All in all, it was another exciting October weekend. An upset here and there—such as Mississippi and Louisiana State—and a Hallowe'en scare for some of the others
THE EAST
Syracuse's faint and nagging hope that it might get properly rolling in defense of the Lambert Trophy dropped dead away as Penn state scored on an early break and stood off Syracuse's power plays to dump the Orangemen 20-12. On the game's fourth play, a wild pass from center gave the Nittany Lions the ball on the Orange one. They punched it over and were in front to stay.
Dartmouth rushed to four touchdowns in the first half, then sent in wave on wave of substitutes, drubbing Harvard 26-0. The Indians, with Harvard defenses deployed against a strong inside running game, scored twice on tricky pitchbacks from a halfback to a wide-swinging quarterback (see page 20).
THE SOUTH
Duke let quick and pesky North Carolina off a 14-0 hook, allowing the Wolfpack to rally to a 14-14 tie. Duke looked much the stronger club, yet spun its wheels for four straight downs at State's goal line late in the last period. The result assured the Blue Devils of an Orange Bowl crack at Oklahoma. State is forbidden bowl games because of the Jackie Moreland basketball case (see page 20).
Mississippi, which has roared through middle-class teams all season, flunked its first major test, bowing to Arkansas 12-6. Arkies alertly foiled three Ole Miss drives, used a pair of crafty pass and pass-lateral plays to augment its running game.
Florida, halting Fullback Jimmy Taylor and Halfback Billy Cannon, stopped Louisiana state 22-14. The Gators, with tiny (140-pound) Quarterback Jimmy Dunn and bruising Fullback Ed Sears doing most of the damage, now appear semi-threats to unbeaten Auburn this Saturday.
THE MIDWEST
Ohio state saw the world through rose-colored glasses after nudging fumbling Wisconsin in a ground battle 16-13. The Buckeyes scored twice within 2½ minutes in the first period, kicked a 14-yard field goal in the third. State, now tied with Iowa for first place in the Big Ten, seems a good choice for the Rose Bowl trip.
On the creamy quagmire at Dyche Stadium, Iowa barely beat Northwestern 6-0. It was Iowa's fifth win and the Wildcat's fifth loss. Iowa's score came in the fourth period on a 31-yard pass play, Randy Duncan to Kevin Furlong. Northwestern's Wilmer Fowler almost intercepted the muddy ball, but Furlong took it away from him, and that was the ball game (see page 20).
Minnesota, early-season ogre of the Big Ten, looked more like a harmless jack-o'-lantern, collapsed for Michigan 24-7. Michigan gained 276 yards to the Gophers 47 in building a 24-0 first-half lead, then seemed to bog down out of boredom.
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
The Wyoming defense, laying back to stop the passing of Lee Grosscup, was riddled up the middle by Fullback Merrill Douglas, as Utah sprung a surprising ground attack to beat the Cowboys 23-15.
Montana went to the air for one touchdown, ground out two more on running plays, upset New Mexico 21-6. The victory knocked New Mexico out of the Skyline Conference lead, let September favorite Utah move back in.
THE SOUTHWEST
For the fourth time since that long win streak began 45 games ago, Colorado scared the daylights out of Oklahoma, came the closest of anyone yet in losing 13-14. Oklahoma's three heroes: Halfback Clendon Thomas, who scored the tying touchdown in the last period; Quarterback Carl Dodd, who kicked the 14th point; Guard Bill Krishner, who blocked the second Buffalo conversion attempt.
Texas A&M, growing every day in every way, played its best game of the season, beat Baylor 14-0. Aggie Halfback John Crow, recovered from an early-season knee injury, seemed in fine fettle, blasted for 78 yards, finished the game on Baylor 2-yard line. On its way to the Cotton Bowl, A&M still faces strong Southwest Conference opposition in Arkansas, Rice and Texas.
THE FAR WEST
The Pacific Coast Conference did little in settling its scramble to the Rose Bowl. Oregon, Washington State and Stanford, by upsetting UCLA, stayed in the running.
Oregon's great two-unit line, out to prove it was the best on the Coast, swarmed into the California backfield, blocked a punt, recovered a fumble and hurried a passer into throwing to an Oregon halfback. The Ducks turned each of these breaks into a score, added two other touchdowns to flail California 24-6.
Jack Douglas looked like a Stanford quarterback should, hit 10 of 12 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, ran a slick option play to lead the Indians to a 20-6 battering of much-hated UCLA.
Washington state looked the weakest of the bowl aspirants, struggling past very middling use 13-12. The defeat was the Trojans' fifth this season, longest losing streak in the history of the school.