10
Friday, Sept. 18, 1970
University Daily Kansan
KU TIGHT END LARRY BROWN (81) battles Washington State defensive back Steve Kerby for this Dan Heck pass that eventually fell incomplete. The action came in last Saturdays game that saw the Jayhawks defeat the Cougars, 48-31. The victory celebration was short for the Jayhawks as all attention is now centered on Saturday's opponent, Texas Tech.
Turf is Dry For Game
Wayne Bowers, assistant sports information director, said Wednesday that the new Tartan Turf in Memorial Stadium would be in good shape for Saturday's game.
Bowers said the field would dry out much faster than conventional grass fields, and even if the rain continues, the field should be quite playable.
"The football team has been practicing on it all week," he said, "and they report it to be in fine shape."
According to Bowers, the Tartan Turf will keep its texture and resistance in any weather and will enable games to take place that might have been delayed because of poor field conditions.
When asked what the coaches and players thought about the change, Bowers replied that coach Pepper Rodgers was quoted as saying "I am just now realizing the importance."
The Jayhawks will wear the same style of soccer shoes as they did against Washington State. Bowers said these shoes were the most effective on this type of synthetic surface.
Bowers said that although the Tartan Turf is relatively new, no team should be at a disadvantage because they were unfamiliar with it.
The temperature on an average summer day at the South Pole is about 20 degrees below zero, compared with 113 below in winter.
Helmbacher is Big Man for KU
By JIM FORBES
Kansan Sports Writer
Although Bob Helmbacher is one of the smallest players on the University of Kansas football team, he has already made his presence known. Helmbacher, a 5-9, 152 pound sophomore, is tied with John Riggins, senior running back, in the Big 8 point total race.
Helmbacher is the soccer-style place kicker for the Jayhawks who had no idea he would be playing varsity football when he entered KU. Helmbacher played soccer and golf for University High in St. Louis and was offered scholarships to play college soccer. But he passed up soccer to come to KU where he started playing football, not for KU but for his fraternity, Delta Upsilon.
One of Helmbacher's fraternity brothers, Mike Cerne, Lawrence sophomore, who was on the freshman football team, noticed Helmbacher's place kicking and suggested he try out for the team.
Helmbacher talked to assistant coach Dick Tomey about place kicking.
Helmbacher said, "Jerome Nelloms was going to do the kicking, but they decided to give me a chance. They weren't very enthusiastic, but they kept telling me to come back." Nelloms, Atlanta sophomore, was doing the kicking at the time and was also being used as a running back.
Helmbacher's chance to play came in the second game against Missouri. He said that Nelloms had just run for a touchdown and was too tired to put his kicking shoe on. Helmbacher kicked the extra point which was good and then proceeded to kick two more extra points and added a 25-yard field goal.
Helmbacher became the regular kicker for the freshman team, and the following spring in the spring football game, Helmbacher booted his longest field goal to dae with a 45-yard kick. He now has the starting assignment with the varsity souid.
He said, "I still don't do the kickoffs. In practice I can always get them down to the 10 yard line but I had trouble in one game (against Washington State).
I think someone else will be doing the kickoffs now."
Helmbacher said that he does most of his practicing before the rest of the squad starts working out. He kicks about 20 or 30 practice balls before practice at the start of the week, and then tapers off his kicking Thursday and Friday.
He said, "In practice I hold dummies and do some running and sometimes I run pass pat-
terms for guys practicing their passing. Its kind of neat just standing around watching those big linemen knock each other around."
but his few moments in the game are important ones.
Helmbacher does a lot of watching during the game also,
He said, "When I'm in there I'm not worried about anything but making it. I don't even think about those guys coming to block the ball."
He said that since he doesn't do anything else, he better be successful at his job.
He said, "If I can keep going, I certainly want to play through my senior year. But there is a good freshman kicker I'll have to stay ahead of." He added that he enjoyed being on the team.
"The best thing about this team," he said, "is that they're enthusiastic. They're not over-confident but they think they can win. It definitely a good group to work with. It's a lot of fun."
There are $222 in paper currency and $29 in coins in circulation for each person in the United States, says the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Gibson Says Cats Are Ready
MANHATTAN (UPI)—Coach Vince Gibson said Thursday that Kansas State is mentally prepared for Saturday's game in Kentucky, but that the Wildcats
cannot afford to have a poor game and expect to win.
Gibson said he respects Kentucky as a tough foe, and says it is one of the biggest and strongest teams in the nation.
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