FOOTBALL'S WEEK

THE EAST

1. ARMY (0-0)
2. PENN STATE (0-0)
3. SYRACUSE (0-0)

While the big Eastern teams—Army, Penn State, Syracuse and Navy—took another week to get ready, ambitious Buffalo got an early start toward earning a reputation. Nearly everything the talented Bulls tried against unsuspecting Kent State, a team that is considered a power in the Mid-American Conference, worked beyond expectations—at least beyond Kent State's expectations. Fullback Lee Jones pounded Kent State's midsection, and when State clutched its stomach Halfback Ken Rutkowski and Quarterback Mick Murtha ran and passed the Bulls to an easy 30-6 victory. Even Buffalo Coach Doc Urich, a demanding critic who used to mastermind Notre Dame's offense, confessed that he was satisfied.

Boston University, another team with high hopes, was almost laid low in a surprisingly close game against Bucknell. With six minutes to go Bucknell led the highly regarded Terriers 16-7. Then Quarterback Tom Thornton, who had thrown a 34-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Rucker in the first quarter, got Boston moving. A 52-yard drive ended with Thornton sneaking over from the one. Then, with 2:20 left, Thornton hit Rucker with a 53-yard scoring pass to bail out the Terriers 20-16.

Villanova, still reeling from a 40-0 pasting by West Virginia a week earlier, suffered another indignity as little West Chester State, a small-college school from just up the pike, surprised the Wildcats 14-9. Jim Haynie's 13-yard pass to Don Wilkinson and a stubborn defense that held Villanova four times inside the two-yard line in the last minute of play won for the Rams.

THE SOUTH

1. GEORGIA (0-0)
2. MIAMI (0-0)
3. ALABAMA (0-0)

When Duke and Wake Forest discovered that each had somehow scheduled the other at home, the Atlantic Coast Conference settled on a tidy solution—a neutral setting and day-night doubleheader at Raleigh's Carter Stadium featuring North Carolina's Big Four. The only trouble was that ACC officials had not planned on also playing host to Hurricane Doria. While an overflow crowd of 42,300 turned out for the North Carolina-North Carolina State game in the afternoon, only 22,452 braved Doria to see Duke-Wake Forest at night. Both day and night shifts saw good football.

North Carolina, displaying unexpected strength, led North Carolina State 7-3 on Fullback Tommy Dempsey's one-yard plunge at the end of the first half, and when neither team scored in the third quarter an upset became increasingly possible. But Gerald Warren's 33-yard field goal, his second of the game, cut the lead to 7-6 and then, with second and seven on his own 45, State Quarterback Jim Donnan called for "Bingo pass, two man." The State halfback faked a dive, Donnan faked a hand-off to the fullback, one end hooked and the other slowly drifted downfield. Making it even nicer, Carolina blitzed, and all of a sudden End Harry Martell was in the clear. He caught Donnan's pass and went for the touchdown that beat Carolina 13-7. Donnan said later, "The coaches mentioned the play at half time. Harry was wide open, and I just lobbed the ball to him."

A bit of half-time strategy also paid off for Duke, after the Blue Devils had struggled to a 10-7 lead over Wake Forest. Coach Tom Harp, who had spotted a weakness in the Deacons' secondary, told his alternating quarterbacks. Al Woodall and Larry Davis, to forget about Doria's high winds and pass more on early downs. They did, and Duke breezed to three touchdowns. Woodall passed for three yards to Pete Schafer, Davis scored on a seven-yard run, Fullback Jay Calabrese went over from the one and the Blue Devils had it easy 31-13. Even so, Wake's Freddie Summers, the first Negro quarterback at a major college in the South, was impressive. The junior-college transfer completed five passes for 69 yards, ran for 69 yards and scored twice.

Meanwhile, idle Clemson, the ACC favorite, may have more than just Duke and N. C. State to worry about. All last spring South Carolina Coach Paul Dietzel told people he had the best backfield in the country. It sounded like April's wishful thinking, but now it was September and against Iowa State Dietzel's backs looked as good as anybody's. Quarterback Mike Fair ran and passed excellently, Fullback Warren Muir—like Dietzel, a transfer from Army—scored two touchdowns and the Gamecocks beat the Big Eight team 34-3.

Virginia Tech, the South's second-best independent (behind Miami), started well against Tampa. The first time the Gobblers got the ball they marched 70 yards, and Terry Smoot scored from the three. Then Tampa settled down to play defense. The Spartans held Tech to two field goals by John Utin, but that was more than enough, as the Gobblers won 13-3.

West Virginia found the best offense was a good defense in a 27-6 victory over Richmond. The Mountaineers recovered five Richmond fumbles and blocked a kick, defensive moves that led to two touchdowns and a field goal. East Carolina, one of the few single-wing teams, could be a threat to West Virginia in the Southern Conference race. With sophomore fullback Butch Colson picking up 136 yards on 26 carries, the Pirates defeated William & Mary 27-7. VMI pounded Davidson for 546 yards in total offense to win 46-21, while Furman beat Mississippi College 15-6 and The Citadel lost to Southern Mississippi 10-7.

