There is a fascinating history behind the Great Lakes Bowl.
It actually began as a challenge to get Michigan and Notre Dame to the table and agree to play each other. At Cleveland Stadium.
It was the brainchild of Stephan Suhajcik, a Cleveland councilman at the time who was also the grand knight of the Cleveland Knights of Columbus. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, in a meeting at the Hotel Hollenden in early October of 1947, Suhajcik and this committee formulated a plan to lure one if not both of the major college football powers to play in Cleveland. A substantial guarantee, thought to be in the neighborhood of $100,000, was put on the table, and telegrams were wired to Fritz Crisler of Michigan and Frank Leahy of Notre Dame.
The Knights of Columbus desperately wanted to be on par with games such as the Rose Bowl, but the idea was doomed from the start. Notre Dame had rejected bowl game invitations for years and already had a December 6th date with Southern California on its schedule.
What the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl became was a contest between Kentucky and Villanova. The Kentucky team, led by Paul "Bear" Bryant as its head coach, defeated Villanova, 24-14, in front of over 15,000 at Cleveland Stadium.
In 1948, it was decided a local team should be the "anchor" school for that year's contest. John Carroll was tabbed early for that role, but obviously needed to have a season that would warrant a bowl invitation. After beating Marshall, 20-6, on November 6, the Blue Streaks stood 5-1-1 and were offered a spot in the game as the "host" school.
The focus then turned to who would oppose the Blue Streaks. Among the early candidates were Xavier and Baldwin Wallace (both of which would be rematches) and Denison (coached by Woody Hayes). Dayton, Miami of Ohio, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Holy Cross and Michigan State were also considered.
Ultimately, the opponent that was chosen was Canisius.
The following is Chuck Heaton's Plain Dealer story of John Carroll's thrilling 14-13 win over Canisius in John Carroll's first and only bowl game appearance:
John Carroll University gridders climaxed one of the most successful football seasons in the school's history by rallying to edge Canisius College of Buffalo, 14-13, yesterday afternoon at the stadium in the second annual Knights of Columbus Great Lakes bowl game.
Trailing by six points as the final period started, the Blue Streaks made it a happy football finale for the majority of the 17,964 grid fans by marching 55 yards for the equalizing touchdown.
Sophomore Fullback Carl Taseff spearheaded the Carroll drive and fittingly enough finished his brilliant 1948 season by blasting over tackle from the 2-yard-line for the big six points. Quarterback Bob Kilfoyle booted the extra point and the streaks had their victory margin.
It was the seventh triumph of the season for Coach Herb Eisele's versatile team, which also tied Baldwin-Wallace and Bowling Green and lost its opener to the University of Dayton. Only Carroll's 1939 Big Four championship team and the powerful 1924 squad previously had won seven football games.
The crowd for this second bowl contest was an improvement of some 3,000 over last year's representation and Knights of Columbus officials announced last night that a game again would be played next fall.
Canisius, an underdog going into the stadium contest despite its previous upset victory over St. Bonaventure, had a heavy, tough line and a brilliant back in little Howie Willis, the 155-pound flyer from Philadelphia. The Golden Griffins played the Streaks on even terms throughout the game, with Taseff's terrific fourth-quarter running proving the deciding factor.
Streaks Score on Pass
After a scoreless first period in which neither team could get a sustained offensive under way, although the footing was firm and weather good for passing. Carroll took to the air for its first score late in the second quarter. Left End Joe Miner, a sophomore from Independence, took a nice pass from Kilfoyle on the Canisius 3-yard line and loafed into the end zone for the 6 points. The play carried 24 years.
Kilfoyle passed from a fake kick formation to Right Halfback Lenny Soeder for the extra point and the Straks led 7-0, at intermission.
The third quarter was all Canisius, with the hopped-up Griffs scoring once on a pass interception and the second time on a 22-yard off-tackle blast by Capt. Si Palumbo. Center Dale McKinnon intercepted Kilfoyle's flat pass and romped 24 yards for the Buffalo squad's first touchdown.
