FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1950
1
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
PAGE SEVEN
Jayhawkers
BOGUE
JOHN AMBERG
LINVILLE
GISH
DOLPH SIMONS
MIKE McCORMACK
FRASIER
LYN SMITH
MAYER
BRANDEBERRY
STREHLOW
TICE
WELLS
F1SS
Sikes Begins Third Season At University
J. V. Sikes, the pass master from Texas A. and M. will open his third season at the head of Kansas football fortunes in Memorial stadium Saturday.
After a disappointing 1949 early season showing the "Tall Tactician" moved Varsity quarterback Dick Gilman to the fullback post and shoved sophomore Jerry Bogue into the quarterback spot. With both players rifting passes all over the field the Jayhawks finished with a rush, winning four of the last five games.
In his 1948 debut, Coach Sikes turned in one of the better coaching performances of the year with a team which was rated no better than a .500 bet in pre-season forecasts.
Terrific team spirit, prime condition, and a bewildering aerial attack are Sikes' keynotes. And this year he is expected to come up with a torrid ground attack to compliment his sharp pass patterns.
A football letterman under famed coach Dana X. Bible at Texas A. and M. in 1925, '26, and '27, Sikes is one of the Cadets' all-time athletic greats. The versatile Texan earned a total of nine college letters—three each in football, basketball, and baseball. In his senior year he was named to the South-West conference team at his end position, and earned a similar position on the all-West team at the 1927 East-West All-Star game.
In the coaching profession Sikes has come up the hard way. He opened his career at Blinn Memorial college, Brenham, Texas, in 1928. He shifted to Burleson college, Greensville, Texas for the next two years. Then it was East Texas State, Texas A. and M., and finally to the University of Georgia where he helped mold five bowl teams, none of which was defeated in a post-season classic. He doubled as Bulldog baseball coach.
During the war, Sikes was head coach at St. Marys Pre-Flight, winning four contests and losing the same number in 1944. He was discharged from the Navy as a Lieutenant-Commander.
BEAT T. C. U.
Injuries And Youth May Decide Game
PROBABLE OFFENSIVE STARTERS
PROBABLE OFFENSES STATEMENTS No. T.C.U. Pos. KANSAS No.
83 Wilson George 191 LE 181 Lyn Smith 81
79 Norman Hughes 200 LT 218 Bob Talkington 75
63 Tom Evans 204 LG 207 George Mrkonic 74
53 Max Eubank 205 C 190 Wint Winter 53
60 Alton Taylor 178 RG 192 Dolph Simons 63
76 Willie Mathis 200 RT 228 Mike McCormack 73
84 Wayne Martin 187 RE 180 Aubrey Linville 82
42 Dan Wilde 175 QB 177 Jerry Bogue 12
10 Johnny Dunn 170 LH 185 Charlie Hoag 21
15 Malvin Fowler 196 RH 183 Hal Clevinger 40
29 John Morton 220 FB 185 John Amberg 41
Officials: Ronald Gibbs (St. Thomas), referee; Charley Trigg (Southern Methodist), umpire; Carl Kopek (Emporia), head linesman; Charles Hawn (Texas), field judge.
By RAY SOLDAN
Daily Kansan Sports Editor
One bruised and twisted knee and a dozen or so eager sophomores hold the key to Kansas' chances in Saturday's T.C.U.-K.U. football opener. A near-capacity crowd of 30,000 is expected in Memorial stadium for the intersectional clash.
The injured knee is owned by KU. quarterback Jerry Bogue, and the yearlings belong to Jayhawker Coach J. V. Sikes, who plans to use 11 of them in his starting offensive and defensive alignments —12 if Bogue doesn't go. And Bogue isn't likely to be ready.
On the attack, first-year men George Mrkonic, Wint Winter, Charlie Hoag, and Hal Cleawinger will open for Kansas. Either Chet Strehlow or Fox Cashell, both sophomores, will replace Bogue. Sikes' probable defensive starters will be Merlin Gish and Galen Fiss, line backers; Cashell and Cleawinger, halfbacks, and Hoag, safety.
