FOOTBALL'S WEEK
THE SOUTH
THE TOP THREE:
1. GEORGIA TECH (2-0)
2. ALABAMA (2-0)
3. LSU (1-0-1)
It was a big weekend in the South for sophomore quarterbacks. Alabama's Joe Na-math proved that his brilliant debut the week before was no fluke as he led the Crimson Tide to a 44-6 victory over Tulane in a game that was really little more than a field exercise. Namath completed six of seven passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns, scored one himself and then sat out the second half along with his first-string teammates, an uncommonly merciful gesture on the part of Coach Bear Bryant.
Rice, with its first two quarterbacks injured, had to fall back on young Walter McReynolds, but still tied favored LSU 6-6. Rice scored when McReynolds threw a screen pass for a 30-yard touchdown, then held on late in the game as LSU, with the score tied, threatened to win. With less than a minute to go, LSU's Danny Leblanc caught a pass on the Rice 10-yard line, field-goal territory, but he fumbled, Rice recovered and settled happily for the tie.
Auburn handed Tennessee a 14-0 lead, then charged back to win 22-21, as Jimmy Sidle, a sophomore, naturally, completed passes up and down the field. With the score tied 21-21, Woody Woodall kicked the extra point, only to have it nullified by a holding penalty. Moved back to the 25-yard line, Woodall coolly booted the ball through again for the win.
George Mira and Sonny Gibbs, two candidates for All-America at quarterback, had a passing duel, with Mira and Miami edging Gibbs and TCU 21-20. Mira scored one touchdown himself and passed for two others, while Gibbs threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass. TCU gamely tried to run for a two-point conversion and victory but was stopped just short.
After meeting early resistance, Georgia Tech squashed Florida 17-0. Georgia, West Virginia and Clemson also scored shutouts, beating Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and North Carolina State. Duke scored all its points in the second half to beat South Carolina 21-8 and Maryland yawned its way past Wake Forest 13-2.
THE MIDWEST
THE TOP THREE:
1. OHIO STATE (l-O)
2. PURDUE (0-0-1)
3. IOWA (1-0)
The Big Ten writhed in defeat and humiliation after a weekend of upsets. While Michigan State and Illinois were being downgraded in the West, Nebraska shocked Michigan 25-13 and Missouri held Minnesota to a scoreless tie on home grounds.
At Ann Arbor, Fullback Thunder Thornton hammered his way to two touchdowns, and Quarterback Dennis Claridge, leading Nebraska superbly, ran for another, but most credit for the upset belonged to a huge Cornhusker line that allowed Michigan Halfback Dave Raimey only 59 yards rushing. Twice Minnesota ground close enough to Missouri's goal line to smell the lime, but each time the Gophers were stopped on downs, once at the two, again at the one.
When the Big Ten did win, it won big. A crashing line led by End Cloyd Webb and a pretty new "floater T" offense enabled Iowa to best Terry Baker and Oregon State 28-8. The Hawkeyes scored 21 points in the first 19½ minutes, and Matt Szykowny passed for three touchdowns. Ohio State so far outclassed North Carolina that Woody Hayes permitted the Buckeyes to dabble in double handoffs, unbalanced lines and 13 passes while winning 41-7. Chip-on-shoulder Indiana drew its 320th yard in penalties in two games, Halfback Marv Woodson scored two touchdowns and the Hoosiers beat Cincinnati 26-6. Wisconsin Coach Milt Bruhn used all but two players, including some not on the roster, yet the Badgers still set a school record in dismantling New Mexico State 69-13.
Behind 13-7, Oklahoma had a first and goal on the Notre Dame three with five minutes left. Into the line, twice, went 168-pound Halfback Jackie Cowan. Net gain: one yard. Bucking the line himself, 166-pound Quarterback Monte Deere picked up one more. The Sooners' last try, an errant pitchout, was recovered by Irishman Frank Minik on the 13 and Notre Dame won 13-7.
Colorado, coming down, met Kansas State, coming up, and barely maintained its social position, 6-0, as it stopped K-State four times inside the 10.
THE WEST
THE TOP THREE:
1. WASHINGTON (1-0-1)
2. STANFORD (2-0)
3. USC (2-0)
Maligned and down-rated these past several years, West Coast football was suddenly virile and important. Not even the heavily muscled Big Ten escaped the new touch of affluence. Stanford, falling behind favored Michigan State 7-0 with its usual bumbling start, slowly began to look like a big-time team. The big, strong Stanford middle line crushed State's inside game, and when Coach Duffy Daugherty began sending his speed backs to the outside the Indians merely widened their six-man front and let the linebackers smash down the quick Spartans. On the attack, Quarterback Steve Thurlow spread the State secondary with his passes, Stan Lindskog kicked a 24-yard field goal, sophomore John Paye sprinted 33 yards down the sidelines and Stanford won 16-13. Afterwards, even witty Coach Jack Curtice was curiously unfunny. With true coachly humility, he said, "We outhustled them."
Washington, with considerably less to contend with, gave its second-and third-stringers a workout as it whomped Illinois 28-7, while Washington State simply threw the ball to Hugh Campbell, a wriggly All-America end, and let him beat Wyoming 21-15. With Quarterback Dale Mathiesen pitching, Campbell caught seven passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns, raised his career total to 1,769 yards for a new NCAA record. California, another improving West Coaster, ran all over San Jose State 25-8.
Utah made the mistake of trying to run on Oregon to set up its passing game, but when the big, crackling Duck line took that away from the Redskins, they had nothing left—certainly nothing that could stop Oregon's flashy Mel Renfro, who played only 18 minutes and ran for three touchdowns in an easy 35-8 victory.
