FOOTBALL'S WEEK

THE WEST

1. UCLA (9-1)
2. WYOMING (9-1)
3. USC (7-3)

Fighting NOTRE DAME, minus Quarterback Terry Hanratty, Halfbacks Rocky Bleier and Bob Gladieux and Center George Goeddeke, all injured, was determined to prove it was indeed No. 1, even without them. The Irish lit into unlucky USC with such force it was hard to see how they could have been any better. Coley O'Brien, Hanratty's stand-in, threw passes, long and short, all over Memorial Coliseum. End Jim Seymour caught 11—two for touchdowns—and Nick Eddy and Larry Conjar pounded through the shocked Trojans. The net result: 255 yards passing, 206 rushing, 31 first downs and a 51-0 win for Notre Dame. It was time for reflection by Coach Ara Parseghian, and he observed, "This is by far the best team Eve ever had. Our defensive unit is the best Eve seen. I think we demonstrated we're No. 1." If there were some dissenters, USC's Johnny McKay was not among them. He said, "That's the best college team I've ever seen."

Arizona's Mark Reed threw 20 completions, good for 289 yards and two touchdowns, but ARIZONA STATE, behind 17-13, came back in the closing minutes as John Goodman passed 19 yards to Les Plummer to win the game 20-17. The Sun Devils ended in a tie with BRIGHAM YOUNG and Utah for second in the Western AC. The Cougars, meanwhile, humbled Pacific 38-0, with John Ogden running for 204 yards and three scores and Virgil Carter, who had 367 yards in total offense, passing for three touchdowns to tie Babe Parilli's NCAA career record of 50.

Colorado State, plumping for recognition by the WAC, finished off its best season since 1955 in style. Led by Jim Oliver's three touchdowns and Oscar Reed's slick runs, the Rams pounded Iowa State 34-10 for a 7-3 record.

THE SOUTH

1. ALABAMA (9-0)
2. GEORGIA (9-1)
3. GEORGIA TECH (9-1)

Alabama had just finished taking apart tough Southern Mississippi, the nation's No. 1 team in total defense, and Coach Bear Bryant had polls on his mind. "I just wish the players and I knew what the people who vote want," said Bryant wistfully. "Back in September we were voted No. 1 in the preseason poll, and we thought that meant they expected us to win. Well, we've been winning. No team had ever beaten Tennessee, Mississippi and LSU in the same year. Well, we did. If the voters want something besides winning, we'll try and do it." With one game to go against Auburn, and then Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl, the Tide may still find a way to satisfy the voters.

Georgia was thinking about the pollsters, too, after it spoiled Georgia Tech's unbeaten season, 23-14. All year long Coach Vince Dooley's combative Dogs had been getting themselves into a snarling mood for their old rivals. Led by Tackles George Pat-ton and Bill Stanfill, the defense went after Quarterback Kim King and he never got untracked. Kent Lawrence, a 9.5 sprinter, scored on a 71-yard punt return, Brad Johnson smashed over from the two and Bobby Etter kicked three field goals.

Everybody agreed that MIAMI'S Bill Miller, who had been an in-and-outer earlier in the season, was no Steve Spurrier. But, almost before Florida knew it, Miller had run and passed the Hurricanes into a 21-3 lead. Then Heisman Trophy winner Spurrier began getting away from the rough Miami defense. He completed 26 of 49 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown, Flanker Richard Trapp caught 11 for 150 yards (setting three SEC records), but still the Gators lost 21-16. "We were just outmuscled," said Florida's Ray Graves. Even worse, that gave the Orange Bowl two losers—Florida and Georgia Tech.

But other bowl-bound teams reacted more favorably. TENNESSEE, in the Gator Bowl with Syracuse, pounded Vanderbilt 28-0, while MISSISSIPPI, headed for the Bluebonnet, whipped Mississippi State 24-0, and FLORIDA STATE, named to play Wyoming in the Sun Bowl, outscored Maryland 45-21. VIRGINIA TECH, anxious to impress any bowl promoter anywhere, poured it on VMI 70-12 as Tailback Tommy Francisco scored six touchdowns. The Liberty Bowl responded, picking Tech to play Miami.

Clemson's Frank Howard was in a crowing mood after Quarterback Jimmy Addison had led his team to a 35-10 victory over South Carolina to give the Tigers the ACC championship. "You don't feel this good every day," he observed. "I been coaching here for 37 years and got 151 victories. That other fellow [Paul Dietzel] got one win, so how come he makes more than I do?"

Virginia sent North Carolina Coach Jim Hickey packing. Soon after Halfback Frank Quayle had run over the Tar Heels for three touchdowns in a 21-14 victory, Hickey revealed the worst-kept secret in Carolina. He is quitting to become athletic director at Connecticut.

