THE WEEK
MIDWEST
While Michigan bettors may have felt their Wolverines scored too little, Oklahoma had a Lott in gaining Big Eight revenge over Kansas 28-10. The Jayhawks, who were the last team to beat the sixth-ranked Sooners, led 10-3 at halftime before Oklahoma parlayed Kansas mistakes with the performance of quarterback Thomas Lott for its fifth victory.
Lott started in place of the ill Dean Bleving and completed none of four passes he threw. Two, in fact, went for interceptions, but Lott rushed for 104 yards on 19 carries and scored on 13-and-33-yard runs to earn the game ball from Coach Barry Switzer.
Kansas was utterly demoralized with nine minutes to play in the third quarter when Nolan Cromwell, the Jayhawks' superb wishbone quarterback, went out with a knee injury. Cromwell underwent surgery on Sunday and is lost for the rest of the season.
Lott's 13-yard scoring run, which followed a Kansas fumble on the first play of the second half, tied the score, and shortly after Scott McMichael, Cromwell's replacement, threw an interception to Safety Scott Hill, Lott put the Sooners ahead to stay with his 33-yard ramble. Oklahoma also capitalized on another interception and another fumble for 10 more points.
Missouri, inevitably an upset victim when it isn't perpetrating upsets, fell victim to Iowa State 21-17 before a Homecoming crowd of 66,491, Faurot Field's largest of the season. The Tigers were done in by the rushing of sophomore Tailback Dexter Green, who picked up 214 yards on 37 carries and scored twice in the first half on runs of 65 and two yards. Missouri mistakes also hurt, especially the clipping call that nullified a 77-yard touchdown punt return by Leo Lewis. The infraction occurred with 4:26 left in the game. Iowa State improved its record to 5-1 while the seventh-ranked Tigers fell to 4-2.
"We've had some real squeakers that were nerve-racking, so it was time," said Nebraska's Tom Osborne of the Cornhuskers' 51-0 rout of Kansas State. Nebraska again got a glittering performance from Quarterback Vince Ferragamo, who threw four touchdown passes for the second time this season.
Colorado wrote a freakish finish to its showdown with Oklahoma State, scoring two touchdowns in the last 43 seconds to win 20-10. Going for a score on fourth and 11 on the Cowboy 18-yard line, reserve Quarterback Jeff Knapple lofted a pass to Billy Waddy in the end zone. The ball was tipped, and OSU Safety Jerry Cramer intercepted. Instead of downing the ball, however, he tried to run it out, was hit by Split End Steve Gaunty, fumbled and Waddy recovered for the Buffs at the Cowboy one-yard line. Controversy then arose when Knapple fumbled the snap and OSU Cornerback Milt Kirven picked it up and took off. The officials, however, ruled that the ball was dead before Kirven recovered it. On the next play Fullback Jim Kelleher cracked over for his second touchdown and a 13-10 Colorado lead. OSU Quarterback Charlie Weatherbie tried to catch up with passes, but after two fell incomplete, his third was intercepted by Tackle Frank Patrick who returned 25 yards for another touchdown.
After Ohio State's 30-20 victory over Wisconsin, Woody Hayes was sweetness and light at his postgame press conference. For a while, that is. Then a student reporter asked Hayes. "What do you say to the critics who claim that this Ohio State team isn't as good as those of the past?" Woody told him.
In other Big Ten action, Minnesota improved its record to 5-1 by holding off a late Michigan State rally for a 14-10 triumph, Illinois ended a three-game losing streak by beating Purdue 21-17 in the last minute and Indiana evened its record at 3-3 with a 14-7 victory over Iowa.
Notre Dame posted its third shutout of the season in routing Oregon 41-0 as Al Hunter rushed for three touchdowns. The Irish have now yielded just two field goals since their season-opening loss to Pittsburgh.
In other games, Western Michigan knocked off Toledo 34-21, Bowling Green nipped Kent State 17-13 and Ohio U. handed Miami of Ohio its sixth straight loss 28-14.
1. MICHIGAN (6-0)
2. NEBRASKA (5-0-1)
3. OKLAHOMA (5-0-1)
SOUTHWEST
An ill wind for Baylor helped Texas A&M's Tony Franklin twice break the NCAA field-goal record of 63 yards at College Station, Texas. With a 16-mph breeze at his back, the 5'10", 170-pound barefoot soccer-stylist kicked field goals of 64 and 65 yards as A&M handed Baylor its first defeat, 24-0.
