FOOTBALL'S WEEK
THE SOUTH
THE TOP THREE:
1. AUBURN (1-0)
2. MISSISSIPPI (1-0)
3. ALABAMA (1-0)
While Ole Miss was squashing Memphis State, AUBURN was whipping Houston by the same score, 30-0. The poor Cougars never had a chance. Quarterback Jimmy Sidle and Halfback Tucker Frederickson bushwhacked them with indelicate roll-outs and lusty charges through the line. Houston's feeble attempts to move the ball were swallowed up by a thunderous Auburn defense, led by Linebackers Frederickson and Bill Cody. Even so, Coach Shug Jordan found something to grouse about. Auburn's passing, he said, could have been better. TENNESSEE, a skimpy 10-6 winner over Chattanooga and Auburn's next opponent, will be sorry to learn that Jordan plans to work on that "weak" passing attack.
Alabama's Bear Bryant was delighted with his team. The Bear even managed a small grin as Quarterback Joe Namath, who never used to roll out much, scattered Georgia with his passes (16 for 21) and ran around them for three touchdowns as 'Bama won easily, 31-3. LSU'S Charlie McClendon was pleased, too. He sprang a swinging (for LSU) pro-style flanker T on Texas A&M, and Quarterback Pat Screen threw to Flanker Doug Moreau six times for 101 yards. But, in truth, it was LSU's oldtime resource-fulness that beat the stubborn Aggies 9-6. Tackle Mickey Cox blocked an A&M punt in the end zone, and Moreau left-footed a 34-yard field goal.
While SMU was busy keying its double monster defense to FLORIDA Fullback Larry Dupree, Halfback Jack Harper ran 56 yards with a pass to set up one touchdown and returned a punt 80 yards for another as Florida romped 24-8. Meanwhile, KENTUCKY and GEORGIA TECH had problems. Kentucky splattered fumbles all over Stoll Field, and only some fancy flying by Halfback Rodger Bird saved a 13-6 win over Detroit. Tech was hard-pressed to get by Vanderbilt 14-2.
For a while it looked like OKLAHOMA was going to be beaten by a Chilean soccer player. Bernardo Bramson, a Maryland sophomore, side-kicked a 22-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to put the Terps ahead 3-0. Then, with 4½ minutes to play, the land-locked Sooners struck. Third-string Quarterback John Hammond, pinned back on his own 10-yard line, found Halfback Lance Rentzel free on the 45 and hit him with a pass. Rentzel went all the way for a touchdown. Oklahoma scored again to win 13-3.
It was an upsetting day in the Atlantic Coast Conference. A two-point gamble by North Carolina in the last minute failed, and the Tar Heels fell to NORTH CAROLINA STATE 14-13. DUKE was luckier. The Blue Devils gladly settled for a 9-9 tie when SOUTH CAROLINA'S Jack McCathern kicked a 30-yard field goal with 1:30 to go. WAKE FOREST, with unaccustomed aplomb, survived a record-breaking spree by Virginia sophomore Quarterback Bob Davis (334 yards running and passing) to shock the Cavaliers 31-21.
Miami, without George Mira, was like a jet without a wing. FLORIDA STATE'S Steve Tensi and Fred Biletnikoff teamed up for two touchdown passes and a 14-0 win over the played-out Hurricanes. After the game Biletnikoff rushed across the field and began swabbing younger brother Bob's forehead with a towel. Little brother needed it. He had just played his first game as Miami's quarterback and had spent the night buried under eager FSU defenders.
THE EAST
THE TOP THREE:
1. NAVY (1-0)
2. ARMY (1-0)
3. BOSTON COLLEGE (1-0)
Penn State's Rip Engle had figured out a way to stop NAVY'S Roger Staubach. He instructed his ends to keep Staubach inside, and he blitzed a linebacker to further harass him. It worked. Staubach was held to five pass completions and 30 yards in total offense. But what Engle did not count on was Navy's excellent defense ("the strongest physically I've seen in years"). Navy turned two pass interceptions, one a 58-yard return by Halfback Duncan Ingraham, and a Penn State fumble into three touchdowns and won 21-8. "The worst game I've ever played," brooded Staubach, "but I wasn't really needed, was I?"
