Friday, September 3, 1948
Browns 19, Los Angeles Dons 14
Cleveland Stadium (60,193)
Akron native Ara Parseghian scored the first touchdown on the day for the Browns.
Browns wide receiver Mac Speedie caught three passes for a total of 10 yards on the day.
Edgar Jones, Otto Graham, Marion Motley and Lou Saban celebrate winning the 1948 AAFC Championship Game.
Headline the next day with a photo of Boedeker touchdown.
Lou Groza kicked a 51 yard field goal and two PATs in the game.
Lou Saban, Otto Graham, Paul brown, and Chet Adams in the locker room in 1948.
Lou Saban, Otto Graham, Paul brown, and Chet Adams in the locker room in 1948.
Newspaper photo of Parseghian breaking a Len Ford tackle for a touchdown.
Running back Bill Boedeker rushed six times for 30 yards including a 3rd quarter touchdown.
Running back Bob Cowan had three catches and one run for a total of 45 yards.
Tony Adamle was one of eight running backs that the Browns used on the day.
Vince Marotta, Bob Brugge, Ara Parseghian, Tom James, Warren Lahr and Dean Sensanbaugher.
Wide receiver Dub Jones and running back Edgar Jones eating a pre-game meal in 1948.
The Browns kept things close to the vest in the season opener, gradually building a 19-0 lead before a big Friday-night crowd, then endured a flurry of Los Angeles points in the final seconds. With WR Dante Lavelli out with a broken ankle and QB Otto Graham playing with an injured hand that affected the accuracy of his throws, the Cleveland offense lacked the explosiveness that had defined it over the previous two seasons, only managing 263 total yards in what would be the Browns' lowest tally of the season. RB Marion Motley was also nursing an injured back and left the game twice with different injuries. Still, taking advantage of four Los Angeles turnovers (which wiped out three of their own) the Browns were too much for the Dons, opening the scoring with a 51-yard Lou Groza field goal and then tacking on a Graham touchdown pass to rookie RB (and Akron native) Ara Parseghian, followed by a safety when L.A. QB Glenn Dobbs stepped out of his own end zone on a pass attempt. Browns' RB Bill Boedeker capped the Cleveland scoring with a short touchdown run in the third quarter. The Dons didn't get on the board until 30 seconds remained, then recovered the football on the ensuing kickoff and added another touchdown with five seconds to play.
1 2 3 4
Dons 0 0 0 14 = 14
Browns 3 7 9 0 = 19
CLE-Groza 51-yd. FG
CLE-Parseghian 17-yd. pass from Graham (Groza kick)
CLE-Safety: Dobbs stepped out of end zone
CLE: Boedeker 6-yd. run (Groza kick)
LA-Kimbrough 2-yd. run (Agajanian kick)
LA-Aguirre 9-yd. pass from Dobbs (Agajanian kick)
Passing
LA: Dobbs 15-24-134 1 TD 1 INT, Wedemeyer 1-4-11 0 TD 1 INT
CLE: Graham 9-17-122 1 TD 1 INT
Rushing
LA: Kimbrough 7-28, Dobbs 4-15, Wedemeyer 4-15, Clarke 2-5, Clay 2-5, Kelly 1-1, Mitchell 1-0
CLE: Motley 11-57, Boedeker 6-30, E.Jones 7-22, Cline 3-9, Cowan 1-8, Graham 2-6, Sensanbaugher 2-6, Adamle 3-4, Parseghian 2-(-9)
Receiving
LA: Baldwin 3-44, Kimbrough 2-37, Wedemeyer 3-17, Gentry 2-17, Clarke 2-15, Mitchell 1-11, Aguirre 1-9, Durkota 2-(-5)
CLE: Cowan 2-37, Motley 1-36, Gillom 2-22, Parseghian 1-17, Speedie 3-10
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