The Baltimore Sun, Oct 16, 1938.

Syracuse Tops Cornell Team in Last Period

Sidat-Singh Passes Way From 0-10 Deficit to 19-17 Triumph

Syracuse, 19; Cornell 17.

By Grantland Rice

[Special Dispatch, Copyright, 1938]

Syracuse N.Y., Oct 15—A new forward-passing hero stepped in front of the great white spotlight of fame at Syracuse today. This phenomenon of the rifle shot even went beyond Sid Luckman and Sammy Bough. His name is Wilmeth Sidat-Singh, a Negro boy from Harlem wearing an East Indian name and with the deadly aim of Davy Crockett and Kit Karson.

Trailing by 10 to 0 in the fourth period, with the shining red of Cornell dominating the fading orange of Syracuse, Wilmeth Sidat-Singh, as dark as Brud Holland, Cornell's star end, took over the show.

Completes 7 of 8 Passes

Working mainly with Harold Babe Ruth, his reciever from Binghamton, Singh threw eight passes. He completed seven of these bombfire explosions for a total of 187 yards and three of these passes that sailed poisoned darts to Cornell wen for touchdowns.

All the drama of this battle between the big red of Cornell and the orange of Syracuse was banked in the final quarter as Syracuse beat Cornell 19 to 17, in of the the great thrillers of the year.

With the temperature at 80—the brand of weather that Florida and California dream about—with 25,000 spectators sitting around Archbold Stadium, it was all Cornell until Sidat-Singh, of Harlem, put on his main act.

It was the most spectacular finish I have seen since Notre Dame conquered Ohio State with 15 seconds to play. At the end of the third period, Cornell, in spite of three costly fumbles, was leading 10 to 0—a field goal by Eichler in the first period and a touchdown by McCullough in the third.

Syracuse Forlorn Hope

So Syracuse started the final period as a forlorn hope. Cornell up to this spot had been the better team. Syracuse was facing almost certain defeat. And then Pompeii and Vesuvius arrived together in a fourth period pageant that turned on the frenzy and froth to it full limit.

It was here that the combination of Wilmeth Sidat-Singh and Harold Babe Ruth went to work. Singh began whipping the flying leather straight inot the arms of Ruth. Using a fading deceptive whirl, he might just as well have used a rifle as he pegged to the right side with Ruth waiting for the ball. His second heave led to a Syracuse touchdown—and now Cornell was leading 10 to 6.

The game was on again. There was still a battle. But the next kickoff almost throttled the Orange dream of empire. For young Brown, of Cornell, took the ball on his 8-yard line and after a quick split down the center, swerved to the left, eluded for Orange tacklers with a fine chage of pace and crossed the line for another Cornell score.

Evades Orange Tacklers

Brown's run will be listed as one of the finest of the year. He ran with his head as well as his fast-flying feet. Two Syracuse tacklers had their chance to nail Brown, but he stepped away from both.

So Cornell was now leading 17 to 6, and there were only six minutes left. But Syracuse and here 25,000 supporters refused to quit.

You could sense the action ahead. It began after the kickoff when Singh hustled the ball back to near midfield. On the next play he passed to Allen for 36 yards. When Syracuse fumbled the end was now in sight one more, but a minute later Singh's pass to Ruth got 27 yards and 12 seconds later hsi next pass to the same agile receiver got another Syracuse touchdown.

Back Makes Mistake

Cornell was now leading 17 to 12. There were only three minutes left. Cornell had the ball deep in Cornell territory when one of her young backs made a mistake. After a short sprint he attemped to lateral and Allen, of Syracuse, was on top of the job.

He snagged the ball on Cornell's 25-yard line and there were both Singh and Ruth waiting—the two deadly cobras who had alread fed Cornell enough poison to kill a bull elephant.

Singh promptly faded back for the eighth time in his last period and whipped a bullet pass to Allen, who was waiting for the ball. This pass led to another touchdown and the ball game. In the course of this exterminating rifle fire Sidat-Singh completed five passes in succession for a total of 158 yards and three touhdowns.

Upset Year Ago

If there is any passer who has surpassed this record, coming from behind, I can't recall it in the ancient annals of the game. It was one of the most amazing exhibitions of machine gun fire I've ever seen where the odds were all the other way.

Syracuse Tops Cornell Team in Last Period, by Grantland Rice, The Baltimore Sun, Oct 16, 1938.