FOOTBALL'S WEEK
THE SOUTH
THE TOP THREE:
1. ALABAMA (6-0)
2. LSU (5-0-1)
3. MISSISSIPPI (5-0)
The Southeastern Conference was still anybody's race. First-place Alabama, continuing to pit its might against soft touches, methodically disassembled Tulsa 35-6, while LSU and Mississippi, its most dangerous challengers, moved resolutely toward their battle Saturday. LSU took the fight out of Florida in the very first quarter, then hammered away with its usual solid ground game and (for the Tigers) unusual air attack, winning 23-0. Halfback Jerry Stovall caught a 15-yard pass from Jimmy Field for one touchdown and wantonly bowled over Florida tacklers on an eight-yard run for another as Tiger rooters, warming up for the big game, chanted, "Go to hell, Ole Miss, go to hell." Out of earshot, Ole Miss was going to town. The Rebs shot their fullbacks and halfbacks through Vanderbilt's tissue-thin line for 313 yards, Quarterbacks Glynn Griffing and Jim Weatherly passed over the inept Commodores for 117 more, and Mississippi won 35-0. It was easy to understand whyVandy Coach Art Guepe decided to resign, effective December 2.
Auburn, unbeaten and a surprise SEC contender, was almost surprised itself by Clemson. The Tigers needed a 27-yard field goal by Woody Woodall to win 17-14. Georgia Tech, still hopeful after two losses, overpowered winless Tulane 42-12 as sophomore Gerry Bussell faked the Greenies almost out of their britches on a 93-yard kickoff return. "It was like a 10-year-old having to fight Joe Louis," mourned Tulane Coach Tommy O'Boyle. "We haven't got the right people for this kind of combat."
There was some excitement, too, among the lower echelon SEC teams. Tennessee, after four straight losses, took out its bitterness on Chattanooga 48-14; Kentucky and Georgia tied 7-7; Mississippi State lost to ambitious Memphis State 28-7.
The strategy was deep and daring in the Atlantic Coast Conference. When North Carolina State overshifted to the strong side against Duke's balanced line, Coach Bill Murray wisely sent his backs scooting to the short side. But it was the old favorite swing end pass that finally won for the Blue Devils 21-14, when Walt Rappold passed 14 yards to Stan Crisson with 1:20 left. South Carolina, knowing that Maryland's Dick Shiner had a pulled muscle under his left arm and couldn't throw long, bunched its defenses at the flanks. The device didn't half work. Shiner completed 17 of 26 passes, eight of them to Halfback Tom Brown, for 174 yards and a touchdown. However, it was John Hannigan's field goal, his second of the game, that won the game for the Terps 13-11. North Carolina beat Wake Forest 23-14, Virginia trounced Davidson 34-7. Southern Conference leader VMI squeaked by William & Mary 6-0 on Halfback Pete Mazik's 26-yard sprint.
THE MIDWEST
THE TOP THREE:
1. NORTHWESTERN (5-0)
2. NEBRASKA (6-0)
3. MICHIGAN STATE (4-1)
It was too late for Ohio State to do anything about Northwestern, which was busy trampling all over Notre Dame 35-6 anyway (see page 29), but the aroused Buckeyes could and did do something about unbeaten Wisconsin. Getting back to what Coach Woody Hayes unblushingly calls "our kind of football," Ohio State whipped the Badgers 14-7. The Buckeyes threw the ball sparingly but well enough to get a first-period touchdown, then sent their three alternating fullbacks, Dave Francis, Bo Butts and Dave Katterhenrich, jolting inside the tackles to set up the winning plunge by Quarterback John Mummey. Meanwhile, a belligerent OSU defense, led by crashing Ends Matt Snell and Bill Spahr and Halfback Paul Warfield, smashed Wisconsin's passing game. Quarterback Ron Vander Kelen completed only seven passes and War-field dogged End Pat Richter so faithfully that he caught only two.
