A roundup of the sports information of the week
FOOTBALL—Some 375,000 fans (and millions watching on television) kicked off New Year with the Bowl games (see page 55). In Cotton Bowl, unbeaten Syracuse did the expected, roped Longhorns of Texas University for 23-14 victory, in first two minutes scored on longest pass play in major bowl history, 87 yards. In Rose Bowl, Washington Huskies ran down Wisconsin Badgers in one of biggest upsets in 46 years of Rose Bowl play, snapped out 44-8 triumph. In Sugar Bowl, Mississippi held LSU's Billy Cannon to eight yards in six tries, shut out Tigers 21-0. In Orange Bowl, the passing attack of Georgia carried the day for 14-0 over an otherwise equal Missouri. In Gator Bowl, Arkansas All-America halfback Jim Mooty took the sting out of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets when he scooted 19 yards in third quarter to break up 7-7 tie for 14-7 victory. In all bowl games, including Bluebonnet and Liberty Bowl a week earlier, competing colleges made estimated $2,410,000.
TRACK & FIELD—Some top U.S. Olympic prospects began warming up for their assault on Rome this summer at Sugar Bowl meet in New Orleans. Dyrol Burleson, University of Oregon sophomore, knocked three seconds off Sugar Bowl record for 1,500-meter Olympic distance with brisk 3:48.5, beating out former fellow Oregon University track star Jim Grelle. Dave Sime sprinted 100 meters in 10.4. Other performances proved to be little more than warmups. Bobby Morrow, top man in 1956 Olympic Games, placed third in 400-meter behind Eddie Southern, who clocked a 48.3. Don Bragg, holder of world indoor pole vault mark (15 feet 9‚Öù inches), placed third with a 14-foot 4-inch vault.
RODEO—Jim Shoulders, champion all-round cowboy who led readers through rodeo instructional (SI, Dec. 21), gave practical demonstration to best rodeo riders in the country and 50,000 spectators at National Rodeo Finals in Dallas. Right up to final round he had stiff competition in bull riding event from Bob Wegner, Ponca City, Okla., who had collected 15,713 points by the 10th and last round, only three points behind Shoulders. In 10th, Shoulders showed his championship form, stuck to his bull while Wegner was dumped on the seat of his jeans. The victory pushed Shoulders' winnings for year to over $38,000. Other 1959 cowboy champions: Harry Charters, steer wrestling; Jack Buschbom, bareback bronc riding; Jim Bob Altizer, calf roping; Casey Tibbs, saddle bronc riding.
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BURLESON BREAKS SUGAR BOWL RECORD