FOOTBALL'S WEEK
In 1869 there was a good road between Princeton and New Brunswick, just 20 miles to the north, and perhaps that explains it. In any case, one afternoon 25 Princeton students ran onto a field with a similar number of undergraduates from Rutgers, and then they all appeared to go berserk. What occurred that day had some of the elements of rugger, bearbaiting and Indian massacre—all over the possession of an improperly shaped ball. Improbable as it seemed, fall Saturday afternoons in the U.S. were done for. So was the era of good feeling between the schools.
To prove that nothing has really changed much, the referee last Saturday solemnly introduced George Peter Savidge, Rutgers' 205-pound center and captain, to George Paul Savidge, Princeton's 220-pound defensive right tackle and captain. Within minutes of the ceremony these fraternal twins were using their considerable talents to break each other in half. As usual, the brothers' battle ended in a rather bloody standoff, but Princeton's George Paul had the help of Charles Gogolak, a 155-pound place kicker who swipes at the ball sideways. The little monster kicked six field goals, including one that was recorded as 52 yards but carried nearly 70. George Peter had to swallow Rutgers' fourth straight loss, 32-6.
Ask anyone on either campus, and he will tell you he would not trade his Savidge for the other, even if the other side threw in a platoon of 200-pound sprinters. Rutgers followers, for instance, are quick to point out that last year the fullback diving straight over center averaged more than five yards a crack, an amazing statistic when you consider it means running smack-bang into the most populated area on the field. Princeton people simply remind you that their Savidge led his team to an Ivy League title. "Paul and Stas Maliszewski [the other Princeton tackle] are the best linemen in the East," Princeton Coach Dick Coleman says flatly. "Pete is as good as Alex Kroll [the Rutgers All-America center of four years ago]," says Rutgers Coach John Bateman. The fact is both Savidges have size, exceptional agility and a nice, wholesome killer instinct, and because of them New Jersey can boast of two of the better teams on the Eastern seaboard.
This week's high drama had its origin in May of 1943. Mrs. George Savidge, feeling the first pangs of labor, gently led Mr. Savidge to the car, climbed in behind the wheel and drove the 15 miles to the Mercer (N.J.) Hospital where she gave birth to an 8¾-pound rascal with bright-orange hair. Ten minutes later the runt of the litter appeared weighing 2½ pounds less and sporting blondish wisps. It was shortly thereafter that Mrs. Savidge had to face up to an old promise made to Mr. Savidge's father when he urged that the name George be carried into the next generation. In a moment of madness his daughter-in-law promised that not only would there be a George in the family, all the boys would be named George. First there was George David, who later became an All-America lacrosse player at Amherst Then the twins, George Paul and George Peter, arrived. Four years later, George Mark, now a freshman quarterback at Amherst, joined the ranks. Presumably the elder Mr. Savidge is satisfied.
It was evident from the start that neither of the Savidges was going to become a Little Lord Fauntleroy. While Mrs. Savidge, herself a schoolteacher, made sure that the boys did not ignore their homework, George Savidge Sr., who manages a 430-acre tract of prime farmland, exposed his boys to the type of labor guaranteed to turn sturdy little boys into sturdy young men. Paul was just grade-school age when he was finally able to hurl a 60-pound bale of hay atop the wagon—seven stacks high. Peter, who stayed proportionally 2½ pounds lighter and 10 minutes younger (and who has never been allowed to forget either fact by his brother), picked up the knack a little later but actually took to farm chores far more readily than Paul. (Mrs. Savidge recalls that the older boy usually was well camouflaged in a tree when the lawn needed mowing.) Rutgers Pete was methodical, Princeton Paul was spontaneous. What struck Paul as a particularly dashing cut of clothing had no interest for Pete. Paul nearly swamped the farm with wildlife: a couple of raccoons called Yogi and Herman, a succession of fawns who raced the twins downhill on their sleds and a crow named Percy who talks. Percy is still around. "You guys go away," is what he says.
At the Hun School—an expensive prep school where both boys had scholarships—the twins were co-captains of the football team. Both were far too strong for the rest of the players to handle in one-on-one drills, so they had to go at each other. "I never got out of it with less than a bloody nose," says Pete. Paul bled less but remembers the bruises.
The varsity confrontation of Paul and Pete first occurred last year, with Paul on defense, Pete on offense. Princeton won that game 10-7, but Rutgers fans are quick to point out that Pete gave Paul more than he got.