Purdue, Michigan State and Minnesota, like OSU, were still hot on Northwestern's trail in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers floundered some in the first half but recovered to beat Iowa 26-3. Michigan State's George Saimes ripped through Indiana's weak defenses for three touchdowns as the Spartans won 26-8. Michigan revamped its offense, switching Quarterback Bob Timberlake to flanker back, but Minnesota's big linemen threw the Wolverine backs for 49 yards in losses, Duane Blaska passed to John Campbell and Jim Cairns for touchdowns, and Minnesota ran off with the game and the battered Little Brown Jug, 17-0. Illinois, on one of its rare good days, had the misfortune to run into USC and lost 28-16 when the Trojans' Pete Beathard and Hal Bedsole teamed up on a 73-yard pass play and Willie (The Wisp) Brown wriggled and danced 73 yards for a score.
Nebraska and Missouri, neither anxious to display all its tricks before Saturday's Big Eight showdown, won easily. The Cornhuskers ran over Colorado 31-6, while Mizzou beat Iowa State 21-6. But perhaps both ought to begin worrying about Oklahoma. The Sooners, led by Joe Don Looney and Jim Grisham, bashed Kansas State for 488 yards on the ground, swallowed up the Wildcats 47-0. Kansas, too, was still a threat after beating Oklahoma State 36-17.
The Miami (Ohio) firm of Kellerman and Jencks was back in business, this time against Bowling Green. With 1:40 left, Keller-man threw eight yards to Jencks (who had earlier kicked a 52-yard field goal) for a touchdown, then ran for the two points that tied the Falcons 24-24.
THE EAST
THE TOP THREE:
1. ARMY (5-1)
2. PENN STATE (5-1)
3. NAVY (4-2)
It isn't often that a coach can indulge in the luxury of benching one of the nation's top 10 passers. But when Navy couldn't win with Ron Klemick at quarterback, Coach Wayne Hardin went with Roger Staubach, a not-so-callow sophomore (he was a junior college All-America in 1960). In Norfolk's Oyster Bowl, Staubach completed all eight of his passes for 192 yards and a touchdown, ran 22 yards for another and Navy clobbered Pitt 32-9.
Army, meanwhile, was struggling for a second straight week. It wasn't that George Washington was so good; the Cadets ran for 351 yards but were able to win only by 14-0. Syracuse's Ben Schwartzwalder, another man with quarterback problems a few weeks ago, was feeling better about almost everything. Sophomore Walley Mahle had a third straight good game, so did Mike Koski and Jim Nance, other backfield neophytes, and the Orangemen beat Holy Cross 30-20.
Boston College wrapped Houston in a tight defense that never let the Cougars get past midfield and then hit the visitors with Quarterback Jack Concannon's passes to win 14-0. Villanova, striking for two quick scores in the second quarter, held firm the rest of the way to beat Xavier 16-8. Rutgers squeezed past Penn 12-7 on Bill Thompson's 94-yard kickoff return, while Boston U., after five straight losses, downed Massachusetts 20-6. Unbeaten Ohio manhandled Buffalo 41-6.
It was a day for quarterbacks in the Ivy League. Cornell's Gary Wood piled up 337 yards running and passing as the Big Red shocked Princeton with a last-minute touchdown and two-point pass to upset the Tigers 35-34. Dartmouth's Bill King ran for two scores to help the undefeated Indians beat Harvard 24-6. Yale's Brian Rapp went over from the one, then passed for the two points that tied Colgate 14-14. Columbia's Archie Roberts skillfully picked apart Lehigh with his passes (12 for 14 for 103 yards) as the Lions won 22-15. And Brown's Jim Dunda teamed up with Jan Moyer on a 62-yard pass play to tie Rhode Island 12-12.
THE SOUTHWEST
THE TOP THREE:
1. TEXAS (5-0-1)
2. ARKANSAS (5-1)
3. NEW MEXICO (5-1-1)
Winless Rice surprised first-ranked Texas, tying the Longhorns 14-14, but don't try to tell anyone in the Southwest the game was an upset. Texas had struggled in three of its first five wins and, as any SWC partisan knows, any member of this league is tough enough to beat any other. Paul Piper put the Owls ahead 7-0 with a straight fullback power play that caught the Texas defense in midstunt, and man-in-motion Ronnie Graham grabbed a pass from Randy Kerbow for the second Rice touchdown.
