GATOR BOWL

Author:
SI Staff

TEXAS A&M

Coach Bear Bryant has built a tough, tenacious defense. The Aggies dropped off at the tail end of the season because 15 players had to carry the load and the lack of reserves finally told on A&M. The Cadets gang tackle, pursue well and hit hard—they yielded only 47 points all season. The offense, slowed early in the season by injuries to Heisman Award Winner John Crow and Loyd Taylor, another fine halfback, meshed late; the passing game fell short of expectations, so that opponents could use eight-and nine-man lines to halter the Aggie running. The combination of ineffective passing, hobbled running and stacked defenses limited the Aggies to three and four yards at a time. The offense, with cripples back, should click now, and the defense was always good.

MEN TO WATCH

John Crow
44 LEFT HALFBACK
6 ft. 2 in., 210 lbs.
Springhill, La.
The Heisman Award winner is big and strong and possessed of better than average speed, with powerful leg drive. He likes to run the inside belly series to the right. He meets running plays at the line of scrimmage well on defense and is also strong on pass defense. He is a good blocker.

Roddy Osborne
12 QUARTERBACK
5 ft. 11 in., 175 lbs.
Gainesville, Texas
Osborne has the invaluable knack of turning a bad play into a good one by quick reaction. He is fond of keeping the ball on option and will run through any hole. He has scored often after faking to Crow and keeping the ball. He is very quick but not an outstanding passer.

Charley Krueger
78 LEFT TACKLE
6 ft. 4 in., 220 lbs.
Caldwell, Texas
Krueger is a quick, agile, hard-to-block lineman. He has great lateral movement. His very powerful arms make him extraordinarily hard to block since the blocker cannot get to his body. He plays left end on goal line defenses and has the faculty of making the clutch play.

John Tracey
80 RIGHT END
6 ft. 3 in., 210 lbs.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Tracey, at 24, is the oldest player on the team but hasn't played up to his sophomore promise. He is used frequently as a safety-valve pass receiver when others are covered. On defense, he plays in front of offensive left tackle, often shoots gap. He has good pursuit.

[originallink:10480606:43014]

ROSTER

FIRST UNIT

12 Osborne, Q
30 Gay, FB
40 Conrad, RH
44 Crow, LH
54 Gilbert, C
60 Stanley, LG
66 Howard, RG
72 Beck, RT
78 Krueger, LT
80 Tracey, RE
88 Marks, LE

SECOND UNIT

11 Milstead, Q
28 Esquivel, LH
37 LeBoeuf, FB
45 Taylor, RH
55 Oliver, C
63 Goehring, RG
74 Luna, LG
75 Simmons, RT
76 Garner, LT
81 Smith, RE
84 McClelland, LE

PLAY TO WATCH
John Crow (4), A&M's Heisman Award back, uses this play to pick up yards with adequate passing, slashing running. He takes a quick pitchout from Osborne (1), the quarterback, swings wide to his right behind blocks from Osborne and Gay (3), the fullback. Now he can run, if defensive backs fade with Tracey (5), right end, and Conrad (2), right half, or pass. Left end (6) decoys the defense.

TENNESSEE

Coach Bowden Wyatt has produced a typical Tennessee team, characterized by power, timing and precision blocking. The strongside off-tackle drive with Tailback Bobby Gordon carrying and the weakside off-tackle slant, again with Gordon carrying, are the bread-and-butter plays of this offense, with a fullback trap up the middle lending a modicum of variety. Gordon may pass off any of these plays, and he uses the quick kick effectively; punting is an integral weapon in the Tennessee offense. The key to Tennessee's defense is excellent team pursuit and individual mobility. Basically, the Vols operate from a 6-2-2-1 pattern, made elastic by stunting linebackers. Wyatt switches off guards and tackles on defense to add heft to the middle of his line.

MEN TO WATCH

Bobby Gordon
47 TAILBACK
6 feet, 189 lbs.
Pulaski, Tenn.
Mastermind of the Vol attack, Gordon is a punishing runner who follows his interference well, often pointing out which defenders to block. He is only an average passer, but the finest punter in the Southeast Conference. When he passes, he prefers throwing up middle to wingback.

Bill Anderson
15 WINGBACK
6 ft. 2 in., 190 lbs.
Bradenton, Fla.
Anderson is a tremendous runner of the Tennessee deep reverse, although he carries the ball infrequently. He is a fine pass receiver, both long and short, using a deceptive, floating, long stride to advantage. Anderson has savvy, and is a hard-to-fool defensive halfback.

Tommy Bronson
31 FULLBACK
6 feet, 195 lbs.
Gainesville, Fla.
Bronson has been Tennessee's regular fullback for three years. He is a sure blocker and a powerful runner with good speed. He is used often in short yardage attempts and spots holes well. Likes to run to left, cutting inside or outside tackle. Quick, hard tackler.

Bill Johnson
66 RIGHT GUARD
5 ft. 11 in., 190 lbs.
Sparta, Tenn.
Johnson has a quick, powerful charge which makes him hard to handle on defense. He switches from guard to tackle defensively to take advantage of his agility and give him more range. Pie pulls very well to lead Vol power plays, and is one of the fastest men on the team.

ROSTER

FIRST UNIT

15 Anderson, WB
20 Adkins, BB
31 Bronson, FB
47 Gordon, TB
53 Stottlemyer, C
64 Herzbrun, LG
66 Johnson, RG
72 Kolinsky, RT
74 Smelcher, LT
85 Darty, LE
88 Potts, RE

SECOND UNIT

12 Grubb, WB
27 Emory, BB
32 Smith, FB
40 Carter, TB
55 Moss, C
65 Urbano, LG
67 Lukowski, RG
75 Shafer, LT
79 Schaffer, RT
82 Overholt, LE
86 Armstrong, RE

PLAY TO WATCH
The backbone of the single wing is power, and here is where it comes from. Gordon (1), the tailback, takes snap from center, goes outside tackle behind double-team block by end (5) and wingback (4), who open hole. The blocking back (3) and fullback (2) two-time the defensive end, while the offensive guards lead Gordon through the hole, applying more power for play, as left end (6) blocks downfield.

ILLUSTRATION

TEN PHOTOS

DIAGRAM

December 23, 1957