Page 6 University Daily Kansan Thursday, Oct. 16, 1952
Can Jayhawkers Corral Oklahoma? Powerful Sooners Boast Great Backs
EDDIE CROWDER—(No. 16, 6 feet, 170 pounds) . . . co-captain with center Tom Catlin . . . All-Big Seven conference quarterback last year . . . against Colorado at Norman last year, pegged four touchdown passes in the first 17 minutes, 16 seconds of the game, believed a feat not equalled in the 76 years of American college football.
He's smart signal caller, deft faker and ball handler . . . runs the keeper well . . . rushed 382 yards on 92 carries last year, scoring six touchdowns . . . hit 30 of 57 forward passes with one intercepted for 475 net yards and five touchdowns.
Ranks seventh among Big Seven passers this year with nine completions in 16 attempts for 177 yards . . . tackles sharply, plays some at safety.
BILLY VESSELS—(No. 35, 6 feet, 185 pounds . . left halfback who scored 15 touchdowns as a sophomore on Oklahoma's national championship team of 1950, but whose junior season last year was ruined when he injured a knee in the Texas game.
As a sophomore he scored touchdowns against nine opponents in a row and forward-passed Oklahoma's lone touchdown against Kentucky in the 1951 Sugar Bowl game . . . last season, before being hurt, he scored in the opener against William and Mary, scored against the Texas Aggies, but failed to score in the Texas game.
Against Kentucky's superb defense in the Sugar Bowl loss, Vessels threw a touchdown pass to Merrill Green and had runs of 18, 16, 12, 20, and 12 yards, not to mention one beautiful weave of 51 yards recalled by a penalty . . . second highest scorer on this year's Sooner team with 24 points.
He currently ranks fourth among the conference's rushers, having piled up 266 yards on 48 carries . . . he has not been thrown for a loss this year. . .
BUDDY LEAKE—(No. 22, 6 feet, 175 pounds) . . . filled in brilliantly last year for Vessels . . . playing regularly at left halfback in the last seven games last year. Leake rushed 132 times for 646 net yards and led the team in scoring with 13 touchdowns to tie for tenth in the nation . . . also led 1951 Sooners in kickoff returns with nine for 177 yards and caught four passes for 73 yards.
Throwing his halfback pass, he completed 10 of 23 for 279 yards and two touchdowns with four of his heavies intercepted . . . scored four touchdowns in the finale against Oklahoma A&M to tie the modern university record for one game.
Sharp on pass defense too and could play there . . . currently leads the nation's scorers with 46 points, although he ranks 11th in rushing in the Big Seven . . .
BUCK McPHAIL—(No. 41, 6 feet 1 inch, 202 pounds) . . ram-paging senior fullback who last year carried the ball all over the premises . . . set a national collegiate record of 8.56 net yards a rush, minimum of 100 rushes.
Also set all-time modern University of Oklahoma record, gaining 215 net yards rushing in the 1951 Kansas game alone and running 96 yards against Kansas State . . . carried the ball 101 times last year and lost a total of only four yards . . . scored four touchdowns . . . steamy blocker . . . did the kicking off for Oklahoma last year with an average of 37.3 yards a punt.
Last year he ripped off runs of 57 yards against William and Mary, 66 against Kansas, 38 against Missouri, 51 against Iowa State, and 96 against Kansas State . . . currently ranks fifth in the nation and first in the conference in rushing with 412 yards on 54 rushes . . . has scored 19 points this year on three touchdowns and one extra point.
TOUGH JOB AHEAD—The big question in the Kansas-Oklahoma encounter is whether the Jayhawker defense can "box in" the outstanding Sooner backs. The stellar Oklahoma backfield—probably is the best all-around backfield in the nation. However, the Kansas defense—on its showing in the first four games this season—will be out to box in the running and passing prowess of Eddie Crowder, Billy Vessels, Buck McPhail and Buddy Leake. And indications are that the Kansas defense can do the job. In the first four games, the defense has limited the opposition to a total of 390 yards rushing in 152 rushing attempts. It is an average of 97.5 yards per game which the Jayhawkers have given up or an average of 2.56 yards gained on them per attempt. Kansas currently ranks ninth in major college statistics in rushing defense,
Kansas, Oklahoma Compare Closely in Big Seven Statistics
Kansas and Oklahoma are so well matched, even statistically, that one person's guess is as good as another's as far as the outcome of Saturday's contest is concerned.
