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University Daily Kansan Friday. Oct.17, 1952
Big 7 Title at Stake in KU-OU Clash
Big 7 Title at Jayhawks Risk 9-Game Win Streak Saturday
Marching to its fourth showdown battle of the year, and its third off its home field, Oklahoma goes north this week to meet Kansas, winner of nine straight games.
Coach Bud Wilkinson's white-panted Sooners will have to play at the peak of their form to repel a furious Kansas challenge designed to (1) fracture Oklahoma's record of having gone undefeated in 30 consecutive games, and (2) terminate the Sooner distinction of not having lost to either a Big Six or Big Seven conference opponent since Wilkinson became head coach here in 1947, six years ago.
Emphasizing offense, the two clubs have met only one common opponent—a rugged Colorado team. Oklahoma as a team has played against Colorado. Sooner opener at Boulder. One week later Kansas stopped Colorado at Lawrence 21-12.
Emphasizing offense, the two®
Oklahoma's last defeat in the league was to Coach George Sauer's Kansas team of 1946 which upset Coach Jim Tatum's Sooners 16-13 at Lawrence on a field awash from rain. However, Kansas now owns a new field tarp, gift of KU alumni club of Kansas City, so the field should be fast Saturday regardless of any pre-game showers.
Each club has had casualties. Bud Laughlin, Kansas' fine senior
back, was filled into service
just before the season began. The Jayhawkers also lost Morris Kay,
starting defensive end, last week from polio.
Oklahoma counted four first-stringers among its wounded following the 49-20 romp over Texas last week at Dallas. Fullback Buck McPhail, who with 412 net yards rushing in only three games is averaging a dizzy 7.6 net yards per carry, and end John Reddell have back injuries. Guard J. D. Roberts has a badly-bruised calf muscle and safety Larry Grigg a wrenched knee.
However, Joe Glander, Sooner football trainer, believes that all four can play Saturday. Roger Nelson, all-Big Seven guard who missed the Texas game because of an elbow injury, will probably sit out the Kansas clash although there is a slight possibility he can play.
All five are getting all the treatment this week that the well-equipped Sooner training room affords—diathermy, hot whirlpool, two medicolators and the new wonder drug diffusin. Oklahoma likes her eminence as Big Seven football champion and will fight hard to keep it, if she can.
Both clubs stand high this week in the national polls. In the Associated Press poll Oklahoma is ranked sixth with 545 votes, Kansas eighth with 319. In the Coaches poll conducted by United Press, the two Big Seven teams rate even higher. Oklahoma is fifth with 200, Kansas sixth with 133.
Scoring 49 points against Pittsburgh and 49 against Texas in its last two games, Wilkinson's Sooners are believed to be the nation's top-scoring major team to date with their average of 39.6 points per game. Buddy Leake, Oklahoma's sophomore right half, is the country's leading scorer this week with 46 and has booted 16 consecutive extra points.
Comparing the two clubs, Oklahoma home has averaged 39.6 to Kansas 24.5 offensively but the Kansas defense has yielded only 5.2 points per game to 20.3 for Oklahoma. Although it has given up an average per game of only 131 net yards rushing and 113 aerially, the Sooner defense has been pierced for nine foe touchdowns in three games and with Kansas boasting an explosive attack in its Reich-Haog-Brandeberry-Fiss quartet, Oklahoma's defense led by Center Tom Catlin in the line and by safety Larry Grigg is facing a busy afternoon.
OKLAHOMA
Records to Date
Oklahoma 21 Colorado 21
Oklahoma 49 Pitt 20
Oklahoma 49 Texas 20
KANSAS
Kansas 13 Texas Christian 0
Kansas 21 Santa Clara 9
Kansas 21 Colorado 12
Kansas 43 Iowa State 0
With Oliver Spencer, 223-pound tackle, and George Helmstadter, 213-pound guard, doing the key blocking, Kansas is expected to gain a lot of ground with its rushing attack. Quarterbacks Gil Reich and Jerry Robertson are skillful forward-passers too. Their pitching to halfbacks Charley Hoag and Bob Brandeberry and end Jerry Taylor is very hard to stop. Oklahoma also expects a running pass by Hoag this week.
