6
Monday, Sept. 14, 1970
University Daily Kansan
With Both Feet off the Ground, Jayhawk Quarterback Dan Heck Passes 51 Yards
Hawks Blast Cougars, 48-31
By DON BAKER
Assistant Kansan Sports Editor The Kansas Jayhawks opened their "comeback year" Saturday by blasting the Washington State Cougars, 48-31, before a Memorial Stadium crowd of 34,000.
From the opening kickoff to the last play of the game, offense was the name of the game as the two teams combined for 960 yards in total offence. The Cougars made serious threatening scoring bids no less than nine times while KU tallied on seven of eight scoring threats.
The Jayhawk defense was as leaky as a screen door throughout most of the game but was capable of making key plays at critical moments stopping four Cougar drives. Two KU goal line stands and two missed field goals by Washington State stopped Cougar drives that would have provided the visitor's victory margin.
The biggest defensive play of the game came in the third quarter with KU ahead, 27-17, when Cougar quarterback Ty Paine attempted a screen pass that landed in the hands of KU defensive end Gery Palmer. The surprised Kansas City, Mo. sophomore raced 26 yards into the end zone to push the Jayhawks ahead 34-17.
The Hawks threatened early to make the game a rout. KU halfback John Riggins took the opening kickoff and returned it to the Jayhawk 35 yard line. Two plays later Riggins went up the
middle for 39 yards and a KU first down on the Washington State 19 yard line. The drive stalled, however, and sophomore place kicker Bob Helmbacher kicked a 37 yard field goal to give KU a 3-0 lead.
A minute later KU regained possession and after an incomplete pass, Jayhawk quarterback Dan Heck completed his first major college pass in the form of a 51 yard touchdown bomb to split receiver Lucius Turner giving the Hawks a 10-0 lead. The reception was also Turner's first major college catch as both he and Heck are junior college transfers.
But the tempo of the game changed quickly at the start of the second quarter as the Cougar offense began to roll.
Trailing 10-3 the Washington State offense mounted two successive touchdown drives that left KU on the short end of a 17-10 score with 10:58 left to play in the half.
A 79 yard, 11 play drive with Heck passing to Marvin Foster for the final 39 yards, tied the score, 17-17, with 6:06 showing on the clock. After a missed Washington State field goal, the Jayhawks struck again, moving 80 yards in seven plays with the help of 40 yards in penalties. The big play came when pass interference was called on the Cougars in their end zone. The ball was placed on the one yard line where Riggins punched it over to
give KU a 24-17 advantage at halftime.
The Hawks maintained the momentum as the second half opened with a 61 yard drive that ended with another Helmbacher field goal. Seven seconds later Palmer made his big play and the resulting touchdown made the score 34-17.
KU maintained the lead throughout the rest of the period and as the fourth quarter opened most KU fans were resting easy. But the Cougar offense wasn't finished as they made it 34-24 on a 24-yard run by Bernard Jackson.
KU's Donnie Joe Morris fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Washington State recovered on the 30 yard line. Four plays later Jackson again carried over and the lead was cut to three, 34-31.
But rather than fold the Jayhawks responded with a 66 yard drive capped by a three yard touchdown pass from Heck to Riggins to make it 41-31 with only 3:59 left in the game.
A desperation Cougar drive stalled on the first series of downs and Heck led the Hawks on a 34-yard drive that ended with Morris scoring from four yards out on the last play of the game. Helmbacher, who was six for six in the extra point department, split the uprights with no time showing and KU left the Geld a 48-31 winner.
In his first game for KU, quarterback Heck totaled 215 yards in total offense. The junior college transfer completed 7 of 15 passes for 166 yards and collected 49 yards rushing. Heck was also instrumental in the Hawks regaining an important part of coach Pepper Rodgers' offensive philosophy—the big play. Seven times, three for touchdowns, the Jayhawks reeled off plays that gained 20 yards or better. Rodgers has noted often that last year's team lacked this part of his offensive strategy.
Senior running back John Riggins drew plaudits from Rodgers after the game. The Centralia all-American candidate rushed for 125 yards in 25 carries and one touchdown and also caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Heck.
Leading the defensive charge for KU was linebacker Gary Davenport. The Wellsville senior had 15 tackles, seven unassisted and eight assisted, to lead all tacklers. Linebacker Kenny Page, who led the team in tackles last year, was second with 12.
Leading rushers for Washington State were running backs Jackson and Bob Ewen. Jackson was the game's leading rusher with 155 yards in 23 carries. Ewen followed his teammate with 124 yards in 17 carries.
The Cougars sophomore quarterback, Ty Paine, also had a creditable performance completing 13 of 23 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown.