Two weekends ago the twins came home for what was expected to be a jolly reunion. Instead, it was a strangely quiet, even solemn occasion, which came as a shock to both mother and father. "Usually there is a great deal of carrying on," said a puzzled Mrs. Savidge. There is a family tradition, for instance, that, on excusing himself from the dinner table, one twin will slap a wrestling hold on his father. As soon as Mr. Savidge who looks as if he belongs in somebody's defensive line himself, breaks the hold, the other boy will quietly excuse himself and tie his father up all over again. This time Pete left quietly and undemonstratively. "I guess it would be a good thing if Rutgers could win one," said Mr. Savidge. "I think that's a rotten idea," said Paul. "Well, I hope it ends in a tie," said Mrs. Savidge. "I don't like that idea either," said Paul. He went off to attend Percy Crow, who said, "You guys go away."
Saturday, George Paul and the big Princeton line swarmed all over Rutgers' ballcarriers, and Paul gave Pete more then he got. But, said George Savidge Sr., "Don't worry about Pete. He knows how to lose."
—TOM C. BRODY
THE EAST
1. PITT (1-1)
2. BOSTON COLLEGE (2-0)
3. SYRACUSE (1-1)
One more day like last Saturday and the East may have to look to the Ivies, with their Savidges and Gogolaks, for its leaders. Penn State and Syracuse, who were supposed to be the best, both went down ingloriously. Pitt and Army managed to survive, but not without a struggle against unproved teams.
Just as Penn State Coach Rip Engle feared, MICHIGAN STATE was simply too big, too fast and, let's face it, too good for his Nittany Lions. The Spartan ends, 268-pound Bubba Smith and Bob Viney, and agile Linebackers Ron Goovert and George Webster led a withering blitz that had Penn State Quarterback Jack White running for his life. MSU Quarterback Steve Juday, meanwhile, spread the Lions with his little passes (10 for 13), Hawaiian Fullback Bob Apisa, a bull of a sophomore, broke a double tackle and boomed 35 yards for a touchdown, barefoot Kicker Dick Kenney, another Hawaiian, booted three field goals (24, 29 and 36 yards), and the Spartans won 23-0.
Syracuse bumbled and fumbled away its reputation against MIAMI. Unable to move consistently on the ground, the Orange foolishly let itself get caught up in a passing contest and came off a bad second. Quarterback Bob Biletnikoff threw for two scores, and Miami took the game 24-0.
Pitt, fortunately, had the passing to hold off Oklahoma 13-9. Quarterback Kenny Lucas got the Panthers ahead 7-3 on a neat 22-yard cross-field swing pass to Halfback Eric Crabtree and then threw to End Mitch Zalnasky for the clincher. ARMY muddled around aimlessly in the first half against VMI, but Quarterback Fred Barofsky, Tailback Sonny Stowers and Fullback Mark Hamilton finally got going and the Cadets won 21-7.
The best team in the East, however, may be BOSTON COLLEGE. Coach Jim Miller turned loose his young sophomore backs against Villanova, and they ran wild 28-0. Brendan McCarthy, a 215-pounder who reminds old Eagles of Mike Holovak, was the best. He carried 34 times for 168 yards and scored once.
There was no sympathy for the inept in the Ivy League. PRINCETON hammered Rutgers 32-6, DARTMOUTH clobbered New Hampshire 56-6, HARVARD beat Holy Cross 17-7 and PENN outscored Lehigh 20-14, but everywhere else there was big trouble. COLGATE held CORNELL to a scoreless tie, LAFAYETTE surprised Columbia 14-10, RHODE ISLAND defeated Brown 14-6 and CONNECTICUT upset Yale 13-6, the first time the Elis have been beaten by a home-state rival in 87 games since 1875.