On this black day for Western AC teams, Brigham Young discovered somberly that Tailback Eldon Fortie, who gained 299 yards running and passing, couldn't do it alone and lost to George Washington 13-12. Meanwhile, Utah State—still trying to impress its way into the WAC—trounced Montana State U. 43-20.
THE EAST
THE TOP THREE:
1. PENN STATE (2-0)
2. ARMY (2-0)
3. BOSTON COLLEGE (2-0)
For a while last Saturday Penn State boosters were beginning to think that Coach Rip Engle's pessimism was warranted. Penn State led Air Force by only 7-6 as Quarterback Terry Isaacson, an elusive runner and fair enough passer, exerted considerable pressure on the Lion defense, and the Falcon defense, moving with the flow, contained State's runners. But Engle solved both problems at half time. He persuaded End Dave Robinson and Tackle Chuck Sieminski to crash in on Isaacson and put in a counter play, with Halfbacks Junior Powell and Roger Kochman carrying on an inside reverse. Result: the Falcons stopped flying and State took off with Quarterback Pete Liske passing to Kochman for two touchdowns and a 20-6 win.
Army and Syracuse closed out collegiate football in New York's Polo Grounds, which, in its day, had seen better games. Intimidated by Army's rough gang-tackling, Syracuse fumbled dreadfully, saw one recovery lead to a 20-yard field goal by Army's Dick Heydt, another to a 32-yard scoring pass from Quarterback Art Lewis to End Bobby Bedell as Army won 9-2. Navy had a trying time with William & Mary, squeezing by 20-16 with a two-yard plunge by Fullback Pat Donnelly in the last quarter. Boston College was more impressive. Quarterback Jack Concannon bombed unsuspecting Villanova with a first-play 78-yard touchdown pass to Art Graham, whipped a 58-yarder to Jim Whalen and then scored on a five-yard run as the Eagles won 28-13. Holy Cross put together two long touchdown drives to turn back Buffalo 16-6, while Boston U. was no match for Kansas and lost to the Jayhawkers 14-0.
Princeton, which had suffered at the hands of Rutgers in recent years, got even all at once. After falling behind 7-0, the talent-rich Tigers put their crunching single wing to work and won 15-7. Most Ivy League teams did as well in their openers. Columbia outlasted Brown 22-20; Dartmouth whipped Massachusetts 27-3; Harvard beat Lehigh 27-7; Yale defeated Connecticut 18-14; Penn held off Lafayette 13-11. But Cornell, still having troubles, lost to Colgate 23-12.
THE SOUTHWEST
THE TOP THREE:
1. TEXAS (2-0)
2. ARKANSAS (2-0)
3. NEW MEXICO (3-0)
It was not the best of all possible weeks for the old Southwest. While New Mexico State and TCU were being roughed up on the road, SMU and Baylor were getting more of the same at home. SMU made the mistake of kicking off to USC's Willie (The Wisp) Brown, who scampered 92 yards for a touchdown. Understandably shaken, SMU nevertheless made a game of it during the first half, kicking a field goal and holding the Trojans to just one other touchdown. But in the second half USC took over and scored three times to win 33-3.
Baylor lost to Pitt 24-14 for the Panthers' first victory in Texas in nearly 50 years. Coach John Michelosen sent his fullbacks—Rick Leeson and John Telesky—hammering into the Baylor line early in the game. When Baylor drew its defenses in, Halfback Ed Clark circled the flanks and the Panthers gained 353 yards rushing.
There had to be some Southwest victories, of course. Texas danced to a 34-0 win over Texas Tech and Arkansas beat Tulsa with equal ease 42-14. Houston worked harder for its 6-3 victory over Texas A&M, marching 80 yards in the waning moments for its touchdown. In the wildest game of the day, New Mexico beat Arizona 35-25.
PHOTO
BACK OF THE WEEK: Oregon Halfback Mel Renfro (left) scored three touchdowns, two on runs of 38 and 59 yards, to help beat Utah.
PHOTO
LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Washington State End Hugh Campbell eluded Wyoming defenses to catch seven passes, score twice.
SATURDAY'S TOUGH ONES
Georgia Tech over LSU. Talented Tech Will do it with Bill)' Lothridge's passing.
Duke over Florida. Without a passer, the Gators have trouble scoring.
Miami over Florida State.* The Hurricanes attack too swiftly and too smartly for State.
Purdue over Notre Dame. Purdue passes better, runs faster and defends more rigidly.
Iowa over use. With Big Ten prestige at stake, the Hawkeyes will outslick USC.
Minnesota over Navy. The Middies are in over their heads against Minnesota.
Michigan over Army. The Wolverines will be nasty after their humbling by Nebraska.
Arkansas over TCU. The Frogs are too jumpy to keep up with the slippery Porkers.
Pitt over California. The Panthers are gathering strength and Cal could use a little.
Utah over Wyoming. The Cowboys Can't seem to make both ends meet. Utah is tougher.
*Friday night game
OTHER GAMES
AUBURN OVER KENTUCKY
BOWLING GREEN OVER W. MICHIGAN
MARYLAND OVER N. CAROLINA STATE
NEBRASKA OVER IOWA STATE
OHIO STATE OVER UCLA
STANFORD OVER OREGON STATE
PENN STATE OVER RICE
TENNESSEE OVER MISSISSIPPI STATE
VILLANOVA OVER BUFFALO
VIRGINIA OVER VIRGINIA TECH
LAST WEEK'S PREDICTIONS
12 RIGHT, 6 WRONG, 2 TIES
SEASON'S RECORD: 25-11-4