Remember when we played Notre Dame and he had all of the Roman Catholic priests behind the Rice bench? Didn't help but was funny. My first Rice game was his first win over UofH and being the son of Tulane graduates who lived in Louisiana, I have to say the tie with LSU was one of my favorite Rice games ever.
Yes, that was brilliant!
Can anyone here accurately recount the story of the hearse being driven onto the field, with coffin filled with mistakes?
And wasn't it Big Al who threw a chair through the locker room window at halftime of a game (that we came back and won?)?
Lol at the hearse- black guys eyes got big as saucers. Best one was when we practiced on grass at track stadium because LSU or whoever had grass. During practice, Winnebagos began circling track- I figured it was some big money Alumni. Al called us over, we took a knee , and then the doors of Winnebagos flew open and girls with hot pants came out and gave us popcicles.
I guess for advertising that never happened because of results, we all loaded on buses and went to Panchos- all, including Big Al were scouring the next day and he called practice off.
The Al Conover Owls defeated A&M in both 1972 (at Kyle Field) and 1973 (at HRS). After 2 tries, he was 2-0 vs. TAMU. The Owls have only defeated the Aggies in football once since then.
Big Al threw the chair thru the window in Fayetteville before the game started, in that converted tool shed the Pigs called the visitors locker room......this was well before the $EC move, of course.
Al said the players weren't ready mentally, and he had to do something.
The Razorback facilities department subsequently sent him a bill for the damage. Don't know if it ever got paid.
I saw him at this past Letterman's golf tourney out at Wildcat - he came in to town every year to this event to see all his players and his friends allied with the program, God bless him.
(06-08-2016 08:07 PM)davidw Wrote: [ -> ]Big Al threw the chair thru the window in Fayetteville before the game started, in that converted tool shed the Pigs called the visitors locker room......this was well before the $EC move, of course.
Al said the players weren't ready mentally, and he had to do something.
The Razorback facilities department subsequently sent him a bill for the damage. Don't know if it ever got paid.
The Owls did win the game, as I recall.
Red Bale was the AD at the time of this incident. During the Goldsmith era, he was a frequent attendee at the Owl Club meetings and somehow this incident came up during a conversation I had with him during one of these meetings. As I understood it from Red, the damages were taken care of, how they were taken care, he would not say. But he did say he was pretty pissed at Conover for that.
(06-08-2016 06:36 PM)Wiessman Wrote: [ -> ]I've posted this a couple of times over the years, so I'll do it just once more here. Totally appropriate to honor the late Coach Conover:
That was an amazing game for many reasons including the famous halftime and the scary after game action with the Rice band. I showed up at the half and saw the score, which amazed me , and the amazing kickoff return. Does anyone remember the end of the game with the Aggies inside our five as the clock ran out? That was almost as good as the run back.
One of my favorite Big Al stories was told in Giles Tippette's book, Saturday's Children, about the 1971 Owl football team. Bill Peterson sent Big Al over to UH to scout their practices. Al went to the Cougar Book Store bought a UH hat and UH notebook to look like a student then proceeded to watch the UH practice.
Al seemed to be a good coach and a great motivator. Sadly, it seemed that recruiting was not his forte. Great memories of 72 and 73. I will never forget TAMU 1973
(06-09-2016 08:12 AM)elf owl Wrote: [ -> ]Does anyone remember the end of the game with the Aggies inside our five as the clock ran out? That was almost as good as the run back.
I do. I believe it was Cornelius Walker who got the stop on the final play. Go clock go!
(06-09-2016 09:23 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote: [ -> ]One of my favorite Big Al stories was told in Giles Tippette's book, Saturday's Children, about the 1971 Owl football team. Bill Peterson sent Big Al over to UH to scout their practices. Al went to the Cougar Book Store bought a UH hat and UH notebook to look like a student then proceeded to watch the UH practice.
![[Image: 06firstowlconover375.jpg]](http://www.ricefootball.net/06firstowlconover375.jpg)