MIDWEST

1. NOTRE DAME (0-0)
2. MICHIGAN STATE (0-0)
3. COLORADO (1-0)

Sophomore Quarterback Bob Anderson ran for three touchdowns and set up a fourth with a pitchout and a perfect fake as Big Eight favorite Colorado beat Baylor of the Southwest Conference 27-7 in a sometimes ragged game in Boulder. Anderson, a quarterback who would as soon bull his way into the end zone as throw the ball into it, put on the kind of display that showed Colorado can stop worrying about who will direct its attack. But at times the Buffaloes also played like a team run by a sophomore, fumbling away three other scoring chances inside the Baylor 21-yard line. The defense counteracted these lapses by intercepting three passes, including two by Linebacker Kerry Mottl that set up touchdowns.

Chuck Hall of Air Force missed four field-goal attempts, including ones from 31 and 43 yards late in the game, and Craig Kessler of Oklahoma State missed two in a scoreless tie in Stillwater, Okla. In this exercise in futility, State moved inside the Air Force 10-yard line three times and out-gained the Falcons 348 yards to 159. Coach Phil Cutchin blamed only himself for the tie. "I am real proud of my team," he said. "They operated under a great handicap with me on the sideline and got a tie in spite of me. I substituted poorly. I made some bad calls. I made some good calls that turned out bad." One thing Cutchin did not do was play for a tie. Late in the fourth quarter, on fourth and two at its 26, State gambled for a first down and lost the ball when the Air Force defense threw Bruce Scott for a three-yard loss. "That play was one of my calls," said Cutchin. But Hall subsequently missed his field goal from the 43-yard line. Ben Martin, the Air Force coach, thought State would run a pass option on fourth and two. "I think it was the thing to do," he said. Cutchin, overhearing Martin's remark, answered, "He's a bad quarterback, too."

Kicking specialist Dale Livingston won his eighth game in three seasons for Western Michigan when he kicked a 49-yard field goal that broke a 14-14 tie and carried Western past Miami of Ohio 24-14 in a match-up of last season's Mid-American co-champions. Earlier Livingston had run for 19 yards and a first down on a faked punt that gave Quarterback Jim Boreland a chance to throw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Roosevelt Clark. Ohio University defeated Toledo 20-14 when Dick Conley ran 48 yards to set up the winning touchdown, which he scored himself with 4:39 left on a fourth-down play from the Toledo one-yard line.

Louisville, of the Missouri Valley Conference, scored three touchdowns within 10 minutes during the second quarter and routed Drake 46-7, as Quarterback Wally Oyler passed for three touchdowns and Halfback Herbie Phelps scored two. Wichita State was thoroughly outplayed—except where it counts, at the goal line—but managed to gain a 3-3 tie against Utah State on Troy Anderson's 37-yard field goal in the second quarter. Jim Murphy kicked a 34-yard field goal early for Utah State, and that looked like just the beginning of Slate's scoring. But the Shockers twice held at the one-yard line. However, their own offense was pathetic: only five first downs, including three on penalties, and 65 total yards, 197 less than Utah State. Dayton's tough defense never let Eastern Kentucky inside its 41-yard line, and the Flyers, helped by Bob Madden's 65-yard touchdown run off a double reverse, won 16-0. Tom Vercheck broke up a two-point conversion attempt late in the final quarter as Xavier held on to beat Quantico 20-18 on Gene Otting's 50-yard punt return for a touchdown.

THE SOUTHWEST

1. TEXAS (0-0)
2. ARKANSAS (0-0)
3. HOUSTON (1-0)

It did not seem likely, but there was defending champion SMU, considered a first-class threat for last place in the Southwest Conference this season, audaciously trading touchdowns and field goals with Texas A&M, which was regarded as the most likely team to challenge Texas and Arkansas for the championship. In fact, the Mustangs led A&M 13-10 with less than a minute to play. Then Aggie Quarterback Edd Hargett threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Halfback Bill Long, Charlie Riggs kicked the extra point, A&M went ahead 17-13 and all was right again in the Southwestern world. Right for about 39 seconds, for that was all it took SMU, led by Halfback Jerry Levias, who had tormented the Aggies all afternoon, and Ines Perez, a 5'4" quarterback who had replaced injured Mike Livingston late in the first half, to do exactly what it did all last year, find a last-gasp way to win. Levias started it by running the kickoff back 24 yards to the SMU 42. Perez, dodging his way under the charging Aggie linemen, passed to Levias for 29 yards, to Halfback Mike Richardson for 11 and End Sam Holden for 12. Now the ball was on the A&M six. Two plays later, with only four seconds to go, Perez threw to Levias in the end zone, and SMU had its win 20-17. In all Perez completed 10 of 12 passes for 107 yards. "Perez and Levias," said Coach Hayden Fry happily, "are my two little giants."

