ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
HERMAN HICKMAN SAYS:
This is the year of the big switch in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Only three of the eight schools have the same head coaches as last season. This is a rather high casualty rate even for the precarious profession of football coaching. Only Bill Murray, Frank Howard and Earle Edwards are open for business at the same old stands—Duke, Clemson and North Carolina State.
Bowlmaster Jim Tatum's homing instinct returned him to Chapel Hill after a brilliant sojourn at Maryland. Thus the ball started rolling. Warren Geise, Tatum's right bower on the Terrapin staff, was asked by Rex En-right at South Carolina to take over his vacated duties as head coach when Enright, after a long and honorable career as both coach and athletic director, decided to confine his activities to the latter. Tommy Mont, another Tatum assistant and former Terp star, succeeded to the vacated throne at College Park.
Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons, dissatisfied with Tom Rogers at the helm, "called" Paul Amen, longtime assistant to Earl Blaik at Army, to take over the transplanted Baptist football operations at the new Wake Forest College campus near Winston-Salem, N.C. Finally, Ben Martin, formerly an Eddie Erdelatz assistant at Navy, succeeded Ned McDonald as headman at Virginia. Thus the only real coaching casualties were at Wake Forest and Virginia, where, incidentally, the outlook is dark for winning seasons. These two teams should battle it out for the cellar position.
Otherwise it looks like the same old melodrama being rerun for the folks who happened to miss it before. It is still Duke and Maryland, Maryland and Duke in the star roles, and on alternate years they play a single in the Orange Bowl. Of course they don't play each other and won't until 1960. So, picking them co-champions each year is a pretty good bet, with Clemson's hungry Tiger stalking either who falters. This season there is an added feature: Jim Tatum and his hardy troupe of Tar Heel players lurking in the wings and waiting for the day when their lines are stronger so they can take over the starring role. Southern critics say it will happen soon, because Tatum, in the parlance of the theatrical trade, is known as a "quick study." Geise inherits a better-than-average squad at South Carolina which could surprise, while North Carolina State will be much improved. Morale is high at both Wake Forest and Virginia, but the material is just not up to the standards of the other six members of the conference, and neither can be considered a threat, although both could be spoilers.
So, after a trip down Tobacco Road, it looks like Duke, with its brilliant split-T Quarterback Sonny Jurgensen hale and hardy, should be undefeated in conference play, represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl and be one of the top teams in the nation (see The Eleven Best Elevens). It is my hunch that Maryland could disappoint in the national picture, but should co-champion the ACC with Duke.
MARYLAND
COLLEGE PARK, MD.
COLORS: Red and white.
BASIC OFFENSE: Split-T.
1955 RECORD: Won 10, lost 0.
Orange Bowl: lost to Okla. 7-21.
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 23 of 36.
WATCH FOR: Mike Sandusky, T; Jack Davis, G; Tom Selep, B; Frank Tamburello, B; Gene Alderton, C.
THE DOPE: The "Terrapins have it in guards, tackles and spades. Freshman Coach Tommy Mont inherited one of the best lines in football from Jim Tatum, and if anything the Terps will be better due to increased team speed. Al Beardsley is an exciting sophomore end who will bear watching, while Quarterback Frank Tamburello, Halfbacks Fred Hamilton and Jack Healy are proven veterans and potential stars. Mont says the 1956 version of the Terps will be "comparable with great Maryland teams of the past." The Maryland line from tackle to tackle shows tremendous strength with such standouts as Al Wharton, Jack Davis and. Mike Sandusky. Fullback Tom Selep caused biggest excitement of spring drills and could be key to power attack.
1956 SCHEDULE (1955 score):
Sept. 22—Syracuse (34-13)
Sept. 29—at Wake Forest (28-7)
Oct. 6—Baylor (20-6)
Oct. 12—at Miami, N (no game)
Oct. 20—at North Carolina (25-7)
Oct. 27—at Tennessee (no game)
Nov. 3—Kentucky (no game)
Nov. 10—Clemson (25-12)
Nov. 17—at South Carolina (27-0)
Nov. 22—at N.C. State (no game)
CLEMSON
CLEMSON, S.C.
COLORS: Purple and orange.
BASIC OFFENSE: T and split-T.
1955 RECORD: Won 7, lost 3.
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 24 of 38.
WATCH FOR: Joel Wells, B; Charlie Bussey, B; Dick Marazza, T; Earle Greene, G; Dick DeSimone, C.
THE DOPE: Clemson's Tiger is the cat Duke and Maryland don't want to let out of the bag this year. The Tigers are a mature, experienced ball club at every position. Coach Frank Howard Says smugly: "I'm pretty well satisfied with the looks of our first team. We have a letterman at each position on the starting eleven...[and] a good chance of slipping into the Orange Bowl...." The second-and third-string teams are made up almost entirely of juniors and sophomores, but Howard expects to play them with regularity, hoping "they won't make too many mistakes." Weakest spots are at quarterback and end, where depth is the main problem. Watch Halfback Joel Wells; he is being touted as Atlantic Coast Conference back of the year, and not without reason.