THE SOUTH
1. KENTUCKY (2-0)
2. GEORGIA (2-0)
3. LSU (2-0)
There were still some folks around Lexington who doubted that Charlie Bradshaw would ever return KENTUCKY football to where it was under Bear Bryant 11 years ago. "Charlie talks a big stick," said one skeptic, "but the man in the street is still waiting to be shown." The man can relax. The Wildcats beat Mississippi 16-7 on a daring, if thoroughly illogical, 70-yard run by Tailback Larry Seiple. With two minutes to go and Kentucky leading 9-7, the Wildcats were on their own 30, fourth down and 41 to go. Kentucky coaches knew Ole Miss liked to have its linemen drift back for a punt return rather than rush the kicker, and they had mentioned the fact to Seiple, their punter, suggesting that he might just run the ball sometime if the Rebs did not come in. But they neglected to tell him to forget their tip with fourth and 41 and his team ahead. The oversight buried Ole Miss for good. Kentucky, however, still has a long way to go to the SEC championship. For one thing Bryant, Bradshaw's old teacher, had ALABAMA winning again. Quarterback Steve Sloan pitched two touchdown passes in a 27-0 victory over Tulane. And GEORGIA was leading the league after beating Vanderbilt 24-10. Then there was LSU, which finally found an offense to go with its solid defense and smashed Rice 42-14. MISSISSIPPI STATE also displayed some unexpected muscle. The Maroons upset Florida 18-13 on Quarterback Ashby Cook's 23-yard pass to End Don Saget in the last quarter. But AUBURN had to settle for a 13-13 tie late in its game with TENNESSEE when a delay of game penalty put the Tigers out of range for a two-point try.
Georgia Tech was sailing along with a 10-0 lead when Harry Ledbetter, TEXAS A&M'S sophomore quarterback, suddenly got the notion that the Aggies could catch Tech. Sure enough, they did. Ledbetter ran over from the one for a score and then, with 1:24 to go, threw a 26-yard pass to Lloyd Curington to win the game 14-10.
No one was winning easily in the Atlantic Coast Conference, DUKE had its hands full holding off South Carolina 20-15 while co-leader CLEMSON had to come from behind to overtake Virginia 20-14 and Harold Deter's 45-yard field goal with 35 seconds to play beat Wake Forest 13-11 for NORTH CAROLINA STATE.
West Virginia appeared to have a lock on the Southern Conference title. The talented Mountaineers routed William & Mary 34-14 for their second straight.
THE MIDWEST
1. NEBRASKA (2-0)
2. PURDUE (2-0)
3. MICHIGAN (2-0)
It was hard to recall a worse beginning for the Big Ten. True, PURDUE stunned Notre Dame 25-21 (page 30), MICHIGAN STATE easily handled Penn State, ILLINOIS recovered after a first-week loss to bury SMU 42-0 and IOWA trampled Oregon State. But the other conference teams were performing like lost sisters. Even MICHIGAN was hard put to get by California 10-7. It took a lucky steal by Guard Paul Johnson—he plucked the ball, almost as an afterthought, from Cal's careless Dan Berry on the Michigan 12—in the last minute to save the Wolverines. Before that Michigan gave up the ball five times on interceptions and fumbles and hardly looked like a Big Ten champion.
Ohio State sputtered so badly against NORTH CAROLINA that it resorted to passes. Quarterback Don Unverferth threw 35 of them (he hit 19), but still the Bucks lost 14-3. Minnesota, following its robust start against USC, frittered away a 13-point lead and was beaten by WASHINGTON STATE 14-13. Wisconsin was no match for use. Halfback Mike Garrett led the Badgers a merry chase, gaining 154 yards, scoring twice and passing for a touchdown as the Trojans won 26-6. In the only conference game NORTHWESTERN upset Indiana 20-0.
Missouri pounded Oklahoma State for 383 yards, but it was not until Quarterback Gary Lane broke away for 80 yards early in the second half that the Tigers were able to consider the rough Cowboys beaten. That did it 13-0. Just about everything possible happened to Kansas in its game with ARIZONA. Arizona Linebacker Mike Hawk blocked a quick kick and intercepted a pass to set up scores, and Guard Jay Willett ran a midair fumble back 76 yards for a score. Arizona won 23-15.
THE SOUTHWEST
1. TEXAS (2-0)
2. ARKANSAS (2-0)
3. BAYLOR (2-0)
The annual Southwest Conference muddle may be unscrambled already, the men being Texas, Arkansas and Baylor, the boys being everyone else.
With Quarterback Marv Kristynik and Linebacker Tommy Nobis leading the charge, TEXAS' Longhorns romped through what was thought to be a strong Texas Tech team 33-7. Texas even abandoned its usual ultraconservatism for its first score—using a pass-lateral play similar to the one Georgia used last week to beat Alabama. Tech Coach J. T. King blamed the lopsided loss on the great Texas defense that, for the third year, stopped All-America Donny Anderson stone-cold.