Franklin, who now has kicked 21 field goals in two seasons, connected on his 65-yarder in the third quarter when the ball cleared the crossbar with five yards to spare.
In point of fact, Franklin's heroic feat of foot did not qualify as a collegiate record, even for the afternoon. That honor already had accrued to Abilene Christian's Ove Johansson, a cousin of the former world heavyweight boxing champion, in Dallas.
That's where Johansson, who also is a soccer-style kicker, booted a 69-yard field goal to help blank, if not stun, East Texas State 17-0. Johansson's kick, which also got a boost from a 16-mph wind, shattered the old NAIA record of 62 yards by Hillsdale's Chester Marcol, now with the Green Bay Packers.
Baylor saw its four-game win streak snapped as A&M, boasting the nation's No. 1 defense, intercepted three passes and recovered a fumble to set up the first three scores. Limited to 194 yards total offense, Baylor never got closer to the Aggie end zone than the 14-yard line.
Aggie Quarterback David Walker completed six of 13 passes for 79 yards and a 15-yard scoring toss to Tight End Gary Haack while freshman Curtis Dickey, who picked up 85 yards on 17 carries, scored the last touchdown on a 35-yard run. In addition to his lengthier stuff. Franklin opened the scoring by kicking a 24-yard field goal.
Rice Quarterback Tommy Kramer entered the Texas Tech game as the nation's leading passer and finished it much the worse for the experience. The Red Raiders, now the only unbeaten team in the Southwest Conference, intercepted Kramer three times en route to a 37-13 victory, a record 473 yards total offense and their best start since 1941.
SMU Coach Ron Meyer told his team beforehand that the only chance of beating Houston was to perform without error. The Mustangs apparently didn't listen. They went into the Cotton Bowl and suffered five pass interceptions, eight penalties and a lost fumble before losing 29-6. Nor did the Mustangs profit from using the shotgun formation, borrowed from the neighboring Dallas Cowboys. The first time they tried it, SMU Center Harris Brownlee snapped the ball into the end zone for a Houston safety.
The Houston victory was its third in three Southwest Conference games but an occasion of tragedy for Cougar Split End Art Briles. Briles' parents were killed en route to the game when their car ran head-on into a truck.
Both Texas and Arkansas had the week off.
1. TEXAS TECH (4-0)
2. TEXAS (2-1-1)
3. HOUSTON (4-1)
EAST
Pittsburgh fans who swear Tony Dorsett can do everything and then some had cause for even louder raves in the wake of Pitt's 36-19 victory over Miami of Florida. Dorsett, the Heisman Trophy candidate who became the second major-college player to carry for more than 5,000 career yards, scored three touchdowns, rushed for 227 yards and took the pressure off Tom Yewcic's first start at quarterback in what Coach Johnny Majors called. "The greatest day for any back I've ever seen."
Yewcic, a walk-on senior and former ninth-stringer promoted to starter when injuries sidelined Bob Haygood and Matt Cavanaugh, had participated in only one college game—against Louisville last week when he played one half—before meeting Miami. In leading the unbeaten Panthers to their sixth victory, however, he completed two of seven passes, including a 40-yard screen to Dorsett for his first touchdown toss.
In addition to the screen pass, which gave Pitt a 22-0 lead seven seconds before half-time, Dorsett scored on a 53-yard sweep and a three-yard smash over tackle.
With five games remaining in his career, Dorsett has accumulated 5,026 yards rushing in four varsity seasons. The total is only 151 yards short of Archie Griffin's record of 5,177 set at Ohio State from 1972 to 1975. Dorsett should shatter the record this week when Pitt meets Navy.
Boston College improved its record to 4-1 with a 14-3 triumph over West Virginia, but Alumni Stadium fans groused over the Eagles' ultra-conservative offense. BC Quarterback Joe O'Brien completed all the passes he threw—both of them—and the rest of the Eagles' act was a study in grind-it-out football.
In defense of BC Coach Joe Yukica, it may be noted that the Mountaineers passed 35 times and had five intercepted by BC defenders. Defensive Back Kelly Elias, son of former Navy Coach Bill Elias, picked off three passes, and a 27-yard runback with his first theft set up the initial touchdown 1:27 into the game.