Texas' defeat and its own 14-0 win over Texas Tech sent SMU to first place in the SWC. Outgained even by lowly Tech, the Mustangs were probably more surprised at their unusual position than anyone else. End Mike Clark kicked two field goals in the last five minutes, the second for 42 yards with 31 seconds left, to give Texas A&M a 6-3 victory over Baylor. Relaxing with a good patsy, Arkansas whipped Hardin-Simmons 49-7.
Preacher Pilot scored five touchdowns and gained 262 yards as New Mexico State defeated North Texas State 48-12.
THE WEST
THE TOP THREE:
1. USC (5-0)
2. WASHINGTON (4-0-2)
3. OREGON (4-1-1)
Washington had lived a charmed life recently, playing just well enough to win. Against Oregon, however, the Huskies cut brinkmanship too close. They were tied. When the adaptable Ducks found they couldn't penetrate Washington's sinuous line. Quarterback Bob Berry wisely took them into the air. But with minutes to go, behind 21-13 and perched ominously on Washington's 35, Oregon reverted to the ground and this time the Huskies were more relenting. Mel Renfro ate up 17 yards in one gulp. Larry Hill swiveled through the middle for 18 yards and a touchdown. Berry's pass to Dick Imwalle for two points made it 21-21 and an unhappy day for Washington.
UCLA was in a giving mood. The bumbling Bruins donated the ball 11 times on fumbles, intercepted passes and fourth-down plunges to grateful Stanford, which turned their errors into a 17-7 upset. Along the way, Stanford's Frank Patitucci grabbed one fumble in midair and went 82 yards, a feat duplicated by UCLA's Carl Jones (for 81 yards).
California finally got around to unveiling Craig Morton, its classy sophomore, against Penn State, and he was a wondrous sight. Morton completed 20 of 28 passes for 274 yards and all three Cal touchdowns. But State's Pete Liske did some fancy chucking too (14 for 17), Roger Kochman ran like a demon and the Lions squeezed by 23-21.
Oregon State's Terry Baker and Vern Burke had another one of their days. Baker threw three touchdown passes, two to Burke, and accounted for 200 yards as the Beavers whomped West Virginia 51-22. Miami's George Mira started slowly against Air Force but finished fast to lead the Hurricanes to a 21-3 victory. Halfback Eldon Fortie was still doing all the work (282 yards gained, two touchdowns passing, one running) for Brig-ham Young but it wasn't quite good enough and BYU lost to Utah State 27 21.
PHOTO
BACK OF THE WEEK: Cornell's Gary Wood passed 212 yards for three touchdowns, ran 125 for two more to upset Princeton 35-34.
PHOTO
LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Matt Snell, Ohio State end, harried Wisconsin passers unmercifully, helped contain fast outside running attack.
SATURDAY'S TOUGH ONES
LSU over Mississippi. Ole Miss has thrived on easy pickings. LSU will be tougher.
Georgia Tech over Duke. Tech's busy Billy Lothridge will make the difference.
Auburn over Florida. After a close shave at Clemson, Auburn will be alert.
Syracuse over Pitt. Syracuse is stronger in the line and getting better on offense.
Navy over Notre Dame. Navy, on the way up, will add to Joe Kuharich's many woes.
Penn State over Maryland. But Shiner's passing will keep the Lions busy.
Michigan State over Minnesota. Speedier backs give the edge to the Spartans.
Nebraska over Missouri. Surprising Nebraska has the necessary speed and power.
USC over Washington. Trojan passing will upset the landlocked Huskies.
Oregon State over Washington State. Baker-to-Burke over Mathiesen-to-Campbell.
OTHER GAMES
AIR FORCE OVER WYOMING
CLEMSON OVER N. CAROLINA
CORNELL OVER COLUMBIA
DARTMOUTH OVER YALE
IOWA ST. OVER OKLAHOMA ST.
OREGON OVER STANFORD
TCU OVER BAYLOR
UCLA OVER CALIFORNIA
VILLANOVA OVER DETROIT
VIRGINIA OVER S. CAROLINA
LAST WEEK'S PREDICTIONS
14 RIGHT, 3 WRONG, 3 TIES
SEASONS RECORD: 75-37-8