1956 SCHEDULE (1955 score):
Sept. 22—Presbyterian, N (33-0)
Sept. 29—at Florida (no game)
Oct, 6—at N.C. State, N (no game)
Oct. 13—at Wake Forest (19-13)
Oct. 25—at South Carolina (28-14)
Nov. 3—Virginia Tech (21-16)
Nov. 10—at Maryland (12-25)
Nov. 16—at Miami, N (no game)
Nov. 24—Virginia (20-7)
Dec. 1—Furman (40-20)
WAKE FOREST
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
COLORS: Gold and black.
BASIC OFFENSE: Split-T.
1955 RECORD: Won 5, lost 4, tied 1.
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 13 of 31.
WATCH FOR: Bill Barnes, B; Charlie Carpenter, B; David Lee, E; Jack Lardner, E; George Johnson, T.
THE DOPE: The Deacons and freshman Coach Paul Amen are aptly named to call upon the Almighty for help, and they may have to before the season is out. Both Wake Forest and Amen face a rough road at Winston-Salem. Twenty-nine players on the 45-man squad are sophomores and last year's frosh club failed to win in five games. Confronted by this cloudy prospect, Amen is apparently looking for the silver lining. He rates his squad this way: "Our offense should be adequate. The passing game should be our strong point. Over-all the club possesses fair speed in both backfield and line...." But the Deacs will have to work miracles with their defense and running attack before they can pose any threat; and even if this miracle is accomplished, lack of depth and experience will hurt.
1956 SCHEDULE (1955 score):
Sept. 22—at William & Mary (13-7)
Sept. 29—Maryland (7-28)
Oct. 6—at Virginia (13-7)
Oct. 13—Clemson (13-19)
Oct. 20—at Florida State (no game)
Oct. 27—at North Carolina (25-0)
Nov. 3—N.C. State (13-13)
Nov. 10—at Virginia Tech (13-0)
Nov. 17—Duke (0-14)
Nov. 22—at South Carolina (34-19)
NORTH CAROLINA
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.
COLORS: Blue and white.
BASIC OFFENSE: Split-T.
1955 RECORD: Won 3, lost 7.
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 19 of 28.
WATCH FOR: Ed Sutton, B; Buddy Payne, E; Giles Gaca, B; Jim Jones, G; Larry McMullen, B.
THE DOPE: The Tar Heels are the biggest question mark in the conference, and, though Coach Jim Tatum isn't predicting a championship, anything could happen here. North Carolina's major strength lies in its speed and offensive backfield running. Its defensive line is weak, and there is no depth at tackle. Tatum has directed all his energies toward molding a leakproof forward wall. He appears content with the backfield except at quarterback where Starter Dave Reed has been sidelined for the season with a torn knee ligament. Tatum's only comment on Tar Heel fortunes so far is: "Our team is totally unpredictable." Rangy Halfback Ed Sutton (6 feet 1, 200 pounds) is a man to watch any time he gets his hands on the ball. Two sophomore tackles, Stuart Pell and Phil Blazer, have already caught Tatum's eye and they should see plenty of action from the start.
1956 SCHEDULE (1955 score):
Sept. 22—N.C. State (25-18)
Sept. 29—at Oklahoma (6-13)
Oct. 6—at South Carolina (32-14)
Oct. 13—Georgia (7-28)
Oct. 20—Maryland (7-25)
Oct. 27—Wake Forest (0-25)
Nov. 3—at Tennessee (7-48)
Nov. 10—at Virginia (26-14)
Nov. 17—at Notre Dame (7-27)
Nov. 24—Duke (0-6)
N. C. STATE
RALEIGH, N.C.
COLORS: Red and white.
BASIC OFFENSE: Multiple offense.
1955 RECORD: Won 4, lost 5, tied 1.
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 20 of 31.
WATCH FOR: Dick Christy, B; Dick Hunter, B; John Collar, E; John Szuchan, T; Tony Guerrier, B.
THE DOPE: The Wolfpack will field a fast-moving band of rovers on offense, but a soft midsection will keep it among the second-raters in the ACC. State's big weakness is at guard where both probable starters, Julius Compton and Francis Tokar, weigh less than 200 pounds. The quarterback slot also may give Coach Earle Edwards trouble. However, Halfbacks Dick Christy and Dick Hunter are good passers, and an outstanding quarterback is not as important in the multiple offense as it is in the T. Look for wide-open football on the offense, with lots of speedy halfbacks ripping off long gains. As for improving on last year's mediocre 4-5-1 record, Coach Edwards has this to say: "Our schedule has been altered considerably since last season...every team we beat...was dropped and we have taken on such teams as Maryland, Penn State, Clemson, Dayton and South Carolina."