Penn State's alternating tailbacks, junior Steve Geise and freshman Mike Guman, combined for 186 yards and three touchdowns as the Nittany Lions squared their record at 3-3 with a 27-3 conquest of Syracuse. Geise rushed for 98 yards, including a 27-yard scoring dash and Guman scored twice on short line plunges in gaining 88 yards.
Rutgers extended the nation's longest winning streak to 13 games with a 28-21 victory over feisty Lehigh. Linebacker Jim Hughes scored the game-winning touchdown with six minutes left on a 26-yard interception return.
Brown remained atop the Ivy League standings with a 28-12 victory over Cornell as Quarterback Paul Michalko directed four scoring drives and scored once himself on a 13-yard run. The win raised Brown's record to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the league.
Harvard stopped a rally and ruined a Homecoming at Dartmouth, where the Crimson nailed a 17-10 victory after tackling Quarterback Kevin Case on the Harvard three-yard line as time ran out. Harvard Quarterback Jim Kubacki staked his team to an early lead with a 49-yard touchdown pass to Halfback Bob Kinchen before scoring himself on a one-yard keeper. Yale had an easier time as John Pagliaro rushed for 118 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 37-6 rout of injury-ridden Columbia. Mike Southworth aided the Eli cause with 106 yards on 11 carries. Colgate remained unbeaten with a 17-7 triumph over Princeton as reserve Fullback Bruce Malverty scored twice in the fourth quarter, and Penn eked out a 15-14 win over Lafayette when Quarterback Bob Graustein completed two long passes late in the game to set up Johnny Mason's one-yard winning touchdown smash.
In other games, Villanova played Delaware to a 24-24 tie and Navy suffered its fifth loss in bowing to William and Mary 21-13.
1. PITTSBURGH (6-0)
2. RUTGERS (6-0)
3. BOSTON COLLEGE (4-1)
WEST
Washington State Coach Jackie Sherrill is only seven months older than Terry Donahue, his 32-year-old UCLA counterpart who looks more like one of his players than the Bruins' head man.
After last Saturday night in Los Angeles Coliseum, however, Sherrill may have aged enough to qualify for a Medicare check. In a Pac 8 Conference matchup marked by UCLA offense and WSU's offenses, the Bruins slaughtered the Cougars 62-3 to remain undefeated and unworried about slow starts.
Before the WSU game, UCLA had yet to score a first-quarter touchdown, but in a matter of 11 minutes and 18 seconds after the opening kickoff the Bruins had a 28-0 lead and a lock on their fifth victory.
"In the first quarter," said Bruin Quarterback Jeff Dankworth, "they stayed with a man-to-man defense. That means they didn't have much respect for our passing game. Any time you play Wally Henry man to man, you're telling us, 'O.K., throw deep. We don't care. We don't think you can hit it.' "
Dankworth not only hit Henry with a 33-yard scoring pass, he also teamed with Don Pederson on a 10-yard touchdown toss and scored twice himself on short runs.
There remained some question as to whose passing attack, the Bruins' or the Cougars', hurt WSU more. UCLA defenders intercepted Jack Thompson, the leading Pac 8 passer, four times including one which Linebacker Jerry Robinson returned 72 yards for the Bruins' third touchdown.
San Jose State virtually assured itself a second Pacific Coast Athletic Association title by routing Long Beach State 34-7, thus ending the 49ers' win streak at 10 games. Indeed, the 49ers never would have been in the game if Spartan Coach Lynn Stiles hadn't decided to go for a first down on fourth and inches at his own 27-yard line. San Jose led 20-0 with 10 minutes left at the time but when the Spartans missed, it took Long Beach only four plays to score its touchdown. The Spartans turned two of their five pass interceptions into touchdowns during a 19-second span late in the game to save Stiles from explaining his gamble. Tailback Rick Kane led the offense by rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
San Diego State beat Pacific, 21-15, for the 11th straight time on a play the Aztecs would like to think was more than just lucky. Trailing 15-14 with 2½ minutes to play. Quarterback Pete Tereschuk threw the ball into a crowd at the San Diego 45-yard line. His pass bounced off two UOP defenders and into the hands of Ron Smith, who sped the last 55 yards on an 81-yard scoring play.
