Daily hansan
LAWRENCE, KANSAS SECTION "B"
Hard Season Forecast
Coach Charles V. (Chuck) Mather's first KU football team will face one of the toughest 10-game schedules in the history of the school with few of any teams in the push-over class.
school with few
A game-by-game rundown: '
A game-by-game rundown.
Texas Christian—The TCU Homed Frogs will field one of their youngest teams in years. There are only five seniors on the squad which has 11 returning lettermen. Losses in the backfield were especially heavy with only two lettermen returning, Ron Clinkscale and Dave Finney.
Despite the inexperience of the squad, the Frogs are expected to be better than last year. The team will have had a year's experience with the T formation, the squid spirit is reported good, there will be a much better quarterback, Clinkscale, and the schedule will be somewhat easier.
TCU will again use the split T with a balanced line. At times the Frogs may drop into a single-wing with balanced line and flanker and spread formations may be used as variations.
UCLA—Despite the fact that the Bruins have lost all-American tailback Paul Cameron, they will field another outstanding team that will rank high in the national picture. The backfield will be built around Cameron's understudy of the last two seasons, Primo Villaneau and fullback Bob Davenport. The line will be anchored by left tackle Jack Ellena, an all-coast selection last year and all-American candidate.
UCLA will battle with California for the Pacific Coast championship, but will not be eligible to return to the Rose Bowl. The Bruins will feature the famous Red Sanders' single wing with ballet again this year.
sanced the league Colorado—Colorado will field a strong team if a line manned mainly by sophomores can give adequate protection for aae tailback Carroll Hardy and fullback Emerson Wilson. The Buffs will rely upon the Minnesota single wing offense which they have used since Dallas Ward, former Minnesota backfield coach, became head coach. The Buffs are expected to give Missouri its stiften competition in the battle for second place in the Big Seven conference and a subsequent bid to the Orange Bowl. Oklahoma cannot return to the Orange Bowl this year.
Iowa State - Iowa State will be little improved over last fall. New coach Vince DiFrancesca has a small squad, both in number and in size. With the exception of all-conference fullback Max Burkett, the team lacks outstanding players and won't rank very high in the conference picture.
Oklahoma-With 36 of 49 Orange Bowl squad members returning, including 20 lettermen, the Sooners will have a team that is regarded as a cinch for its ninth straight conference championship and a high place in the national ratings. Returning regulars include ends Carl Allison and Max Boydston; tackle Don Brown; center Curt Burris; quarterback Gene Calame, and fullback Bob Burris. Boydston, Calame, and Bob Burris are strong candidates for all-American honors.
Oklahoma will face its toughest test of the season Oct. 9, the week before it plays Kansas, when it meets the Texas Longhorns at Austin. Texas is ranked No. 5 in the national picture and the Sooners No. 1 in pre-season polls. As usual the Sooners will operate from the split T formation.
from the spirit
SMU--Coach Chalmer Woodard's
Mustangs should be stronger this
year despite the graduation of half-
back Jerry Norton, the team's top
back last year, and Don Goss, giant
tackle who was drafted. The Mustangs
expect to have much better passing this year with ends Ed
Bernet and Doyle Nix, returning from last year, doing most of the
receiving. SMU is also strong at
halfback with Duane Nutt and
puck Eidom, last year's starters
returning. SMU will operate from
the T formation.
Nebraska—Coach Bill Glassford has six starters back from last year; ends Andy Leochr and Ted Oberlin; guards Bob Wagner and Ted Kipal, and backbacks Bob Smith and Jon McWilliams. The backs are deeper and better than they have been for several years, but the key to the Cornhuskers success will be how well the young line performs.
Another important factor in the success of the Huskers will be how well the players get along with Glassford and his staff. Last year dissension was one of the big reasons the Huskers had a poor season.
Kansas State—Hopes are high for an improved season at Kansas State, with 21 returning lettermen, including three of last year's starting lineup. The Wildcats also have back their top break away threat, Corky Taylor. However, there will be some large gaps to fill with Veryl Switzer, Tom O'Boyle, Dean Peck, Ken Gowdy, and Earl Meyer gone.
K-State could be a real dark horse in the league if the reserves from last year perform in good fashion as starters.
fashion as stalwart.
Oklahoma A&M—The Aggies have another fine team with 12 returning lettermen including seven starters. Ends Ken McCulloch, and Bob LaRue; tackles Leland Kendall and Meinert; guard Bud Todsoe; center Jim Lutes, form the backbone of another successful team. Even with good material the Aggies might not be able to duplicate last year's record of seven victories and three defeats.
Missouri—The Tigers are the best bet to represent the Big Seven in the Orange Bowl on New Year's day. Nineteen urting lettermen, including regulars Pete Corpeny, Charles Bull, Terry Roberts, Vic Eaton, Bob Bauman, and Tony Scardino are expected to lead the Tigers to one of their best seasons in several years.
Missouri isn't given a chance to beat powerful Oklahoma, but will be an odds-on favorite against all other conference opponents. Missouri has been rated highly in the pre-season football polls being ranked in the top 20 in the Look poll.