It did not take very long for Syracuse's preseason ranking to drop. Despite some excellent running by Quarterback Walley Mahle, Fullback Jim Nance and Halfback Floyd Little, the Orange was ready to settle for a 14-14 tie with BOSTON COLLEGE with only nine seconds to play. But not BC. With fourth and two on his own 45, Quarterback Larry Marzetti, rolling right, spotted End Bill Cronin on the 15 with Syracuse defenders Charlie Brown and Ted Holman draped over him. He threw anyway. Cronin leaped and caught the ball and—as Holman and Brown collided—raced into the end zone. So BC had the ball game, 21-14.
Army had an easier time. The big Cadet blockers flattened every Citadel tackier in sight, breaking Quarterback Rollie Stichweh loose on three long touchdown runs. Sophomore Tailback Fred Barofsky went on a 71-yard sprint the first time he carried, and Army buried the southerners, 34-0.
Buffalo Quarterback Don Gilbert passed for two touchdowns as the Bulls stomped Boston U. 35-0. MASSACHUSETTS had Coach Vic Fusia tearing at his scalp before the Red-men squeezed past Maine 6-0.
THE MIDWEST
THE TOP THREE:
1. ILLINOIS (0-0)
2. OKLAHOMA (1-0)
3. OHIO STATE (0-0)
Kansas scraped by Texas Christian 7-3 in a game won with a missed hand-off and saved by a fumble. With the Jawhawks on the TCU 14 early in the second quarter, Halfback Willie Ray Smith tried to give the ball to Gale Sayers and missed. Smith sighed, shrugged and lugged the ball over himself. Later, with 20 seconds to go and TCU on the Kansas one-yard line, Frog Quarterback Randy Howard called a sneak. Howard and Jayhawker Guard Dick Pratt collided on the goal line. Kansas Coach Jack Mitchell was unable to look, but not Pratt. "All of a sudden, there the ball was," said the 6-foot-1 265-pounder. "I grabbed it and ran. I must have made at least an inch." That was enough. Kansas had the ball and the game.
Northwestern beat Oregon State 7-3, no thanks to its receivers. Tom Myers put 21 of his 23 passes on target, but only 11 were caught. Myers, however, completed six of eight for 60 yards and picked up 10 more in penalties by calling quick snaps while Oregon State was wildcarding as Northwestern went 95 yards for a touchdown. The Wildcats' defense was better. In the second half, rushes led by End Pat Riley nailed Oregon quarterbacks for 96 yards in losses and left the Beavers with a net loss of 12 yards for the game.
Wisconsin needed the insurance touchdown it scored when it fumbled into the end zone in order to fight off Kansas State 17-7. IOWA STATE beat Drake 25-0 and NEBRASKA crushed South Dakota 56-0.
Mid-American power BOWLING GREEN ran Coach Doyt Perry's nonconference record to 28-1 by downing Southern Illinois 35-12, and WESTERN MICHIGAN upset Louisville 10-7, but other league mates suffered ignominy, MIAMI was tied 7-7 by XAVIER, Marshall lost to MOREHEAD 6-0 and Toledo got a 22-6 whacking from VILLANOVA.
THE SOUTHWEST
THE TOP THREE:
1. TEXAS (1-0)
2. RICE (0-0)
3. TEXAS TECH (1-0)
"Before you leave, take a close, hard look. Otherwise you're likely to be embarrassed." That was the warning TEXAS TECH Coach J T King issued to sportswriters when they came to Lubbock on their annual tour of the Southwest Conference. Last Saturday night it was favored Mississippi State who was embarrassed. State expected Tech Halfback Donny Anderson to slash at the tackles and Fullback Jim Zanios to hammer the middle—and they did, for 140 yards. But King had a couple of rare surprises for the visitors. Tom Wilson, a shiny new quarterback, completed seven passes for 127 yards, Place-Kicker Ken Gill booted a 51-yard field goal and Tech upset State, 21-7.
Texas was up to its old tricks against Tulane. The very first time the single-minded Longhorns got the ball, they pushed back the green Green Wave 72 yards in 17 plays, Halfback Ernie Koy scoring from the one. Koy did it again in the third quarter and Texas went on to win, 31-0, its 12th straight.