Morris Takes Hand of
How They Scored
WASH. ST ... 3 14 0 14-31
KANSAS ... 10 14 10 14-48
Wash. St. Kansas
First Downs 27 21
Rushing Yardage 330 281
Passing Yardage 183 166
Return Yardage 25 19
Passes 13-23-1 7-15-0
Punts 1-29 5-50
Fumbles Lost 1 5-40
Yards Penalized 1 48
KAN--FG, Helmbacher (37 yards)
12:54—1
KAN-Turner, 51-yard pass from Heck (Helmibauer klick) 11:35
WSU--FG, Sweet (39 yards) 1:47
1
WSU-Paine, 2-yard run (Sweet
King) 14:40—2
WSU-Jackson, 17-yard pass from
Paine (Sweet kick) 10:58-2
**P**
**D**
**K**
**R**
**T**
**W**
**L**
**O**
**N**
**A**
**B**
**C**
**D**
**E**
**F**
**G**
**H**
**I**
**J**
**K**
**L**
**M**
**N**
**O**
**P**
**Q**
**R**
**S**
**T**
**U**
**V**
**W**
**X**
**Y**
**Z**
KAN-Riggins, 1-yard run (Helm-
bacher kick) 1:10-2
v. J. E. Kirkpatrick
1-bird-yard pass from
Heek (Helim bäckiek) $¥0.06$
KBIG-Bärigke
Klein-Palmer. 26-yard intercept
(Helinbach kiek)
7.01-3
1
KAN-FG. Helmbacher (26 yards)
7:15—3
8:20
WSU-Jackson, 24-yard run (Sweet
kick) 11:56-4
KAN-Rigits. 3-yard pass from Heck (Helmbacher kick) 3:59
KAN-Morris, 4 yard run (Helm-
bacher kick) 0:00-4
WSU-Jackson, 3-yard run (Sweet
kick) 10:50—4
WASHINGTON STATE
Receiving No. Yds. TD
Oggs 3 68 0
Jackson 2 32 1
Aynsley 2 20 0
Klopfenstein 2 14 0
Armstrong 1 17 0
Lomax 1 14 0
Klein 1 9 0
Ewen 1 9 0
Punting No. Yds. Av.
Ewen 1 29 29
Rushing Att. Gain Loss Net TD
Jackson 23 172 17 155 2
Ewen 17 124 0 124 0
Paine 17 29 0 29 0
Paine 5 22 0 29
Passing Com. Att. Int. Yds.
Paine 13 23 183
Rushing Att. Gain Loss Net TD
Riggins 25 132 75 125
Heck 14 59 10 49
McGill 14 58 10 37
Morris 6 31 10 31
Conley 9 31 10 30
Jessie 1 1 9 0
KANSAS
| Receiving | No. | Yds. | TD |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Turner | 3 | 72 | 1 |
| Brown | 1 | 42 | 0 |
| Foster | 1 | 39 | 1 |
| Jessie | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Riggins | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Passing Com. Int. Att. Yds.
Heck 7 15 0 16
Punting No. Yds. Av.
Lleppman 5 248 50
Rodgers Was "Glad to
By DON BAKER
Assistant Kansan Sports Editor
"That was a close game," Rodgers said. "I'm just glad to win."
Assistant Kansan Sports Editor KU football coach Pepper Rodgers, slouching in a chair while munching on a roast beef sandwich, relaxed in the Jayhawk dressing room following his team's 48-31 conquest of Washington State and reflected on the sweetness of victory.
The high scoring affair did substantiate the wildness but Rodgers felt the score was in no way indicative of the closeness.
"What was the score—48-31?" Rodgers asked. "It was so close it was unreal and yet the people on the other side of the world will never know how close it was when they see that score."
they see that score.
The prime concern of most observers of the high-scoring contest was the KU defense. Knowingly a question mark going into the season, Rodgers did not appear to be overly concerned.
"I said the other day that the offense would be ahead of the defense," Rodgers said. "And I've said all along that the defense will improve."
The obvious problem with the Jayhawk defense is inexperience with only
"They did quick-kick once," Rodgers said but smilingly added, "that doesn't count as a punnt though."
two regulars from last season—linebacker Kenny Page and hawk Dale Holt—returning for the 70 campaign. Rodgers said the inexperience was evident Saturday in the fact that Washington State did not punt once.
The wide-open contest saw the Jay-hawks apparently put the game away in the third quarter when they led by a 34-17 margin. But in this game it seemed that no lead was big enough and the Cougars scored twice early in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to three, 34-31.
"I thought there were several turning points," Rodgers said. "At first I though it was Gery Palmer's interception for a touchdown. Then I thought it was the fumble (by Donnie Joe Morris) on the kickoff return. And then I thought it was when we took the kickoff and marched right down the field to score."
Rodgers gave special praise to running back John Riggins who literally ran over two defenders in picking up the crucial first down near the goal line
"I thought Heck did a pretty good job—just what I thought he'd do." Rodgers assessed. "We didn't throw as much as I thought we would though."
just prior to the Hawks scoring their next to last touchdown. Also gaining the coaches' praise was quarterback Dan Heck who engineered the KU scoring attack.
Heck amassed 215 yards in total of offense in his first major college game. Of the total, 166 came from passing while 49 were picked up rushing.
Rodgers noted he was particularly pleased with the team's reaction when Cougars cut the KU lead to three in the fourth quarter.
"I didn't think the team would fold," Rodgers said. "We never folded last year when we were getting licked. You'll find the character of the boys on our team is good."
Rodgers said the KU kicking game was the most pleasing aspect of the contest. Place-kicker Bob Helmbacher converted all six extra point tries while making good on two of three field goal attempts. Punter Keith Lieppman also performed well averaging just under 50 yards per kick in five boots.