FOOTBALL'S 5TH WEEK
For the first time this season, virtually all the major teams played fairly true to form. Louisiana State and Mississippi held firm in the South while Auburn turned on Georgia Tech and badly disturbed the Engineers' dreams of a Southeastern Conference championship. The turbulent Big Ten was headed up by unbeaten Northwestern with surprising Illinois in second place after Ohio State beat Purdue and Wisconsin shocked Iowa. Texas barely held off Arkansas to lead the unpredictable Southwest Conference, and USC, although shaken up a bit by Washington, kept its record clean in the West. Not so lucky was the Air Force, which bowed to undefeated Oregon. In the East, Rutgers unexpectedly fell before little Bucknell, but Syracuse, Penn State, Yale and Penn remained among the unbeaten.
THE SOUTH
Auburn, having retreated into relative anonymity after Tennessee proved the Plainsmen to be vulnerable, finally got another shot at fame and made the most of it. Down 6-0 after Georgia Tech alertly pounced on a fumble and converted it into an 18-yard touchdown drive, the repentant War Eagles obediently carried out Coach Shug Jordan's half-time orders and went on to beat the Engineers 7-6 (see page 15). Switching from man-to-man to zone blocking, the monstrous Auburn forwards, led by 253-pound Tackle Ken Rice, Guard Zeke Smith and Center Jackie Burkett, effectively nailed down the stunting Tech linemen and opened gaping holes through which Sophomore Quarterback Bobby Hunt guided his runners on a 71-yard march to the tying touchdown. Hunt, himself, carried over from the six-yard line and Fullback Ed Dyas placekicked the winning point.
Faced with a determined Kentucky defense, LSU took its cue from the rollicking Chinese Bandits and squeezed past the eager but outmanned Wildcats 9-0 for its 17th straight on Quarterback Warren Rabb's five-yard pass to Johnny Robinson and Wendell Harris' 39-yard field goal, his fourth of the season.
Meanwhile, Mississippi kept pace with LSU. Ole Miss spotted Tulane seven points, then bruised and battered the bumbling Greenies 53-7. Fullback Charlie Flowers, operating behind the massive and mobile Reb line, crunched over for three scores.
Army, making part-time use of its walking wounded, turned loose its air arm to bomb Duke 21-6. Quarterback Joe Caldwell, flipping the ball with the aplomb and accuracy of a Johnny Unitas, made Lonely End Bill Carpenter (who grabbed nine) his special target and completed 15 of 21 for 177 yards.
Two other eastern teams were not so fortunate. Navy, still sputtering, was whiplashed by Miami and Quarterback Fran Curci 23-8; Pitt's Ivan Toncic, finding his backfield full of crashing West Virginia linemen, completed only six of 14 passes and had five others intercepted as Quarterback Danny Williams led the Mountaineers to a 23-15 victory.
In other games, Tennessee and Alabama fought to a 7-7 tie; Maryland converted its I formation into a spread in the last quarter and used it to defeat North Carolina 14-7; Georgia beat Mississippi State 15-0 to share the SEC lead with Mississippi; Vanderbilt knocked Florida out of the unbeaten ranks 13-6; Memphis State surprised favored Florida State 16-6; Wake Forest pulled out another squeaker, beating North Carolina State 17-14. The top three:
1. LSU (5-0)
2. MISSISSIPPI (5-0)
3. AUBURN (3-1)
THE EAST
Yale and Penn, considered two of the Ivy League's most-unlikely-to-succeed before the season started, were still causing raised eyebrows. The Elis fairly sizzled against Cornell and struck down the Big Red 23-0 to stand alone as the only major unbeaten and unscored-upon team. Quarterback Tom Singleton (see page 81) kicked and passed Cornell into submission, and Yale left the impression that it will be difficult to cope with the rest of the season.
Penn had its goal line crossed for the first time, but the Quakers acted more like warmongers as they manhandled poor Brown 36-9 behind the running of Halfback Fred Doelling and fierce blocking of Fullback Jack Hanlon.
