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Football hopes at K.U. took a jolt when Bob George, frosh triple-threat man,
Joe Dickey, half-beck speedster, and Frank Gruden, oll-Big Six guard, were trans-
ferred by the Navy at the end of the winter term along with several other out- |
standing toys. Tho discontinuance of the V-5 progran this summer will also renove
a potential source of manpower from the K.U. squad. Last year three V-5 boys won
their letters at K.U. Too, the Navy has already announced that there will be a
reduotion of personnel in the V-12 program November first. This means that an
entirely different team from that beginning the season may play the November games.

Naval transfers the first of July mike a guess as to K.U.'s football prospects
for 1944 even more hazardous. Since freshmen are ineligible to participate until
after one scenester, there is little likelihood of getting much help from that ©
source. Undoubtedly we will lose more than we will gain by the July transfers. On
the brightor side of the ledger is the fact that fiftesn lettermen from last year
are still in school at the present tine. ' Bf ewar

Since Head Conch Henry Shenk has a pretty good knowledge of the competition in
the Big Six Conference this coming season, I asked him what he thought of. Kansas'
chances. I recall the days when Shenk played for Kansas, and particularly in.
1927 when he caught a pass from Art Lawrence (now coaching at Rosedale High School)
and dashod 40 yards down the east side of the field for a touchdown that beat
Missouri 14 to 7. Capt. Barrett Hamilton caught the pass from Art Lawrence that
made the first Kansas touchdown, Kansas had experienced a rather mediocre season
up until that time. Jfissouri was Big Six champion and had beaten Nebraska and.
Northwestern, and were prohibitive favorites.

So when I asked Honry Shenk about the prospects for this season he replied,
"So far as the Big Six this year is concerned it looks as if Oklahoma will probab-
ly be the team to beat for the championship. They have a large V-5 unit anda
good many of their players back from last year, and thoy cn also be counted on to
get some outstanding freshman talent. Iowa State should uso present a strong
team since they not only have a large V-12 unit but also zl:y a group of naval
trainees corresponding to our electricians’ mates. Oklahoria beat Kansas 26 to 15
last year in a thrilling gane at Norman, and Iowa State defeated Kansas at Lawrence
in a rather drab game 13 to 6. ne .

"Missouri and Nebraska ond ‘Kansas State have no naval trainees. However, this
may be an advantage in Big Six competition next year. It is quite likely that the
three schools that have naval trainees will suffer fron the cut of personnel
announced for November first, and those schools playing civilians should at least
be able to keep their squad intact from the boginning of the season until the end.
The civilian teams are able to have longer practice sessions and nore tine for
chalk-talks than the naval schools. The naval trainees maintain higher standards
of scholarship with fowor practice hours than do the civilians. These factors to
a certain extent counterbalance the lack of manpower in the ‘schools having civilians.

Coach Shenk went on to say, “Probably Missouri should be the strongest of the
three schools with all-civilien teams, They still have Delestatious, Collins and
several other boys from thoir fine team last year who will have profited by a year's
experience. Nebraska always has a good football team. Last year they had probably
the poorest team they have ever had. Yet they were able to defeat Kansas by one
point in a sea of rain and mud at Lincoln, perpetuating the 28-year old jinx.

Coach Ward Haylott of Kansas State, whose team was in the cellar last season, re-
cently announced that things wero looking up for football next year with the re-
turn of 140 Army vetorinarians to civilion status, These together with a promising