Arkansas Coach Frank Broyles long ago gave up the idea that his Razorbacks could overpower anyone. He just wants them "to sting people." Quarterback Billy Gray, who was supposed to be "demoted" to defense, had a sharp needle ready for tough Oklahoma State. His slick running and passing led Arkansas to victory, 14-10.
Ohio U. barely made it past West Texas State 16-14, and NORTH TEXAS STATE and TEXAS WESTERN played to a scoreless tie.
THE WEST
THE TOP THREE:
1. USC (1-0)
2. AIR FORCE (1-0)
3. CALIFORNIA (1-0)
For the second straight year AIR FORCE upset Washington on a Bart Holaday field goal, winning 3-2. The highly rated Huskies collected nothing but fumbles, frustrations and penalties for themselves. Even the safety was a deliberate gift by Air Force after holding Washington on the one-yard line with time running out.
USC'S Mike Garrett, never stopped by fewer than two tacklers, scored 20 points in the first half against Colorado before USC let up, took out Garrett & Co. and coasted to a 21-0 victory. In its 23 allotted minutes the first string thoroughly cowed the Buffalo. Garrett gained 127 yards, Quarterback Craig Fertig completed five of 11 passes for 89 yards and Fullback Ron Heller carried 12 times for an average of 6.8 yards.
Fooling Missouri with running and defense and scoring the first two times it got the ball, rebuilt CALIFORNIA dismantled Mizzou 21-14. After Jim Blakeney swept 13 yards for a touchdown, Quarterback Craig Morton hit Flanker Jerry Mosher on a 26-yard scoring pass and grammar-schoolmate Jack Schraub for an 18-yard score. WASHINGTON STATE upset Stanford 29-23 behind Quarterback Tom Roth, and the OREGON Webfoots waddled past BYU, 20-13.
New Mexico has won two WAC titles without beating the utterly unimpressed UTAH Utes, and if the Lobos are to win a third it will have to be the same way. Utah pulverized them 16-0—and 401 yards to 119. ARIZONA STATE Quarterback John Torok struck 10, 21 and 57 yards for touchdown passes as the Sun Devils unexpectedly dazzled Utah State 24-8. WYOMING crushed Colorado State 31-7.
THE BEST
BACK OF THE WEEK: Army Quarterback Rollie Stichweh had his finest day against The Citadel. He ran back a punt 73 yards for one touchdown, then romped 29 and 93 yards for two more scores, gaining 236 yards.
LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Dick Pratt, 265-pound Kansas guard, forced the fumble that saved a 7-3 win over TCU, was in on seven other tackles and made the Jayhawk off-tackle plays go with his lusty blocking.
SATURDAY'S TOUGH ONES
Auburn over Tennessee. Auburn has too many talented runners for the Vols.
North Carolina over Michigan State. State lacks speed. Carolina has it.
Oklahoma over USC. USC is quick and tricky, but Oklahoma is stronger in the line.
Notre Dame over Wisconsin. But Notre Dame will have to stop Wisconsin's passes.
Kansas over Syracuse. Syracuse can match Kansas in the backfield, but not up front.
Massachusetts over Harvard. Harvard is not ready for the tough Redmen.
LSU over Rice. The Owls, good as they are, cannot stop all those LSU backs.
Illinois over California. The rough Illini line will rush Cal's Morton all day.
Pitt over Oregon. Pitt's Mazurek can do more with a football than Oregon's Berry.
Washington over Baylor. The Husky ground game will prove better than Baylor's passing.
OTHER GAMES
ARMY OVER BOSTON COLLEGE
DUKE OVER VIRGINIA
FLORIDA OVER MISSISSIPPI STATE
FLORIDA STATE OVER TCU
INDIANA OVER NORTHWESTERN)
MISSISSIPPI OVER KENTUCKY
MISSOURI OVER UTAH
OHIO U. OVER PURDUE
OHIO STATE OVER SMU
PENN STATE OVER UCLA
LAST WEEK'S PREDICTIONS
8 RIGHT, 11 WRONG, 1 TIE