THE SOUTHWEST

1. SMU (8-2)
2. ARKANSAS (8-2)
3. HOUSTON (7-2)

For the first time in eight years Arkansas or Texas will not represent the Southwest Conference in the Cotton Bowl. SMU, chosen by almost no one in the preseason, won that right by battering poor TCU 21-0. On four occasions during the season the Mustangs had pulled out victories in the last 30 seconds, but TCU was easy. Jerry Levias came up with his usual "clutch play" early, finger-tipping a 68-yard touchdown pass from Quarterback Mac White in the first quarter, and the Frogs were out of it. White threw another scoring pass to Harold Richardson, Linebacker Jerry Griffin ran back an interception 28 yards and SMU had its first win over TCU at Fort Worth in 21 years, and its first SWC title since 1948.

But there was some consolation for TEXAS. Despite some tricks by Texas A&M—an on-side kick on the opening kickoff, a cross-field lateral on another kickoff—the Longhorns won 22-14 and will play Mississippi in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Chris Gilbert ran through the Aggies for 137 yards, Bill Bradley passed for a touchdown and David Conway kicked two field goals. About all retiring Rice Coach Jess Neely salvaged from his last year were a few might-have-beens. His Owls tried hard, but BAYLOR'S Terry Southall beat them 21-14 with two touchdown passes.

After nine straight victories in the Astrodome, Houston lost its magic touch. Behind MEMPHIS STATE 14-13, the Cougars missed a two-point conversion with 8:21 to go ("We don't play for a tie," said Coach Bill Yeoman), and then Ken Herbert's 31-yard field-goal try, with 1:14 left, failed. TEXAS WESTERN scored twice in the last five minutes to overtake Utah 27-20.

THE EAST

1. SYRACUSE (8-2)
2. ARMY (8-2)
3. HARVARD (8-1)

There were supposed to be no gimmicks when ARMY and Navy met before the usual 101,000 in Philadelphia's Kennedy Stadium. Both teams had sturdy defenses, and Army's Tom Cahill had said he would go with what his team knew best—just plain old nuts-and-bolts football. Navy's Bill Elias planned a passing game. So the first time the Cadets got the ball, sophomore Fullback Chuck Jarvis took a pitchout from sophomore Quarterback Steve Lindell, turned his left end and ran 49 yards for a touchdown. When Navy got the ball, sure enough, Quarterback John Cartwright began throwing—mostly sideline passes to End Rob Taylor—and a seven-yard toss to Taylor tied the score at 7-7.

That is the way it was until the last quarter, when Lindell decided he could not win with nuts and bolts alone. With the ball on the Navy 42, Split End Terry Young started on his regular down-and-out pattern, Lindell faked to him and then Young reversed and went deep. Lindell floated a long pass, which Young grabbed in full stride on the 15 and carried in for a touchdown. After that, Navy never had a chance. The Army defense, led by Tackle Tom Schwartz and End Dave Rivers, swarmed Cartwright, and the Middies died. Lindell threw 23 yards to Halfback Carl Woessner, and Army won 20-7. For Cahill, who took over belatedly last spring when Army was unable to find a name coach to replace Paul Dietzel, it was a happy day. "Beautiful," said Cahill. "I wouldn't trade this for anything."

Boston College and HOLY CROSS went at each other in habitual fashion. Quarterback Jack Lentz got the Crusaders off to a quick 19-0 lead, the Eagles went ahead 20-19 and, with 1:10 to go, led 26-25. Then Lentz, just hoping for a first down, found End Peter Kimener in the clear, hit him with a 39-yard pass and Holy Cross won 32-25. VILLANOVA finished with a flourish, taking George Washington 16-7 for its fifth straight and a 6-3 season.

THE MIDWEST

1. NOTRE DAME (9-0-1)
2. MICHIGAN STATE (9-0-1)
3. PURDUE (8-2)

Nebraska may have lost its pride when it was beaten by Oklahoma, but the Huskers still had the Sugar Bowl. MIAMI of Ohio, with high hopes for a Liberty Bowl bid, won its game handily against Cincinnati 28-8, as Quarterback Bruce Matte pitched four touchdown passes, three of them to John Erisman. But an invitation was not forthcoming for the 9-1 Redskins.

Everything was up in the air when TULSA and Wichita State got together—the Missouri Valley title, last place and especially the ball. The desperate Shockers threw 50 times and Tulsa 31, but the Hurricanes' Greg Barton was more accurate than Wichita State's John Eckman, passing for three touchdowns in Tulsa's 47-14 win. That gave the Hurricanes a first-place tie with North Texas State and put the Shockers in the cellar with LOUISVILLE, which beat East Carolina 21-7.

BEST OF THE WEEK

THE BACK: Coley O'Brien, only Notre Dame's No. 2 quarterback, tried harder against Southern California. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns as the angry Irish smashed the helpless Trojans 51-0.

THE LINEMAN: Georgia Tackle George Patton was the ringleader of a defense that held Georgia Tech's good backs to 71 yards rushing. Pat-ton also recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass and tipped another into a teammate's hands.