Willis, the Griffins' fine runner and passer, missed in his first extra point try, but connected on the second on a 27-yard placement necessitated by a holding penalty on the Buffalo club after his first try had split the uprights.
That was the story until Taseff took over to carry the mail on six of eight plays as the Streaks rolled to their fourth-period touchdown.
Canisius racked up to 12 first downs to 10 for the Streaks but gained only 101 net yards from scrimmage to 178 for the victors. Carroll connected on only three of 11 passes but those completions were good for 95 yards.
Canisius Drive Halted
Canisius gave the Streak followers a scare early in the opening quarter by driving 50 yards to the Carroll 13 before the host line finally stiffened and held for downs. Chet Kwasek tossed a left-handed pass on the fourth down but it fell incomplete.
Three plays later, Jim Moran's fumble was recovered by Kwasek for a first down on the Carroll 25 to give the Griffins another scoring opportunity. Willis, who did most of the Buffalo team's throwing, passed to Jack Austin over center for another first down, but once again the University Heights' club was equal to the job and regained the ball on downs.
The Streaks drove 38 yards to their first score in the waning minutes of the second quarter. Starting the series off in an uninspiring fashion when two of Kilfoyle-to-Taseff screen throw good for 28 yards and a first down on the Buffalo team's 20.
Carroll moved the ball to the 24 in two off-tackle smashes and then Kilfoyle calmly tossed to Minor for the first score.
Leading by a 7-0 count, the Streaks took a Cleveland Browns type gamble in the third period and it resulted in the first Canisius touchdown. Taking the ballon its own 11 where a punt had rolled outside. Carroll called on Taseff who made four yards to the 15.
Kilfoyle tried one screen pass, intended for Taseff, that was incomplete and the boomerang followed. The junior signal caller attempted to pass but was rushed by the alert Canisius forwards. He finally got the ball off into the left flat but McKinnion raced out to pull down the wobbling oval and romp 24 unmolested yards for the score.
That left the count at 7-6 in the Streaks' favor after Willis missed his extra point try, but before long the Griffins again were on the march. Starting from the Streaks' 46, where Joe Petkovic's only poor punt of the day had rolled dead. Canisius pounded the distance in just six plays.
Willis started things off with one yard over his own right tackle and followed with a jump pass over center to End Al Chorny for a first down on the Carroll 35. Little Howie skirted his own right end to the 26 and Plumbo rammed through center for a first down on the 22.
Palumbo had a beautiful blocking on the next play and ripped the 22 yards for the score.
Streaks Roll 55 Yards
The Streaks took the next kick-off and moved to their winning losing control of the ball. Jack Minor returned the boot to the 30 an an unnecessary roughness penalty pushed the ball up o the Carroll 45.
Kilfoyle's first-down pass was incomplete. But Taseff shot through center on a successful draw play for 16 yards and a first down on the Canisius 38. Kilfoyle failed to find a receiver on the next play and made only 1 yard in this running attempt.
The Streaks' stocky fullback hit the center of the line to the 28 and followed with an off-tackle slant for the first down on the Griffins' 18. He was stopped for no gain as the third quarter ended.
Taseff opened the last period by taking a flip-out from Kilfoyle and going 13 to the 5 for the fist down. He was hemmed in by the Canisius secondary at the 10 but bulled his way for an extra 5 yards. Carl rammed through to the 2 on the next play and then went into the end zone standing up for the touchdown.
Kilfoyle's successful extra point placement followed and the Streaks had their bowl game victory. Canisius moved into Carroll territory twice during the remaining 10 minutes of the game but the University Heights club's pass defense was equal to each occasion.
Four seniors, Jim Moran, Mike Magri, Gene Burns and Capt Jud Whelan, wound up their grid careers at Carroll with the post-season triumph.
As for the Great Lakes Bowl, the 1948 edition would be the last. Without much fanfare, the game simply died. In a very small news brief dated October 5th, 1949, the Knights of Columbus made the announcement that it would not sponsor the game. "Unpredictable weather and the current economic situation" were cited as reasons.