1956 SCHEDULE (1955 score):
Sept. 22—at North Carolina (18-25)
Sept. 29—at Virginia Tech (26-34)
Oct. 6—Clemson, N (no game)
Oct. 13—Florida State, N (0-7)
Oct. 20—at Dayton (no game)
Oct. 27—at Duke (7-33)
Nov. 3—at Wake Forest (13-13)
Nov. 10—South Carolina (no game)
Nov. 17—at Penn State (no game)
Nov. 22—Maryland (no game)
VIRGINIA
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA.
COLORS: Orange and blue.
BASIC OFFENSE: Split-T.
1955 RECORD: Won 1, lost 9.
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 20 of 28.
WATCH FOR: Henry Jordan, T; Ronald Melnik, T; Harold Outten, G; James Keyser, C; Jim Bakhtiar, B; Reece Whitley, B.
THE DOPE: The Cavaliers suffer a scarcity of good ends and lack superior ball-carrying speed, but a tough defensive line and the passing of Reece Whitley, a highly touted sophomore, may make Virginia a hard team to knock down on any Saturday. Coach Ben s. Martin, fresh from Navy where he was an assistant to Eddie Erdelatz, will run an open game this year, featuring Jim Bakhtiar's ball carrying. Bakhtiar, a 200-pound junior halfback, is one of the powerhouse runners in the conference and most certainly will be Virginia's big offensive weapon. Whitley, untested in varsity play, appears to have nailed down the starting spot at quarterback through outstanding performance in spring drills. Martin is pleased with his material and says, "If all hands make as much progress during preseason practice as they did in spring, we'll make a good showing."
1956 SCHEDULE (1955 score):
Sept. 22—VMI (20-13)
Sept. 29—Duke (no game)
Oct. 6—Wake Forest (7-13)
Oct. 13—S. Car. at Richmond (14-21)
Oct. 20—at Lehigh (no game)
Oct. 27—at Virginia Tech (13-17)
Nov. 3—Vanderbilt (7-34)
Nov. 10—North Carolina (14-26)
Nov. 17—Navy at Baltimore (no game)
Nov. 24—at Clemson (7-20)
SOUTH CAROLINA
COLUMBIA, S.C.
COLORS: Garnet and black.
BASIC OFFENSE: Split-T.
1955 RECORD: Won 3, lost 6.
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 17 of 31.
WATCH FOR: Buddy Frick, E; Sam DeLuca, T; Bobby Barrett, B; Mackie Prickett, B.
THE DOPE: The Gamecocks are building, according to Coach Warren Giese, and when a new coach says he's "building," look for a poor season. A bright star on an otherwise dismal horizon is Quarterback Mackie Prickett, a colorful, 180-pound senior, who comes by his race-horse tactics on the field naturally (he owns a stable of Thoroughbreds which he races at Camden). Other than Prickett, the Gamecocks are pretty much a spurless outfit. Even Coach Giese has trouble working up enthusiasm about this year's chances. His tepid prediction is this: "Though unpredictable, we could be interesting this fall." If South Carolina does stir interest in the fast-paced ACC this fall, these are the lads who will be responsible: Sam DeLuca, one of the best tackles in the conference; End Buddy Frick, a four-star defense man, and Bobby Barrett at fullback. A reserve list composed in the main of raw sophomores makes the team paper-thin in depth and moves Giese to comment: "We don't expect anything like a conference championship." Under the Giese regime, the role of the fullback will be emphasized, with the increased use of the drive series, so Barrett should find plenty of work.
1956 SCHEDULE (1955 score):
Sept. 15—Wofford, N (26-7)
Sept. 22—Duke, N (7-41)
Sept. 28—at Miami, N (no game)
Oct. 6—North Carolina (14-32)
Oct. 13—at Virginia (21-14)
Oct. 25—Clemson (14-28)
Nov. 3—at Furman (19-0)
Nov. 10—at N.C. State (no game)
Nov. 17—Maryland (0-27)
Nov. 22—Wake Forest at Charlotte (19-34)
ILLUSTRATION
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ROUGH 'N' READY: TERP CAPTAIN JACK DAVIS
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BACK CHARLIE BUSSEY, CLEMSON CAPTAIN
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CO-CAPTAIN BILL BARNES, DEACON HALFBACK
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JIM TATUM IS BACK AT NORTH CAROLINA
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DICK CHRISTY: WOLFPACK'S TRIPLE THREAT
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BEN S. MARTIN, VIRGINIA'S NEW COACH
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FRICK, END
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PRICKETT, QB