Charlie Ravenel scored three times, but Harvard experienced its usual last-period jitters before overcoming Columbia 38-22; Princeton routed Colgate 42-7; Boston College dumped Dartmouth 35-12.
Listless at the start, Syracuse suddenly awoke as Halfbacks Gerhard Schwedes and Ernie Davis began to roam and Quarterbacks Dave Sarette and Dick Easterly found the passing range to batter Holy Cross 42-6. Quarterback Richie Lucas, who carries the Penn State load gracefully, did it again as the Nittany Lions held off Boston U. 21-12.
Bucknell upset Rutgers 15-8; Rochester flushed out Vermont 27-6 for its 13th straight. The top three:
1. SYRACUSE (4-0)
2. PENN STATE (5-0)
3. PENN (4-0)
THE MIDWEST
Northwestern stood alone at the top of the Big Ten, but the Wildcats were showing signs of wear and tear. Sandbagged by injuries which took Quarterback Dick Thornton out of action for the year and temporarily sidelined swift Halfback Ron Burton, Northwestern lost some of its ebullience and was hard pressed before Michigan fell 20-7 (see page 82). Two bitter goal line stands, a 63-yard pass play from second-string Quarterback John Talley to Mark Johnston and an 85-yard scoring sprint by Ray Purdin finally pulled the Wildcats through. Complained Coach Ara Parseghian: "We have to fight for our lives every ball game. Man, I tell you this is no way to make a living."
Ohio State's Woody Hayes, fed to the teeth with his razz-matazz offense which had resulted in two straight shutouts for the Buckeyes, revived his patented split-T meat grinder and appreciatively watched it bury hopeful Purdue 15-0 (see page 81). Fullback Bob White, his old crunching self again, hammered the Boilermaker front wall for 111 yards while Quarterback Tom Matte ran 32 yards for a touchdown and Dave Kilgore kicked a 36-yard field goal. "It looked like the good old days," rejoiced Woody. "As the old philosopher says, when you get fancy, you get beat, so I went back to reading my book [on power football] and we won."
Wisconsin, too, had a win up its sleeve and humbled Iowa 25-16 despite the fact that Hawkeye Quarterback Olen Tread-way set a new Big Ten record by completing 26 out of 41 passes for 304 yards. Coach Milt Bruhn figured the Iowa defense could be had if his Badgers, hitting hard out of the belly series with an unbalanced line and man in motion, concentrated on the right side of the Hawkeye line. He was right, and deft-handed Quarterback Dale Hackbart thus exploited the visitors for a 25-0 lead. Treadway's pitching led to two scores, but they came too late to help the Hawkeyes.
Illinois' Ray Elliot, wending his merry way toward retirement, had another chuckle coming after the Illini picked off five Minnesota passes on the way to a 14-6 triumph. Guard Bill Burrell had a day to remember, making 16 tackles, recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass.
Michigan State Quarterback Dean Look cheered Coach Duffy Daugherty's soul with a real stickout TV performance against Notre Dame, setting up one touchdown with a 41-yard dash and passing 52 yards for another as the Spartans whipped the Irish 19-0. Indiana had an easy time of it with Nebraska, shucking off the Cornhuskers 23-7.
Oklahoma, back in the comfortable confines of the Big Eight, needed time to get untracked against Missouri, but finally got the job done 23-0. Kansas, springing Halfback Curt McClinton for three touchdowns, routed Kansas State 33-14. The top three:
1. NORTHWESTERN (4-0)
2. WISCONSIN (3-1)
3. PURDUE (2-1-1)
THE WEST
Washington fans went wild when Quarterback Bob Schloredt, a talented work horse, blasted through the touted USC line to put the Huskies ahead 15-14 in the last quarter. Bui the Trojans responded with an 80-yard drive that left the home team gasping and beaten 22-15. Quarterback Willie Wood led the late charge, going over from the six-yard line.
The Air Force Falcons finally had their claws dulled and were grounded by speedy Oregon 20-3 (see page 80). Duck Quarterback Dave Grosz caught the Falcons cold with a 50-yard scoring pitch to Cleveland Jones, and sub Fullback Harry Needham did the rest.
