the death of Notre Dame head coach Knute Rockne. College Mickal was an all-around player; a triple-threat running back who also played on defense. He was regarded as an excellent deep-ball passer; in the words of LSU coach Lawrence "Biff" Jones: "Mickal is a greater passer than Red Cagle—he's the greatest I ever saw." Jones was Cagle's coach while at Army. One sportswriter referred to Mickal as "the Dizzy Dean of the nation's forward passers." He was also known for his play-making ability during crucial moments of games, and LSU compiled a win–loss record of 23–4–5 in the three seasons Mickal played for the team. 1933 Mickal showed his versatility in the first game of the 1933 season against Rice, tossing a 40-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage to end Pete Burge and booting punts of 76 and 61 yards. In week four against Arkansas Mickal completed touchdown passes of 48 and 57 yards and ran for a 15-yard touchdown, as he was responsible for every score in the 20–0 win over the eventual Southwest Conference champion Razorbacks. He scored the only touchdown of LSU's final game of the season, against Tennessee, with a goal line dive into the end zone. He also kicked the extra point for the 7–0 victory, and completed the season having successfully made every extra point he attempted. The Tigers finished undefeated with three ties in their first season as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). After the season, Mickal was named to the United Press (UP) All-SEC second team as a halfback. 1934 One of Mickal's most notable games came in 1934 against the Mustangs of Southern Methodist. He threw two touchdown passes, the first one a 32-yarder to tie the game at 7–7 in the second quarter. Late in the fourth quarter and down by a touchdown, Mickal dropped back at his own 35-yard line and hurled a pass down the middle of the field. It was caught in stride at the Mustang 20-yard line by Gaynell Tinsley, who ran it into the end zone to tie the game at 14–14, which was the final score. In week four against 13th-ranked Arkansas, Mickal completed five of seven passes for 117 yards, which included a 52-yard bomb in the third quarter for the first score of the 16–0 win. He also averaged over 50 yards per punt on nine punts. The next