In all, Kansas opponents seem to be generally improved, with all the teams, at least in pre-season estimation, at least as good as those that represented the schools a year ago. ___
IM Program Will FeatureNew Game
Walter J. Mikols, assistant professor of physical education, and men's intramural director, said the new game is called "speedball" and is a combination of football, basketball, and volleyball. He said that clinics would be set up in the near future to teach persons interested the mechanics of the game. "The game is being tested at other schools and is receiving very good results," Mikols said.
Sooners First In Grid Poll
The intramural office has announced that this season's program will include a new game for all men who do not play regular A and B football.
A pre-season Big Seven football poll conducted by Don Pierce, Kansas sports publicist, found that the 56 sportswriters and sportcasters who took part decided over-wellingly Oklahoma would repeat as conference football champion.
Of the 56 votes cast, only four failed to give the Sooners a first place vote, and these four placed them second.
The intramural office also, announced that the men's football program will begin Sept. 27, and urged all organizations planning to enter teams to begin working out as soon as possible. Both A and B
(Continued on Page 2)
On the basis of one point for a first place vote, two points for second, three for third, etc., the Sooners received 60 points out of a possible low of 56. The sportswriters and sportscasters thought Missouri would finish the season in second place, and Colorado in third.
place, after Kansas State was voted the position in the poll, followed by Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa State, in that order.
The Jayhawks did not receive any first place votes, but they did not receive any seventh place votes, either. The final tabulation for the Hawks was two votes for second, 11 for third, 11 for fourth, 21 for fifth, and 12 for sixth.
Mather and Staff Inherit Tough Job
Coach Charles V. (Chuck) Mather and his five-man coaching staff from Massillon, Ohio, enter college football coaching for the first time this season and with it face one of the toughest rebuilding jobs in the country.
Easton Issues Call For Track Tryouts
Track Coach M. E. "Bill" Easton has issued an invitation to all athletes interested in track to tryout for the track squad this fall.
"Just because a boy was not a star in high school, is no reason he can't develop into a good college runner," Easton said. "We are planning another big track year, and we need every man possible."
Easton emphasized that there is every opportunity available for young men desiring to compete in yarsity athletics.
Those interested in trying out for track may contact Easton either at his office in Robinson gym, or the track dressing room in Memorial stadium. He is at the track from 3 to 5 p.m. every day.
Course to Be Offered In Critical Writing
A course in critical writing, for 2 hours credit, will be offered by the School of Journalism at 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in 210 Journalism.
Training will be given in book reviewing and criticism, and other forms of critical writing. The teacher is Miss Frances Grinstead, associate professor of Journalism.
OUT FOR SEASON—Football captain and center, Lester (Bud) Bixler, broke his right collar bone on the first day of fall practice and will be unable to play at all this season. This is same injury Bixler received in spring football practice. Bixler will remain as team captain for the coming season.
Mather and his staff inherited the remains of a squad which won only two of 10 games in 1953. In all 15 men, including most of the captain linemen, graduated last spring. In addition 16 more men were lost in the spring scholastic troubles. This fall Capt. Lester (Bud) Bixler rebroke his right collarbone, and Don Hess, the team's leading ground gainer last year, was drafted.
Mather left Washington High school in Massillon with the most brilliant record ever taken by a high school coach into college
COACH MATHER
coaching ranks. Mather's Massilon teams had a record of 57 victories, three defeats, and had won six straight Ohio Class A state championships. His teams have lost only seven of their last 111 games.
The only losing season in Mathers' football career came at Brilliant, Ohio in 1937. At Brilliant he was forced to restore football after it had been dropped. His first year he lost all seven games and finished a three-year tenure with 10 victories, 11 defeats, and two ties.
tories. If it does,
Mather, an exponent of the
standard T formation, uses IBM
machines to grade his players. He
holds degrees from Ohio Northern
and Kent State.
Fullback and quarterback Coach Paul Schofer has been with Mather longer than any other staff member. He joined Matter eight years ago as a line coach at Hamilton, Ohio, Mather's second coaching job. Schofer served as basketball coach at Massillon, where his teams won two district championships.
two instructors.亮秀 Schofer was offered the job as basketball coach and junior varsity football coach at the U.S. Military Academy.
U. S. Ministry of Education Tackle Coach Lauri Wartiaiinen has been with Mather since 1948 and was a member of the Massillon staff as early as 1946. Wartiaiinen was graduated from Dennison university and holds a masters degree from Kent State. At Dennison he played center, end, and blocking back.
blocking backs.
Dave Putts is beginning his seventh season on Mather's staff.
He joined the team at Massillon after playing guard under Sid Gillman at Miami of Ohio. He was a regular on the 1948 Miami team that won the Sun Bowl championship by beating Texas Tech at El Paso, 73-12.
Paso, 13-12.
The only holdover from Coach J. V. Sikes' coaching staff, and a member of KU football coaching staffs since 1940, is Wayne Repole, regarded by many as the finest athlete in College of Emporia history, is a halfback coach for Mather after serving most of his coaching career as freshman and end coach.
The coach who made the longest jump of all is end Coach Dick Piskotty. Piskoty coached all sports at Longfellow Junior High school in Massillon last year. Piskotty roomed with Putts at Miami and was a regular guard on the 1946 and 1947 teams. He was graduated from Miami in 1948 and assumed the Longfellow job the following fall.