PAGE SIX
A. B. C. D.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN LAWRENCE, KANSAS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1950
By RAY SOLDAN
Daily Kansan Sports Editor
The Oklahoma line is lighter and supposedly slower than a year ago, but it is just about as tight at giving up yards as its predecessor. Last year the Sooners led the nation in rushing defense. Their opponents were forced to take to passing to gain, but that method wasn't always reliable either.
This year Oklahoma has tightened its pass defense, so that even though its foes push through the line some, the result is about the same: very little total yardage.
NORMAN McNABB
DEAN SMITH
Currently the Sooners are ninth in the nation in both pass defense and total defense. They have given up 36 completed passes of 92 attempts through their first six games—a completion average of 36 per cent. The passes have gained an average of 72 yards a game. O.U. has given up 119 additional yards rushing each game this year for a total defense mark of 191 yards a game.
The Jayhawkers are second in the Big Seven in total defense with a not-so-good average of 306 yards a game. The Sooners' offense has more than doubled its defensive record—389 yards a game for O.U. against the 191 average for its opponents.
The chief men in the Oklahoma defense are co-captain Norman McNabb and Ed Rowland, guards, Jim Weatherall and Dean Smith, tackles, and Buddy Jones, safety. Jones is the lone returning defensive starter from last year. The four middle-of-the-line men are called on to fill up the huge gaps left by the graduated foursome of Leon Manley, Dee Andros, Stanley West, and Wade Walker. McNabb, Weatherall, and Smith are also offensive starters for the Sooners who don't use a full two-platoon system.
Oklahoma's line played probably its best game of the season against the Texas Longhorns. The strong Texas running attack was held to 80 net yards, and the Sooner line opened holes for its backs to pile up 190 yards rushing. Jones from his safety spot has been the leading man in the Sooner's stingy pass defense.
KU
Thirteen Jayhawker players will be playing their last home game when K.U. meets Oklahoma at Memorial stadium Saturday. Nine of the thirteen men are linemen—four of those are tackles. It will be the line spots which will need the most patching next year.
Players who will be seeing their last home action are co-captains Johnny Amberg and Mike McCormack, fullback and tackle respectively, ends Chuck O'Neal and Lyn Smith, tackles, S. P. Garnett, Tom Nelson, and Bob Talkington, guards John Idoux, Bill Mace, and Dolph Simons, and backs Henry Lamping, Wade Stinson, and Gene Cox.
Six of the players—Smith, McCormack, Talkington, Simons, Stinson, and Amberg—are offensive starters this year. Four of them are defensive starters—O'Neal, Garnett, Idoux, and Mace.
Columbus, O.—(U.P.)—Ohio's rabbit and pheasant hunting season opens Nov. 15. That was the date members of Fighter Squadron 244, Marine Corps Reserve, were scheduled to report for active duty. The men, wanting a final crack at small game hunted, spoke to Brig. Gen. W. O. Brice. The general changed the date the men were to report for active service to Nov. 16.
Hunters Get Break
Progress Hurts
Cedar Vale, Kan. - (U.P.) This Kansas town is feeling a peculiar pinch of progress. The water department faces a deficit operation because the Missouri Pacific Railroad decided to put in diesel engines in place of steam locomotives. That took away the town's largest water customer. The railroad's bill had averaged almost $75 a month.
Amberg, McCormack, Mace, Stinson
Co-captains John Amberg and Mike M-Cormack, Wade Stinson, and Bill Mace, all seniors, will give short talks at one of the biggest pre-game bonfire pep rallies ever planned at the University at 7:15 p.m. Friday at the Varsity baseball diamond, Don Hull, head cheerleader, announced today.
Coach Jules V. Sikes will also speak at the rally concerning Saturday's game with the Oklahoma Sooners, presently riding the crest of a record-breaking 27-game winning streak.
UPSET OKLAHOMA
The University band will provide music for the rally. The Kuku's, Jay Janes, Red Peppers, and Frosh-Hawks, campus pep organizations, will attend the rally and help the cheerleaders with their theme. "Upset Oklahoma."
The Jay Janes and Kuku's will present a skit concerning the Jayhawker-Sooner game. It is also rumored that Oklahoma's 1950 home
coming queen will attend the rally and add a bit of Sooner pep to Saturday's important conference affair.
