When will it all end?
Pokes hand KU 5th straight
The turning point
By STEVE SHRIVER
Kansan Sports Writer
Kansas always seems to bring out the best in opposing football teams and Oklahoma State was no exception Saturday when they beat the Jayhawks, 28-25. KU was razzle-dazzled by the Pokes on a 97-yard kickoff return and, subsequently, lost their fifth straight game. It was the first Big Eight win for Oklahoma State under new head coach Floyd Gass and pushed KU deeper into the conference cellar.
Three men handled the ball on the kickoff return that broke the backs of the Hawks. Moments earlier KU had stormed back from a 14-3 halftime deficit to a
KANSAN Sports
Cowboy speedster Wayne Hallmark sprints past a host of Jayhawks en route to a 97-yard kickoff return in the third period. The runback came after Kansas had gone ahead for the first time 17-14 and was cited as the key play of the game by winning OSU coach Floyd Gass.
17-14 second half lead when George McGowan caught Phil Basler's 13-yard TD pass.
On the ensuing kickoff Bobby Cole, speedy sophomore tailback, caught the ball on the three-yard line. He ran straight up the field to the 15 where Dick Graham was standing and handed off to him. Graham immediately gave the ball to Wayne Hallmark who was angling across the field. Hallmark got a block, turned the corner and raced the remaining 85 yards to paydirt and KU never recovered.
The flashy Cole supplied the big spark for the Cowboys and gained 243 yards total output—80 rushing, 104 pass receiving and 59 on kickoff returns. He caught a 70-yard TD pass and made a 59-yard run in the fourth quarter to set up the Pokes clinching touch-down.
It was a frustrating day for the Hawks who were haunted again by penalties, mostly of the long pass interference variety. And the Cowboys were able to break the big play, something KU has failed to do all year.
Trailing 28-17 with 131 remaining in the game the Jayhawks staged one of their patented last ditch rallies—the kind that always seem to fall short. KU launched a 45-yard drive after Emery Hicks recovered a 'Poke fumble and finally scored when McGowan caught his second TD
pass from Basler for 16 yards.
Basler passed to sophomore fullback Chuck Schmidt for a two-point conversion and with 1:18 left it was O-State 28, KU 25.
After an onside kick failed the Pokes took over on their own 34. Three running plays and three time outs later they punted and KU took over on their own 46. With only 43 seconds left Basler was thrown for a loss and then tossed an interception to Benny Goodwin. The Cowboys then ran out the clock.
Some fans who left the game early missed the only excitement of the afternoon when KU began its rally. It was a cloudy day and the 8,000 high school bandsmen, here for Band Day, showed more excitement and enthusiasm than did the rest of the 40,000 hometown fans.
It started off as a bad day even
before the game began when Pepper Rodgers announced the suspension of John Riggins, the Jayhawks leading ground gainer and All-Big Eight fullback as a sophomore. Riggins had broken training rules. Rodgers said he would review the case later to decide if Riggins will play again this year.
The Cowboys beat KU in every category rolling up 206 yards rushing and another 178 passing. Quarterback Bc Cutburth had 248 yards total offense, passing for two touchdowns and running for another.
Basler completed nine of 22 for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He only threw one interception but it was costly, stopping the Hawks' last drive. A couple of his passes were dropped and several other times he missed receivers who were open.
The last ditch rally might not have been needed if KU had been able to convert their first golden opportunity. On the fourth play of the game, McGowan intercepted a Cuthurb pass and returned it to the O-State 23. Basler passed to John Mosier to the 11 for a first down. The drive was stymied when two running plays and an incomplete pass left the Hawks with a fourth-and-three situation on the four-yard line. Then Bill Bell missed a 22-yard field goal.
Kansas scored on its next possession, a 52-yard drive when Bell kicked a 31-yard field goal. But the lead didn't last more than two minutes as Cuturth and Cole teamed up on a 70-yard pass play. Cuturth dumped the ball over the line of scrimmage, Cole caught it, broke a tackle and outran everyone to the end zone.
By JOE CHILDS Assistant Sports Editor
The score was 17-14. KU had taken the lead for the first time on an intercepted pass which three plays later was turned into a touchdown. Kansas had momentum for the first time in well... two ball games. Bill Bell teed up the football and sent a booming kick to the OSU three-yard line. Bobby Cole hauled in the football and started up field. The sophomore speedster ran into trouble and handed off to Dick Graham who handed off to Wayne Hallmark who skirted around right end and went all the way for the score.
After the game an elated Floyd Gass sat in the OSU locker room and said that the return was undoubtedly the turning point. He was right.
Last year with Bobby Douglass, Donnie Shanklin and company, Pepper Rodgers had big plays coming his direction in every game. His Orange Bowl squad was heralded as an offensive machine which could break a game open at any time. This year Kansas has yet to fashion over a 40-yard scoring play as are they yet to win their second game.
Sitting in his dressing room leaning—as he usually does—against his locker, Rodgers moaned over the fact that his Hawks haven't seen many big plays this season and when they have, they have been for the bad guys. "I'll tell you we have had more big plays against us this year, in every way," the KU skipper said. "This particular play didn't surprise us. We had seen their films and we knew they had a good football team with fast backs, but it sure hurt us."
And hurt it did, not only in tns game but in the opener at Texas Tech, here against K-State, and at both Nebraska and Iowa State. Each time the long gainer—the one thing that promises to change momentum did exactly that—and spelled defeat for the Javhawks.
Now the 'Hawks stand at 1-6. Discussing the season Rodgers said, "We've played some good football this year—better than our record indicates, but we've never played good for 60 minutes.
"I'm not blaming anything on anybody's inexperience. I still say our team isn't bad, but it is so (Continued to page 8)
Riggins action reviewed today
Tailback John Riggins, KU's leading rusher, was suspended from playing in Saturday's game with Oklahoma State for breaking training rules.
Coach Pepper Rodgers said he had held a squad meeting last Monday and re-emphasized the training rules he expects team members to follow.
"John Riggins broke those rules this week," Rodgers said.
Rodgers added that he will review Riggins' case today and decide at that time whether the 232-pounder will be allowed to rejoin the team for the remaining three games.
"When this fact became known and John admitted he broke the rules he left me no alternative but to discipline him."
Until he meets with Riggins, he said, he will have no further comment.
Details of Riggins' infraction were not disclosed.
New Mexicans have voted for the winning Presidential contender in every election since New Mexico became a state in 1912.
Nov. 3
1969 KANSAN 7
[CONFLICT]
by
"A new Look at The Arab-Israeli Confrontation"
Sir John Glubb
a world renowned authority on the Middle East
Monday, November 3
8:00 p.m.
Kansas Union
Union Ballroom
pepper up Jayhawks