It was a big weekend for second-string quarterbacks in Texas. The night before, in Houston's Astrodome, Sophomore Ken Bailey was standing on the sidelines chatting idly with his cousin, Bo Burris, who quarter-backed Houston last year. Suddenly Dickie Woodall limped off the field with a bruised thigh, and Bailey was the quarterback for the Cougars against Florida State. He had help from Halfbacks Warren McVea and Paul Gipson, who ran for three touchdowns between them, but Bailey did well enough on his own. He completed seven of 13 passes for 129 yards and ran for a score, as Houston won 33-13. "He acted like he'd been out there all his life," said Guard Rich Stotter.

Saturday night it was the turn of the University of Texas at El Paso (they ought to change the name; Texas Western would be nice) to come up with a good substitute quarterback. When Billy Stevens, one of the nation's top passers, had trouble moving the Miners against the University of California at Santa Barbara, understudy Brooks Dawson took over. He completed 17 of 26 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns, and the Texans won walking 50-14, which was hardly a kind way to treat Santa Barbara's Jack Curtice, who used to coach the Miners back in the late 1940s. But not even that score satisfied UTEP Coach Bobby Dobbs, who talked of "mental errors" and "ironing out the kinks."

Touchdowns came fast when West Texas State and Montana State got together in Canyon, and West Texas finished one up, beating the visitors 35-26.

THE WEST

1. USC (1-0)
2. UCLA (1-0)
3. WYOMING (1-0)

UCLA or USC, take your pick; that is the West Coast story. Although UCLA's 20-16 victory over Tennessee (page 14) was not overwhelming, it was impressive. USC, on the other hand, convinced Washington State's Bert Clark that it was something special after the Trojans dismembered his Cougars 49-0. "The quickest team I've ever seen," said Clark admiringly. "They have the potential to be as good as anybody." What hit Clark hardest was USC's speed. Tailback O. J. Simpson, the 9.4 sprinter, ran for 94 yards and scored once. Flanker Jim Lawrence, a 9.6 man in the 100, dashed 26 yards for a touchdown, while Split End Earl McCullouch, who has tied the world record for the 110-meter high hurdles, caught five passes for 145 yards. The Trojans' depth was also evident when substitute Fullback Dan Scott came in and scored three touchdowns. Nor was there any letdown when starting Quarterback Toby Page went out with badly bruised ribs late in the first quarter. Steve Sogge, a baseball catcher, took over and guided the Trojans to three touchdowns. True to the trade, USC Coach Johnny McKay could find a gloomy note. "We didn't block very well in the second half," he said. "We can't be that inconsistent and beat Texas next week."

Washington Coach Jim Owens' new swing offense looked more like a lazy merry-go-round against Nebraska in Seattle's 105 heat. While the drab Huskies bumbled, Nebraska made the most of Coach Bob Devaney's ball-control game to pound out a 17-7 win. With Quarterback Frank Patrick, a 6'7" sophomore, deftly directing the show, the Huskers scored all of their points in the second quarter. The only time Washington's offense moved was when Quarterback Tom Sparlin ran 48 yards for a touchdown on a broken-pass play.

Oregon Quarterback Eric Olson threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter, but Oregon went to its favorite weapon twice too often against California. With the Ducks ahead 13-7, Bobby Smith picked off a pass in the third quarter, and a little later Fullback John McGaffie plunged over from the one to score as the Bears took the lead 14-13. Then, Defensive End Irby Augustine clinched a 21-13 California victory when he stole an Olson pass and ran it back 14 yards for a touchdown.

Stanford's John Ralston had good reason to be unhappy after his Indians lost to Oregon State 13-7. He had to watch, for example, as Gene Washington, moved from quarterback to flanker only last week, downed a kickoff on his one-yard line—he thought he was in the end zone. Then a Chuck Williams punt went only 10 yards shortly thereafter. The only way Stanford scored was on a 98-yard kickoff return by Nate Kirtman, while Mike Haggard's two field goals and a touchdown by Bill Main gave Oregon State the win.

Wyoming, despite seven fumbles, had no trouble beating Arizona 36-17 in a WAC opener. Quarterback Paul Toscano threw for two touchdowns and ran for another for the Cowboys. At Tempe, Arizona State rallied in the last quarter to overtake San Jose State 27-16.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

THE BACK: SMU's Jerry Levias, who runs like a restless wind, had his finest day against Texas A&M. Levias returned four kicks for 102 yards, caught seven passes—the last one beating the Aggies—and gained a total of 193 yards.

THE LINEMAN: Curley Culp, 220-pound Arizona State linebacker, personally ruined San Jose State. He jolted a San Jose ballcarrier into a fumble that led to an ASU score, blocked a punt and also knocked down three passes.