Statistically, here is how Kansas and Oklahoma compare with each other and with the rest of the Big Seven:
| | G. | 1st Dw. | NET Ru | GAINS Pa. | Ti. | FWD Att. | PASS Com. | Pet. Com. | Own Pass Int. | Punt Av. | Yds. Lost Pnty. |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 50 | 878 | 292 | 1171 | 30 | 14 | .466 | 3 | 37.5 | 185 |
| Opp. | . | 44 | 394 | 339 | 733 | 47 | 28 | .595 | 2 | 43.4 | 123 |
| Kansas | 4 | 62 | 912 | 383 | 1295 | 60 | 25 | .416 | 2 | 35.0 | 194 |
| Opp. | . | 33 | 390 | 450 | 840 | 69 | 38 | .550 | 5 | 39.8 | 216 |
| Iowa State | 4 | 54 | 619 | 379 | 998 | 62 | 30 | .483 | 11 | 35.0 | 136 |
| Opp. | . | 66 | 812 | 541 | 1353 | 56 | 27 | .482 | 8 | 30.5 | 268 |
| Kansas State | 4 | 49 | 406 | 434 | 840 | 83 | 39 | .469 | 5 | 33.3 | 206 |
| Opp. | . | 65 | 862 | 291 | 1153 | 53 | 21 | .398 | 5 | 36.6 | 170 |
| Colorado | 3 | 40 | 635 | 302 | 937 | 35 | 20 | .573 | 5 | 44.3 | 145 |
| Opp. | . | 40 | 697 | 282 | 979 | 41 | 18 | .439 | 2 | 41.4 | 134 |
| Missouri | 4 | 56 | 540 | 535 | 1070 | 110 | 66 | .600 | 8 | 42.1 | 107 |
| Opp. | . | 57 | 917 | 348 | 1265 | 52 | 21 | .400 | 8 | 39.0 | 206 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 87 | 1280 | 263 | 1543 | 42 | 17 | .404 | 8 | 36.6 | 248 |
| Opp. | . | 42 | 318 | 462 | 780 | 77 | 40 | .519 | 7 | 32.6 | 194 |
LEADING PASS RECEIVERS
Passes Tbs
Caught Gained
Hoag, Kansas 6 185
Rowekamp, Missouri 6 189
Rwbedweder, I. State 8 123
Reddell, Oklahoma 4 119
Cox, Iowa State 10 104
McShuliskis, K. State 14 104
Leake, Okla. 5 102
Rainman, K. State 8 97
Fessler, Missouri 7 95
Bernardi, Colorado 2 92
Carras, Missouri 6 90
Williams, Colorado 8 84
Mink, Nebraska 6 78
Switzer, K. State 6 76
Thayer, Nebraska 2 65
Punts Yds Ave
Jordan, Colo 17 785 46.1
Fessler, Missouri 20 834 41.7
Mrkonic, Kansas 4 163 40.7
Merkle, Kansas 6 163 40.7
Allenman, I. State 15 564 37.6
McPhail, Oklahoma 12 448 37.3
Keeler, K. State 11 405 36.8
Reynolds, Nebraska 5 184 36.8
LEADING PUNTERS
Reich, Kansas ... 19 642 33.7
Cashman, K. State ... 13 396 30.4
Congiaro, I. State ... 4 101 25.2
LEADING PUNT RETURNERS
Reits. Yds Ave
Walker, I. State 4 101 25.2
Reich, Kansas 11 263 24.8
Grigg, Oklahoma 3 66 22.0
Korinek, Nebraska 3 40 13.3
Brookshier, Colorado 7 85 12.1
Cleavinger, Kansas 4 40 10.0
Thayer, Nebraska 4 40 10.0
Switzer, K. State 8 57 7.1
Merriffell, Missouri 7 50 7.1
LEADING BALL CARRIERS
TC G L N G
McPhail, Okla. 54 413 1 412
Bordogna, Neb. 81 429 67 362
Reynolds, Neb. 54 309 62 289
Vessels, Okla. 48 266 0 268
Hoag, Kan. 49 259 0 253
Cozzi, State. 33 258 3 222
Neb, Mo. 32 266 1 222
Hook, Mo. 43 220 20 200
Curtis, Colo. 48 193 6 187
Hardy, Colo. 26 176 17 159
Leake, Okla. 35 168 12 156
Novak, Neb. 33 159 14 155
Brandeberry, Kan. 31 153 0 153
Rowekam, Mo. 44 168 18 150
Sabatini, Kan. 32 140 16 134
LEADING PASSERS
Ats. Co. Int. Yds.
Scardino, Mo. 62 23 4 386
Albacker, K. State 65 31 3 297
Mann, I. State 47 25 5 283
Robertson, Kan. 34 13 2 242
Jordan, Colo. 25 15 2 236
Hook, Mo. 38 10 4 180
Crowder, Okla. 16 9 0 177
Bordogna, Neb. 26 11 1 161
Reich, Kan. 18 9 1 0 100
Plantan, I. State 13 5 5 96
Rankin, Neb. 5 3 0 66
Chilton, K. State 9 6 1 64
Leake, Okla. 9 3 1 61
Vessels, Okla. 4 2 0 54
Unruh, Kan. 5 3 1 41
It's Faster—But Look Out
Detroit—U.P.)—Alex Jones, 17, a high school football player, crashed head first into a steel post during practice. When he regained consciousness the coach asked him what happened.
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