In other Pac 8 games Quarterback Guy Benjamin led Stanford to a 34-28 triumph over Washington when he passed for 270 yards and a touchdown and ran for two others. Oregon State had its first victory, a 10-9 upset of California, as James Fields scored a touchdown with 3:23 left at Corvallis.
In other games Colorado State shot down Air Force 27-3, Fullerton State routed Santa Clara 58-14, Utah State got its first win over Utah 28-17, Brigham Young manhandled Southern Mississippi 63-19 and Arizona State won for the first time, by beating UTEP 23-6. USC was idle.
1. UCLA (5-0-1)
2. USC (4-1)
3. WYOMING (5-1)
SOUTH
Few coaches have greater loyalty to former associates than Bear Bryant. Ironically, the Bear may have cost one of his favorite pupils his job Saturday in a televised drama from Knoxville. That's where Alabama scored a 20-13 victory over Tennessee, coached by the embattled Bill Battle.
It was the Crimson Tide's sixth straight win over the Volunteers and a crushing blow to Battle's waning job security, now that Tennessee has a 3-3 record. "I don't know anything about what the situation is at Tennessee," Bryant said after the game, "but I do know that he's a heckuva coach."
The Tide, improving its record to 4-2, got its winning touchdown with less than six minutes left when Calvin Culliver bolted in from the seven-yard line. Alabama had gambled and lost on fourth down at the Volunteer one earlier, but the Tide defense kept Tennessee deep in its own territory to set up the final scoring march.
Because the game was televised, scalpers were stuck with excess tickets and were selling them for $1 each at kickoff time. Whether Battle saves his scalp remains to be seen.
Bowl scouts who came to see LSU went home wishing they had saved their plane fare after the Tigers fell inelegantly to Kentucky 21-7. As the Southeast Conference's leading spoiler, Kentucky remained unbeaten at home and almost shut out an LSU offense that entered the game averaging 24 points.
Kicking-game prowess kept injury-riddled Maryland unbeaten. The Terps eked out a 17-15 triumph over Wake Forest when Kenny Roy blocked a field goal to set up Mike Sochko's 27-yarder with 2:56 to go. Maryland's 17th straight Atlantic Coast Conference victory was achieved without Tailback Steve Atkins, who was out with a bad knee.
Mississippi State fumbled only five times to seven for Memphis State and thus came back from a 27-21 halftime deficit for a 42-33 win. Mississippi State rushed for 418 yards and now boasts a 5-1 record.
North Carolina State used a reverse tactic, building a 21-0 lead in the first half and hanging on for a 21-13 victory over North Carolina. It was the Wolfpack's second win and Carolina's second loss.
At Columbia, S. C, Ron Bass threw the winning touchdown pass in South Carolina's 10-7 upset of Ole Miss, but it wasn't his biggest thrill of the night. "I enjoyed watching our defense play more than I enjoyed playing," Bass said.
Bass threw an eight-yard scoring pass to Clarence Williams, but the key play of the game generated controversy. It came about when Rebel Halfback Reg Woulard took a pitchout nine yards and was hit at the goal line, where he fumbled the ball to SC Defensive Back Bill Currier. The Rebels felt Woulard had scored but an official said. "The runner never had possession of the ball."
Defense also enabled Florida to preserve its 33-26 thriller over Florida State. On the next to last play of the game Alvin Parrish batted down an FSU pass in the end zone.
Vince Fusco kicked six field goals to tie an NCAA record and help Duke tie Clemson 18-18. Fusco's footwork equalled the mark set in 1965 by Princeton's Charlie Gogolak and matched in 1972 by Frank Nester of West Virginia.
In other games, Georgia Tech spanked Auburn 28-10, Georgia routed Vanderbilt 45-0, Tulane downed Army 23-10, Citadel beat Richmond 20-7 and Virginia extended the nation's longest losing streak to 15 games by edging Virginia Tech 14-10.
1. MARYLAND (6-0)
2. GEORGIA (5-1)
3. FLORIDA (4-1)
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE: Iowa State Tailback Dexter Green, a 5'9", 174-pound sophomore, scored two touchdowns and rushed for 214 yards on 37 carries to spark the Cyclones to a 21-17 upset over unpredictable Missouri.
DEFENSE: Oklahoma Linebacker Obie Moore, a 6-foot, 212-pound junior, recovered three fumbles to set up two touchdowns and made seven unassisted tackles to lead the Sooner defense in a 28-10 win over Kansas.