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The 1971 College All-Star Game |
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For the Colts, champions of the Super Bowl, it was simply a matter of 37-year-old quarterback Earl Morrall throwing the ball. He did. For the Stars, it was a question of stopping the Colts from catching the ball. They didn't.
The final score Friday, night was 24-17, one of the lower margins in recent years, but enough for the Colts to hike the professionals' edge to 27-9-1 in the series.
Morrall's three touchdown passes plus his 329 yards passing for the night ranked him with Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Len Dawson, other pro champion quarterbacks who picked apart the eager but inexperienced All-Star secondary in recent years.
As for the Stars' offense blended by Blanton Collier in his first crack at All-Star coaching, it also was a remembrance of other games in other years.
The Stars' offense moved into Colt territory only twice in the game, and not at all in the second half. The All-Stars had the two big, strong-armed quarterbacks in Stanford's Jim Plunkett and Santa Clara's Dan Pastorini and they had plenty of speedy receivers.
But between the quarterback and the ends was Baltimore's vaunted defense, stingy on running plays and ferocious pass rushing.
Ohio State's John Brockington was the All-Stars' chief threat as he hammered out 27 yards in 11 carries, mostly in the first period. Brockington got the first Star touchdown the opening seconds of the second period on a one-yard run. The score was set up when Baltimore was called for pass interference, giving the collegian the ball on the 1.
The All-Stars other score came after Sam Havrilak replaced Morrall at quarterback in the final period. He fumbled on the second play and Penn State's Jack Ham grabbed it and ran 47 yards for the score.
Morrall, hitting on 20 of 30 passes, moved Baltimore easily, but the Colts were sluggish on offense and the 1971 All-Stars made fewer costly mistakes than other editions. Penalties hurt both teams.
Morrall also was harassed by a good charge from the All-Star front line. Richie Harris of Grambling, Jack Youngblood of Florida and Julius Adams of Texas Southern applied pressure to Morrall throughout the game but it wasn't enough to cure the inexperience in the secondary.
Midway in the first period, Morrall found Ray Perkins alone at the Al-Star 7-yard line and the former Alabama star stepped into the end zone and complete 27-yard play.
In the second period, Tom Matte, the all-duty back who missed last year with an injury, rolled out of the backfield to grab a 15-yard strike.
The Colts' final score came after the Stars' biggest play and that was an accident. Pastorini's punt from his end zone almost was blocked and the Santa Clara star eluded the Colt rush and raced to the 34-yard line.
The crowd of 52,289, viewing restyled Soldier Field for the first time, broke into loud cheers which were choked off by an immediate penalty that moved the Stars back to their 18.
Two plays later Baltimore had the ball and Morrall lofted a soft pass over the middle to tight end Tom Mitchell who was by himself at the 20. He romped over.
The All-Stars picked up three points on a 40-yard field goal in the second quarter by Wyoming’s Bob Jacobs, and Baltimore's Jim O'Brien matched with a 22-yarder in the third period.
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Line play in the All-Star Game.
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Dan Pastorini boots extra point. |
Julius Adams led defense put pressure on Morrall. |
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John Brockington was the flash for the Stars early.
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The Bears and All-Stars scrimmage the week before the big game. Leon Burns of Long Beach State carries behind blocking of John Mooring (71) with Dan Dierdorf (on his side) and Elmo Wright (12). The Bears' Ross Brupbacher (31) pursues.
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