-year-old freshmen, quarterback Joe Mocha and halfback Tom Kalmanir, received honorable mention.

The Athletic Department gave letters to William Abromitis, Jay Brown, Louis Chelko, Joseph DeFrank, Milton Ebert, Gary Feniello, Don Fisher, John Foley, Robert Fowler, William Galand, Walter Germusa, Ralph Hammond, John Itzel, Walter Jones, Thomas Kalmanir, Joe Kielb, Frank Knisley, James Maloney, Paul Massey, Don Matthews, Francis Mattioli, Joe Mocha, Joe Pierre, Cyril Plazak, George Ranii, james Reber, Martin Rosepink, Rich Trachok and Bill Rudoy.