COTTON BOWL
TCU
Coach Abe Martin's thrice-beaten team is representing the Southwest Conference by default since unbeaten Texas A&M was declared ineligible for a Bowl appearance by the NCAA because of recruiting violations. Lack of strong blocking at the ends and one halfback post hobbled star Halfback Jim Swink early in the season, so Quarterback Chuck Curtis turned to his fullback—squat Buddy Dike—when he needed yards badly. A big, powerful TCU line can open up the inside. Swink, while contained on the wide plays, has also been useful for short yardage. He led the Southwest Conference for the second year in a row in rushing and established a new three-year record.
Only fair line speed made the Horned Frogs vulnerable to wide running plays. Martin must rely heavily on his starters.
46 CHUCK CURTIS, QB—Fine passer, ball handler. Too slow for running threat and weak defensively, especially on passes.
38 BUDDY DIKE, FB—Quick, fast, tough. Spelled by Hallbeck (33).
23 JIM SWINK, LH—Good runner, fine receiver, has improved blocking, defense. May be step slower than last year.
22 JIM SHOFNER, RH—Clever runner, best pass defender on squad. Blocks very well.
55 JIM OZEE, C—Blocks well on double team. Although linebacker, can be trapped.
71 JOHN GROOM, T—Big, strong, slow. Hard to move but lacks aggressiveness.
53 JOE WILLIAMS, LG—Excellent blocker, strong on pull-outs and trap blocks.
74 VERNON UECKER, RG—Durable, steady. Plugs middle well on defense, hard to fool.
75 NORMAN HAMILTON, LT—Aggressive, quick, exceptional blocker. Easier to block in than out, thus hard to trap.
78 DON COOPER, RT—Does everything well.
85 JOHN NIKKEL, LE—Excellent blocker, fair speed, fair receiver. Intelligent.
89 O'DAY WILLIAMS, RE—Tall, rangy, good hands, a fine receiver. Corner linebacker on defense, better against passes than runs. Not a great deal of speed.
SYRACUSE
Coach Ben Schwartzwalder's Orangemen, whose only loss was to Pittsburgh, overwhelmed the rest of their opposition with pure power—the power of big, fast men and an offense which moves on the single-wing theory of applying the strongest possible blocking force at the point of attack. The Orange operate from a T with an unbalanced line to the right and depend primarily on a brutal running attack built around the magnificent Jimmy Brown. This All-America halfback, who weighs 215 pounds and runs like a sprinter, moves through the line with such force that frequently his teammates can afford to stint their blocks on opposing linebackers once the hole is opened. The Syracuse defense is aggressive and commits itself so quickly that an attack based on deception can frequently fool it with plays based on feints.
23 CHUCK ZIMMERMAN, QB—An adequate but not a great quarterback. Only fair passer but good ball handler.
35 ALAN CANN, FB—Big and tough, an honest single-wing type fullback. Good knee action, good blocker.
44 JIM BROWN, LH—Great power, deceptive speed, can go inside or out. Blocks and plays defense very well, tackles viciously. Better against runs than passes.
16 JIM RIDLON, RH—Good runner, fine receiver, best defensive back on team. Good blocker as well.
56 BILL BROWN, C—Probably best blocker on team. A strong, smart linebacker.
24 FRED KUCZALA, QB—fair passer, ball handler. Good insurance quarterback.
69 RUDY FARMER, LG—Pulls and blocks well. Strong, aggressive defender.
60 ED BAILEY, RG—Tall, lanky, tough. Good speed, good pursuit on defense.
71 CHUCK STRID, LT—Strong, hard to trap. Pulls both ways, blocks very well.
78 JERRY CASHMAN, RT—Burly, very powerful, not too agile, but hard to move.
85 DICK BACCILE, LE—Small, but a good receiver with good speed, hands.
88 DICK LASSE, RE—Best defensive end. Tough, hard to block, aggressive.
PHOTO
46
CURTIS
PHOTO
23
SWINK
PHOTO
55
OZEE
PHOTO
53
WILLIAMS
PHOTO
75
HAMILTON
PHOTO
85
NIKKEL
PHOTO
38
DIKE
PHOTO
22
SHOFNER
PHOTO
71
GROOM
PHOTO
74
UECKER
PHOTO
78
COOPER
PHOTO
89
WILLIAMS
PHOTO
23
ZIMMERMAN
PHOTO
44
J. BROWN
PHOTO
56
B. BROWN
PHOTO
69
FARMER
PHOTO
71
STRID
PHOTO
85
BACCILE
PHOTO
35
CANN
PHOTO
16
RIDLON
PHOTO
24
KUCZALA
PHOTO
60
BAILEY
PHOTO
78
CASHMAN
PHOTO
88
LASSE
TWO PHOTOS
ILLUSTRATION
23
44
35
16
ILLUSTRATION
85
69
56
60
71
78
88
23
44
35
16
ILLUSTRATION
SYRACUSE POWER PLAY
Applying the most force at the point of impact, this play uses the strong side of an unbalanced line and the power of Halfback Jimmy Brown (44) in a T-formation version of the single wing's mainstay. Quarterback Zimmerman (23) fakes handoff to Fullback Cann (35) up the middle. Brown, driving for the off-tackle slot, takes Zimmerman's handoff after the fake. The right end, Lasse (88), and right tackle, Cashman (78), combine to take the left tackle in. The right guard, Bailey (60), traps the defensive left end after Right Half Ridlon (16) sets him up with a fake block. Left Guard Farmer (69) leads the way through the hole to mop up any loose men while Ridlon goes on to block the outside linebacker.