Guard Bob Hantla, a 211-pound junior, leads the raging Kansas defensive line that has yielded opponents this year an average of only 95 net yards per game. The Jayhawkier defense is strongest of all at the two linebacking posts with Galeen Fiss and Merlin Gish and in the deep secondary with Gil Reich, John Konek and Hal Cleveringer.
Oklahoma will fly by chartered plane to the game, headquartering at Kansas City, Kan., where they will work out Friday afternoon at the Wyandotte high school field and stay Friday night at the Town House.
KU Coaches, Players Feel Confident Sooners Will Be Defeated Saturday
By BOB NELSON Kansan Sports Writer
With kickoff time for Saturday's all important Oklahoma vs. Kansas football game less than twenty-four hours away, the Jayhawker and players and coaches are confident, but not overconfident or cocky, they can upset the favored Sooners.
Coach Jules V. Sikes expresses high approval of his team's performance in practice this week following Wednesday's final rough contact work for Saturday's "rock'em sock 'em" clash.
"I've never seen a group of fellows who wanted to win a game as badly as our team wants to defeat Oklahoma," Coach Sikes said with a smile of confidence and pride.
"I have every reason to believe the boys will play a real fine game Saturday. They've never been in better shape physically or mentally. Ionly hope their performance, which I'm sure will be their very best efforts, will be good enough to give 'em a victory," the likeable Texan said.
Like their great coach, the Kansas players feel they are ready. Here is the way some of the starting seniors feel about the nation's No.1 game this week:
CHARLIE HOAG: Co-captain and offensive left halfback. "The team has a burning desire to win this big one. We think Oklahoma can be scored on, as indicated in its first three games, and that our defense will do a real good job checking OU's powerful offense. This defense will get a real test Saturday, a test to see just how good it really is", the victory determined Hong said.
OLYLIER SPENCER—Co-captain and offensive right tackle. "Our team is composed of athletes with pride and determination in never knowing when they are beat. Don't get me wrong, these boys aren't cocky, but they have confidence. If
everyone plays his best, we'll win." he said.
HAL CLEAVINGER—Safety "Oklahoma is the one team we seniors have never beaten, all of the rest we have whipped at least once. The Sooners may have their finest team in recent years, but we feel Saturday is their day of reckoning." Cleavering warned.
GIL REICH—Defensive left halfback and quarterback. "With the hustle and spirit our team has for this game, someone is going to have their hands full on Saturday afternoon," the ex-Army star said.
JERRY ROEBERTSON-Quarterback. "For me and everyone else on the team, this is the big one for us. I know it'll be tough, but the spirit is right and we'll be right and 'due' Saturday afternoon," the Dallas passer cautioned.
GEORGE MRKONIC—Defensive left tackle. "The team's spirit is the best since I came to Kansas. I'm sure all the boys, including myself, want to keep our undefended record clean. Sure hope we can lick the Sooners," the big Pennsylvania lineman said.
GALEN FISS—Left linebacker and fullback. "We all feel this is the big one for us. After seeing the spirit in practice this week, I feel we're as ready as we'll ever be. We're due to beat Oklahoma and this just might be the year," he said.
BOB BRANDEBERRY-- Right halfback. "As far as the team's spirit is concerned, we're ready for the game. It will take plenty of team
MERLIN GISH—Right linebacker. "I feel the two squares are so evenly matched that the most determined team will come out on top. For the past two years, we've led them going into the fourth quarter and then lost. I believe this is the year for us to come out on the long end of the final score," the hard tackling Kingman boy said.
spirit, as I regard Oklahoma as tops offensively. Our defense should be the best the Sooners have run up against this year," Brandeberry said.
JERRY BOGUE—Offensive left end. "The spirit has never been better on a KU football team since I've been here than it is this year, and especially this week. We're ready for Oklahoma," Bogue promised.
Through the entire KU squad, it is the same story. The Jayhawkers have plenty of confidence, yet not overconfidence, in their ability to upset the Mighty Sooners, unbeaten in Big Seven play since 1946.
And at the same time, Kansas has high respect for OU's great football team. Hoag probably best summed things up when he said "We highly respect OU, but at the same time, we're not afraid of them."
And as another player said, "Oklahoma, as near grid supermen as they may be, can only field 11 men at a time. It is also highly probable that OU's players put their pants on one leg at a time just as we do here at Kansas," he reminded a teammate.