UCLA had too many Smiths—Ray and Earl, in particular for California and muzzled the Bears 19-12; Washington State gave Stanford's Dick Norman all the passing time he needed but limited his effectiveness by flooding the secondary as the Cougars won 36-19. The top three:
1. USC (4-0)
2. OREGON (5-0)
3. WASHINGTON (4-1)
THE SOUTHWEST
The Southwest Conference, where form is so lightly regarded that a victory by a favorite is considered an upset, began to wonder what was in store for league-leading Texas. Struggling to stay alive after Arkansas had taken 12-7 lead into the last quarter, the Longhorns got the break they needed when Razorback Lance Alworth fumbled a fair catch on his own 31-yard line. Quickly moving to the attack, Texas pulled it out 13-12 on Bart Shirley's short pass to Jack Collins.
TCU's slumbering giants, prodded by Jackie Sledge, an obscure senior quarterback, finally came alive to blister Texas A&M 39-6. SMU's Don Meredith could not do it alone and Rice caught the Mustangs for a 13-13 tie. Baylor turned Texas Tech miscues into a 14-7 triumph.
North Texas State, the nation's most prolific ground-gainer, added to its statistics while swamping Pensacola Naval Air Station 43-0. The top three:
1. TEXAS (5-0)
2. ARKANSAS (4-1)
3. SMU (2-1-1)
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PHOTO
BACK OF THE WEEK: Oregon Quarterback Dave Grosz used his passing (12 for 21) and running skill to bring Air Force down to earth and keep the Ducks unbeaten.
PHOTO
LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Auburn Tackle Ken Rice threw his substantial weight around against Georgia Tech, opened holes and threw key blocks in TD drive.
TWO PHOTOS
NEW FACES OF THE WEEK: TCU's Jackie Sledge (left), whose coach admits he "can't run, pass or defend," nevertheless got the Frogs moving; Syracuse's Ernie Davis, hailed as "new Jim Brown," ran 40 yards for touchdown against Holy Cross.
RED GRANGE PREDICTS
Syracuse vs. West Virginia
West Virginia was up for Pitt, but Syracuse power will cool off the Mountaineers. The Orangemen hit too hard and too often and will remain unbeaten. SYRACUSE.
Pitt vs. TCU
TCU has jogged up its attack, and the big, tough Horned Frog line is ready to prove that not even Pitt's able Ivan Toncic can pass from a prone position. TCU.
Texas vs. Rice
Tremendous over-all speed, spectacular sophomores and good depth will carry the undefeated Longhorns past a Rice team that could be tough to beat. TEXAS.
Florida vs. LSU
The Gators have been pointing for this one. A great spot for an upset, but how can you pick against the Bengals and their overwhelming manpower? LSU.
Mississippi vs. Arkansas
The first real test for Ole Miss. Although Arkansas will be a match for the Rebs up front, Charlie Flowers gives Mississippi the edge on attack. MISSISSIPPI.
Purdue vs. Iowa
Both were upset last week, and it is simply a question of which team can bounce back best. This is the NCAA-TV game, so I won't pick it.
Wisconsin vs. Ohio State
No longer fancy, Ohio State will pin its hopes on Bob White's line-blasting to overcome Dale Hackbart's passing. Only because the Badgers are playing at home, WISCONSIN.
Notre Dame vs. Northwestern
Injuries have hurt both teams, and the Irish haven't been able to overcome a weakness at the tackles. Better reserves will win again for NORTHWESTERN.
USC vs. Stanford
Stanford has only Dick Norman's passing to offer against USC's hard-charging line. It won't be enough as the Trojans add to their prestige as the best in the West. USC.
Washington vs. Oregon
This game will pit Oregon's speed against Washington's sturdier defense. The Huskies nearly upset USC and I'll have to go with them in a close one. WASHINGTON.
UCLA vs. Air Force
The Air Force may have gone too far too fast. UCLA can score as well as defend and will handle Richie Mayo's passing. UCLA.
LAST WEEKS PREDICTIONS:
7 RIGHT; 3 WRONG
RECORD TO DATE: 31-15-1