The T.C.U. sports publicity director, Amos Melton, hastens to point out that the T.C.U. is also beset by injuries and "sophomoritis." Capt. "Red" Marable, the Frogs 220-pound tackle, is almost certain to watch the game from the sidelines. Like Bogue, he has a bruised knee which has failed to heal in time.
Four more Frogs, End Bill Moorman, Guards Tom Evans and Bill Willingham, and Center Max Eubank are uncertain starters due to injuries. Three rookies are listed in the T.C.U. starting lineup-Evans, if his hurt heals in time; Wayne Martin, an end; and Malvin Fowler, a 200-pound halfback.
Bobby Jack Floyd, a hard-running sophomore fullback, may get the starting nod over John Morton.
Listening to pessimist Melton and Don Pierce, who holds a similar position at K.U., you wonder why they don't just call off the whole thing — both teams would thus be spared a sound beating.
Pierce is afraid that Kansas sophomores will make too many mistakes, Melton can't see how the Horned Frogs can even field a full line. Pierce doesn't see how sophomore quarterbacking can beat a strong line like T.C.U., and on it goes.
Kansas fans will be the first in the country to get a glimpse of T.C.U.'s new "T-wing" formation. Frog Coach "Dutch" Meyer developed it hoping to add a good running attack to his already potent pass plays.
Official "crying towels" were presented to Pierce and Melton Thursday night on a television interview. The K.U. sports publicist generously turned his towel over to Melton, commenting, "Here, Amos needs two."
Kansas is still looking for its first victory in the series. Five previous meetings have gone to T.C.U. and two were scoreless ties.
Kansas Seeks First Victory Over TCU Frogs
Kansas will be shooting for its first victory over the Texas Christian Horned Frogs Saturday in Memorial stadium. In seven previous meetings, T.C.U. has won five and two were scoreless ties.
The Fort Worth school holds a wide 108 to 19 margin in points, during the series, but four of the seven games were very close. The series' history follows:
1942. Although Ray Evans completed 17 passes for 235 yards and turned in an excellent job of punting. T.C.U. romped over Kansas, 41 to 6. Sophomore Otto Schnellbacher led pass receivers, catching one for Kansas' lone score. Texas sportswriters wenf overboard in the praise of Evans, comparing him with such former T. C. U. great as Sammy Baugh and Davey O'Brien.
1944: T.C.U. scored a fourth quarter touchdown to shade the Jayhawkers, 7 to 0, in a game that could have gone either way. Charlie Moffett led K.U.'s offense with dashes of 26 and 42 yards, and stopped a first period Frog drive with a pass interception on the two.
1945: Horned Frogs won 18 to 0 with a superior passing attack. Kansas, led by several long runs by Freshman Dick Bertuzzi, threatened several times, but lacked final punch
1946: A light, underrated Jayhawker line battled the Frog forward up and down the field in an exciting scoreless tie. Kansans held favored Frogs to 85 net yards rushing. Led by "Red" Hogan and Ray Evans, Kansas' passing attack was good for 215 yards. Fumbles ruined several good scoring chances.
1947: The tailend of a Gulf hurricane, washed out an expected aerial battle. The game was played, but in a sea of mud and water and was shortened to 12-minute quarters by agreement. Neither team even threatened to score.
1948: The game moved back to the K.U. campus after four years in Kansas City. Heavily-favored T.C.U. barely squeezed out a 14 to 13 win in above-90 degree temperature.
1949: T.C.U, and the weatherman turned on the heat and Kansas wilted before the sharp-looking Frogs, 28 to 0.
JOHN IDOUX
SPENCER
LUSCHEN
WHITE
CORRELL
OVERMAN
ROBERTS
SANDEFUR
RINEHART
GENE COX
8 TONIGHT
RODGERS
CLEMENT
WALTHALL