Page 8 University Daily Kansan Thursday. Oct. 13, 1955
Sikes Says Little Schools About Same As Big Ones
By UNITED PRESS
COMMERCE, Tex.—How does it feel to be coaching a small college football team after so many years in the "big time?"
Jules Verne Sikes, better known as "Siki" Sikes since his nine-leetter, three-sport days at Texas A&M College in the late 1920's, finds things more or less the same at little East Texas State Teachers college as he did at Texas A&M, Georgia and Kansas.
The kindly, balding Sikes says "there aren't too many differences."
Sikes spent 25 years in the coaching ranks before coming to East Texas State last year after alumni pressure eased him out as head coach at Kansas in the Big Seven where mighty Oklahoma perennially was the top dog.
Best Players On Par
Here, he finds that the best players are on a par with those in the major colleges.
"Trouble is," he moaned, "there just aren't enough of the good men on the small college teams. They're lots deeper in the big time where a team may have a half dozen or more might be as good as the one real good man on the small college team."
Another big difference between the major college and the little school is in recruiting problems.
"You just don't have as much to offer an athlete at the little school." he said. "We think we can offer him just as good an education, but it's hard to offset the headlines that a bigger school can provide.
Must Find Boys
"On top of that, when one of the bigger schools learns we are interested in a boy, they get interested, too. So we have to try to find the boy who hasn't had much attention—one who may make good by switching position and who may come from a smaller high school but who may have had good fundamental coaching."
COACH JULES SIKES
Sikes went on to point out that
this season his East Texas team has two fullbacks playing tackle and guard, an end at tackle and two ends playing center—just to cite some of the changes necessary.
With small coaching staffs, he said, "the players and the coaches have to be versatile and willing to make changes."
As for alumni pressures, Sikes had this to say:
"Well, of course, if the alumni are interested in their alma mater and its football fortunes, there's always pressure of some sort to win.
"But, the real pressure is that which builds up inside the coach. Its a desire to win regardless of the odds. That's what makes my wife a widow even when I'm home, if things aren't going right."
NORMAN, Okla. — (U,P)— Light workouts were planned today and tomorrow for the Oklahoma Sooners after a two-hour drill yesterday climaxed the rough work.
Coach Bud Wilkinson kept his first team working on offense yesterday. Oklahoma meets Kansas here Saturday.
Big 7 Teams Ready For Saturday
In meeting Kansas the Sooners play the last team to beat them in a Big Seven contest. That memorable event occurred on Nov. 9, 1946 when the Jayhawks downed Oklahoma 16 to 13 on a rain-soaked field.
This year the KU squad isn't expected to furnish much opposition to Wilkinson's grid machine but the Sooner coach has been cautioning his team against overconfidence all week.
Last week the Oklahoma squid played the best game they have
Athletics Lead Big A.L. Gate Increase
The eight league teams drew 8,942,971 fans, an increase of 1,020,-607 over 1954. President Will Harridge announced yesterday.
CHICAGO — (U.P.) The American League could thank a red-hot pennant race and the Kansas City Athletics today for an 11.3 per cent increase in attendance during the 1955 season.
In 1905 Bert Pooler of Kansas ran back a kickoff 108 yards against Oklahoma, a record that still stands in the Sooner books.
Kansas City's increase actually amounted to more than the league total. The Athletics drew 1,393,654, a whopping 78.1 per cent increase over the 304,664 fans they drew in Philadelphia in 1954.
should be examined today. Call for appointment. Any lens or Prescription duplicated.
LAWRENCE OPTICAL CO.
VI3-2966 1025 Mass.
played this year when they downed the University of Texas 20 to 0 in a game that found Sooner center Jerry Tubbs making lineman of the week in the nation.
COLUMBIA, Mo.—Play polishing and puncturing drills today were to wind up Missouri's preparations for its opening Big Seven conference game with Iowa State at Ames Saturday.
Dave Doane, the conference's leading passer, will start at quarterback in place of the injured Jimmy Hunter. Faurot said.
Missouri emphasized the passing game in drills yesterday.
LINCOLN, Neb.—Nebraska was stressing its passing attack in drills here this week.
The Cornhuskers were expected to take to the air to combat a huge Pittsburgh line in a steel city fray Saturday.
MANHATTAN-Kansas State Coach Bus Merteas was looking today for more offensive punch from his Wildcat football team.
Nebraska, victors in only one of their first four games, is heavily cutweighted in the line and is an underdog in the contest.
"Our problem is how to move
the ball against that Colorado line. Mertes said "We will be facing a big, good, experienced line that has held three good opponents to a total of six points this season."
The Wildcats meet Colorado here Saturday. Only George Debitetto, starting right guard, was expected o be sidelined for K-State with niuries.
AMES, Ia.-Iowa State Coach Vince De Francesca said he fears the passing game of Missouri Saturday. He put his team through extensive drills yesterday on passing offense and defense.
But the squad got off without a scrimmage for the first time in several workouts.
Have Your Recordings.Mode At The . . .
UNIVERSITY RECORDING STUDIO
Downstairs—Fred E. Sutton
Co.
928 Mass. VI 3-8500
33 1/3 ● 45 ● 78 RPM
Pi Phis Celebrate Dodie Ramsey's Pinning to Dean Matthews, Beta Theta Pi
Getting Pinned?
FOR PHOTO COVERAGE
PHONE Bob Blank
AT Hixon Studio
VI 3-0330
NIGHT PHONE VI 3-7993
It's Time To WINTERIZE . . . NOW!
Let us service your cooling system before the rush starts Our work is guaranteed until May 1, 1956. Don't wait until it's too late!
601 Mass. BRIDGE STANDARD SERVICE VI 3-9849