Tulsa had ARKANSAS on the ropes for three quarters before Ronny South kicked a field goal and John Brittenum engineered a 77-yard touchdown drive for a 20-12 Razorback victory. BAYLOR, meanwhile, stunned Washington in Waco with Terry Southall's passing and a surprising defense. In the last minute of the first half Southall took Baylor 75 yards for a 17-14 lead, then watched as Washington was stopped three times inside the Bears' 30.
Houston, after 11 scoreless periods, finally tallied and finally won 21-6 over Cincinnati. And sophomore Quarterbacks P. D. Shabay of TCU and Billy Stevens of TEXAS WESTERN did not act like sophomores. Shabay threw the pass that upset Florida State 7-3; Stevens, who gained 500 yards with his passes last week, threw for five touchdowns to beat favored New Mexico 35-14.
THE WEST
1. USC (1-0-1)
2. STANFORD (1-0-1)
3. OREGON (2-0)
While use was winning easily at Wisconsin, NEBRASKA and little Frankie Solich invaded the West and it looked like easy pickings for a while. Solich slipped away from Air Force for 80- and 21-yard touchdown runs and Ron Kirkland scored from the six for a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Then Falcon Quarterback Paul Stein began to throw the ball and almost before startled Nebraska knew what had happened the score was 21-17. But Solich, who picked up 205 yards rushing, saved the Huskers. From the Air Force 41, he broke over left tackle, spun away from three grabby Falcons and went in for the score that gave Nebraska a 27-17 victory. Grumped Nebraska Coach Bob Devaney: "We don't deserve to be considered the No. 1 team."
Navy, surprising a favored STANFORD, came out running with Quarterback John Cartwright's quick options and pitchouts. The Middies got a touchdown early, then held on grimly to tie the Indians 7-7.
Oregon State was ready, it thought, for IOWA'S Gary Snook. Coach Dee Andros figures Snook would throw 30 or 40 times, and he rigged his defenses to stop him. Instead, Snook sneaked through the Beavers for two scores, sophomore Fullback Silas McKinnie smashed them for 104 yards, and Flanker Karl Noonan, more renowned for his pass-catching, ran back a punt 64 yards as Iowa won 27-7. OREGON, more convincing, beat Utah 31-14.
Wyoming and Brigham Young continued to look like the best of the Western AC, the Cowboys trouncing Colorado State 33-14, BYU defeating Kansas State 21-3.
—MERVIN HYMAN
PHOTO
Rutgers' Pete Savidge is introduced to Princeton's Paul Savidge at game's start.
BEST OF THE WEEK
THE BACK: Purdue's Bob Griese was enormous against Notre Dame. He hit 19 of 22 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns, ran the ball 15 times for 39 yards, did all the team kicking and contributed a game-saving tackle.
THE LINEMAN: Loyd Phillips, 225-pound Arkansas tackle, taught Billy Anderson, Tulsa's gifted new quarterback, the hard facts of football life in Southwest country. He threw him for 58 yards in losses as the Hogs won 20-12.
THE 15 HARDEST PICKS
ALABAMA OVER MISSISSIPPI
'Bama's lightweights are not likely to get caught again.
LSU OVER FLORIDA
The Bengals have learned how to score and the Gators have not.
KENTUCKY OVER AUBURN
Kentucky's agile Wildcats will be hard for anyone to trap.
BAYLOR OVER FLORIDA STATE
But not if the Seminoles can stop Southall's passing.
SYRACUSE OVER MARYLAND
Schwartzwalder's power should prevail over Nugent's guile.
WEST VIRGINIA OVER PITT
Passing or running, the Mountaineers have the edge.
BOSTON COLLEGE OVER ARMY
BC, bigger and healthier than Army, wants this one badly.
MICHIGAN OVER GEORGIA
The Bulldogs have bite, but Michigan has backs.
MINNESOTA OVER MISSOURI
Minnesota's passing is better than Mizzou's running.
OKLAHOMA OVER NAVY
Navy's air strikes will not be enough to beat the Sooners.
IOWA OVER WISCONSIN
Both teams like to throw. Iowa's Snook does it better.
TEXAS OVER INDIANA
But not in a stampede. Indiana is tougher than its record.
USC OVER OREGON STATE
The Beavers simply have no one to match USC's Garrett.
WASHINGTON OVER OHIO STATE
After some fierce head knocking, the Huskies by a little.
WYOMING OVER ARIZONA
Wyoming is better prepared for this Western AC showdown.
LAST WEEK'S PREDICTIONS
7 RIGHT, 7 WRONG, 1 TIE
SEASON'S RECORD: 13-14-3