Back | Letters 1951-54
Dick Goist was a real offensive weapon for the Sid Gilman led Bearcats of the early 50's. When you think about a Sid Gilman coached offense you tend to think (rightfully) of the passing game. After all Gilman basically invented the modern passing game and had as much to do with its proliferation as any coach this side of Bill Walsh. What always gets lost in the telling is just how much Gilman's teams exploited defenses with the running game.
Gillman's passing game hit Football like a Hurricane. Defenses were (understandably) pre occupied with the pass and dropped defenders to cope. Accordingly Gillman took the numerical advantage at the line of scrimmage and dominated with the running game as well. From 1951 through 54 the Bearcats scored 135 TD's rushing, an average of 34 per season. There were always multiple backs involved, but Dick Goist was always the home run hitter and he averaged an incredible 8.77 yards per carry in 1953 en route to All America honors. He was named an all American again in 1954 before being drafted by the Detroit Lions.
Follow Down The Drive on Facebook/Twitter and check out the DTD Store