All things taken into consideration, the game doesn't miss being a tosusp very far. Both teams are truly great, coached by great coaches and represent great schools and student bodies.
Probable Offensive Starters
OKLAHOMA (2-0-1)
No. Name Wt. Pos. Wt. Name No.
85 Max Boydston 190 LE 186 Jerry Taylor 91
62 Jim Davis 205 LT 204 Joe Lundy 70
62 Dick Bowman 209 LG 201 Dick Knowles 63
54 Tom Catlin 195 C 186 Warren Woody 54
68 Bob Gaut 200 RG 213 Geo. Helmstadter 61
74 Ed Rowland 200 RT 223 Oliver Spencer 73
83 Carl Allison 185 RE 187 Paul Leoni 83
16 Eddie Crowder 175 QB 187 Gil Reich 16
35 Billy Vessels 185 LH 187 Charlie Hoag 21
22 Buddy Leake 175 RH 186 Bob Brandeberry 41
21 Buck McPhail 202 FB 185 Frank Sabatini 32
KANSAS (4-0-0)
OKLAHOMA (2-0-1)
OFFICIALS—Referee: Ron Gibbs, Ss. Thomas; umpire: John Waldorf, Miossuri; head linesman: Earl Schlupp, Colorado; field judge: Mike Oberhelman, Kansas State.
By BOB LONGSTAFF Kansan Sports Editor
As the pre-Kansas-Oklahoma game excitement increases, and the fatal Saturday gets closer, we are as fluttery as a bird with a broken wing. But it's not pre-game jitters! Like the blushing bride, we have anticipation rather than the jitters.
we have anticipation rather than disappointment. Both teams are primed and ready for this game.Both teams realize what a win-or a loss-will mean to them.And both teams will be out to win.
will be out to win.
The Oklahoma offense is the best in years. Boasting what is probably the best all-around backfield in the nation, the Sooners have shown their ability to score and to score many times. What adds to the general effectiveness of the Oklahoma scoring attack is its outstanding line.
Firmly settled in the center of the Sooner line is big Tom Catlin. Playing defense and offense, he has been known to go 40 or 50 minutes in even the toughest game. Catlin ranks as one of the best blockers on the Oklahoma team. He often will take out the defensive middle guard by himself leaving his teammate next to him open for downfield blocking.
Kansas fans will remember the Kansas-Oklahoma game in 1950 when Catlin, playing linebacker, intercepted a Kansas pass and raced 19 yards for a touchdown.
—Beat Oklahoma—
The Sooner backfield is deadly either by the air or on the ground. Buddy Leake, versatile halfback, is the nation's leading scorer in major colleges. Buck McPhail is burning up the turf with his power running. Billy Vessels has a reputation brought with him from his outstanding sophomore year. And Eddie Crowder is hailed as one of the smartest field generals in college football today.
It all adds to the interest of the game Saturday when one
The entire Sooner backfield is a great possibility for the coveted honors. McPhail has 412 net yards for a 7.6 yard average per carry. Leake has scored 46 points. Vessels is on smooth sailing. Crowder is one of the best team players in the business.
Add to the backfield the performances of center Tom Catlin. He was slated for all-American honors in pre-season polls, and his playing indicates he is a strong contender for the berth.
consider the number of possible—and probable—all-Americans that will be on the gridiron in Memorial stadium Saturday.
For Kansas the probable candidates are George Mrkonic who was selected on the INS first team last year. Oliver Spencer, named to the second team in the AP selections last season, is another strong contender.
Charlie Hoag has shown that he will be in the running for the honors this season. Gil Reich, a relative newcomer to the Jayhawker fold, is another strong contender. And don't count out Galen Fiss for defensive all-American honors.
This game ranks as one of the most important in conference history. Never before—at least not in our memory—have two Big Seven teams been ranked as high nationally. The outcome of the encounter will mean a lot to both teams—nationally and conference- wise.
—Beat Oklahoma—
The Jayhawkers are in their best physical and mental condition this season. The game is going to be a hard fought contest. Both teams will be battling to take the Big Seven title.
Forgetting emotions and school allegiance for a moment, we'd like to place our faith in the Kansas Jayhawkers to defeat the Oklahoma Sooners tomorrow!