"With the outcome of this game meaning the difference between a highly successful and just an average season, we want to back Coach Sikes and his fine team with 100 per cent support Saturday at the game," Hull said, "and we want to get a strong student spirit built up at the rally.
UPSET OKLAHOMA
A Sooner covered wagon will be burned in effigy to highlight the rally, in hopes that this will end Oklahoma's winning streak which K.U. fans think has gone far enough.
UPSET OKLAHOMA
SOONER OR LATEF
SOUTH OR LATER someone is going to beat Oklahoma and it is hoped a capacity crowd of 38,500 Jayhawker fans will see this happen Saturday at Memorial stadium. Kansas was the last conference team to defeat the Sooners with this taking place in 1946 at Memorial stadium, 16 to 13, on Paul Turner's almost unbelievable 41-yard field goal.
The Jayhawkers' 1947 Orange Bowl team outplayed and nearly licked the O.U. eleven at Norman the following year, only to finish in a 13 to 13 deadlock.
Friday night's rally is planned as a community affair with Lawrence townspeople invited to take an active part.
There are an average of 743 persons in each square mile in Rhode Island.
SNAP THE STREAK
WADE STINSON
Pro Athlete Of The Year To Be Named
New York, Nov. 9 — (U.P.)—Ezzard Charles and Bantam Ben Hogan were the apparent leaders today in the race for honors as Pro Athlete of the Year, with the ultimate winner to get a $10,000 belt which only Noor or Jake Lamotta would have the Stamina and endurance to wear.
The belt, which will go to the lucky winner, is not the type of trouser tackle which even these moneyed muscle men would wear on their Sunday finest. Presented by Ray Hickok, Rochester, N. Y., sportman, the buckle alone has two and one-half pounds of bold decorated with diamonds. With that sort of a weigh-in, suspenders would be a necessity.
There are many candidates for this bauble, naturally. Each month the Hickok interests have polled the nation's sports editors to determine the pro athlete of the month—only the 12 winners eligible for the final voting.
Athletic Director Dana X. Bible, Cherry's predecessor as head coach, refused to comment. He said any information would have to come from Cherry.
The winners so far have been Hogan, twice; Charles, Johnny Longden, George Mikan, Jimmy Demaret, Stan Musial, Johnny Mize and Jim Konstanty, with the October votes indicating a hot race among Konstanty, Phil Rizzuto, Gerry Coleman, George Ratterman and jockey Willie Shoemaker.
The tipoff on the fact that Hogan and Charles are the top two with which other candidates will have to reckon, comes from Hogan's two monthly triumphs, including the top number of first place votes received by any athlete all year. But Charles set a record with total
Texas U. Coach Is Reported Retiring
The Longhorns are the only undefeated team in Southwest conference play. They have lost one non-conference game-by one point to Oklahoma—and are rated the nation's fourth strongest team.
Austin, Tex., Nov. 9 — (U.P.)—Blair Cherry, enjoying one of his best seasons as coach of the University of Texas foobtail team, was reported today to be planning to resign at the end of the year.
Cherry neither confirmed nor denied the reports.
When queried, he simply said,
"I am not doing anything or think-
ing about anything except the Bay-
lor game Saturday.
The way he sidestepped the issue didn't stem the flood of reports circulating on the university campus and throughout Austin.
Either that, or ride Lamotta up there.
points when he won in September by beating Louis.
Jake is a man who appreciates that kind of thing.
Charles, although an undersize heavyweight champion, probably would be able to single-handedly carry off the belt if he won it. But Hogan would have a struggle. Long-den, eligible for the final balloting as the February winner, should take Noor along to Rochester for the Jan. 22 presentation if he gets the nod.
After Lamotta took the middleweight title from Cordan, Hickok presented him with a $5,000 championship belt. It, like the gird gadget to be presented to the athlete of the year, had a fair share of gold, silver and jewels.
BUDDY JONES of Oklahoma
TINY BUDDY JONES is Oklahoma's safety man. Only 155-pounds, Jones is the number one man in the strong Sooner pass defense which has held opponents to an average of 72-yards a game. Oklahoma is currently ninth in the nation in pass defense. Jones is one of two defensive regulars returning from Coach Bud Wilkinson's Sugar Bowl champions of 1949 and 1950. Although Oklahoma was the most passed on team in the nation last year, only five touchdown passes were allowed by Buddy and his secondary mates.