Sports Daily hansan Society 56th Year, No.1 SECTION B Thursday, Sept. 11, 1958 LAWRENCE, KANSAS DO IT THIS WAY—Jack Mitchell gives instructions to first-stringers during a break in one of the daily head-knocking drills. (Photographic Bureau photo) Mitchell's Spark Ignites Team, Fans Jack Mitchell, soon to make his debut as the University of Kansas' 28th head football coach, is right in the thick of the KU search for gridiron glory—literally as well as figuratively. KU students, fans and alumn have put their faith in the "Kansan come home," who believes that the best way to teach football is to get right in there and show his boys how it's done. Crowds at Practices As the Jayhawkers prepare for the season opener Sept. 20, against TCU with twice-daily workouts, Coach Mitchell can be seen charging in among the hard-hitting players to shout a word of praise after an outstanding effort or to admonish a Jayhawker for not getting his job done. The enthusiasm which Mitchell carries onto the practice field seems to be catching, for the people of Lawrence and KU are more excited about football since he came than they have been for quite some time. Large crowds gather to watch each practice. Fans can't help feeling optimistic about KU grid fortunes when they see the spirit and vigor of the Kansas squad. "We've got to work hard on speed, agility and fundamentals." Mitchell said recently, showing his worry over the lack of speed and depth on the squad. But he soon perks up when he begins to talk about the football prospects for KU in the next few years. "I have never seen alumni who are as enthusiastic and ambitious have a good football team as they are here, and such interest makes my job easier," he said. "The spirit of our sound this fall is exceptional. If we keep this hustle and determination, we'll make a good showing vet." Bright Days Ahead A look into the future by the 33-year-old mentor shows a possibility of bright days ahead for KU. "I can see KU contending for the Big Eight title annually in four or five years," he said. With a five-year contract at $15- 000 a year, Mitchell is the highest paid football coach in KU history. He was hired on Thanksgiving Day, 1957, just a few weeks after the resignation of Chuck Mather, and immediately began, with his assistants, a thorough combing of Kansas for the top high school recruits. In five years as a head football coach, at Wichita University and the University of Arkansas, Mitchell has never had a losing season. Kansas footballers learned the Mitchell sliding T-formation well enough in spring practice to defeat a strong alumni team 9-8. As an All America quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, Mitchell led the Sooners to Big Seven co-championships in 1946 and 1947 and the championship in 1948. A native Kansan, he played high school football at Arkansas City and was on the Texas University freshman squad in 1942. His first coaching job was head coach at Blackwell High. In 1950 he was backfield coach at Tulsa, he spent two years as line coach at Texas Tech and then went to Wichita. After serving in the Army Infantry and Air Force and reaching the rank of lieutenant during World War II, Mitchell entered OU in the fall of 1946. The Wheatshockers posted a 5-4-1 season mark in 1953, their first year under Mitchell, and won the Missouri Valley title with a 9-1 record in 1954. Coached MVA Champs In 1955 Arkansas was 6-3-1, and then had 6-4 seasons in both 1956 and 1957. Mitchell had a 10-year $15,000 per year contract at Arkansas, so salary was not the main consideration in his move "back home" to Kansas. Mrs. Mitchell is the former Jeanne Kincheloe of Arkansas City, like her husband a graduate of OU. The Mitchells have two sons, Jackson, seven, and Judson, three. Kansans are asking themselves if one man can bring about a sudden change in the football fortunes of the University. After watching the dynamic Mr. Mitchell in action, most agree that it well could happen. Frogs, Beavers Promise Tough Non-League Tilts As if meeting the top team in the nation and six other vastly improved Big Eight squads isn't enough, the Kansas Jayhawkers will also meet up with three of the toughest non-league foes any schedule could have. Jack Mitchell's eleven will open against Texas Christian University, rated number eight nationally in pre-season polls. The next week they travel to Portland, Ore. to meet powerful Oregon State, favored to repeat as Pacific Coast champion. The premier performance of a Mitchell-conched Kansas team will be Sept. 20 in Memorial Stadium. This will be an acid test as the Kansans will be facing a TCU team oicked to take the eighth place in the nation. The Horned Frogs aren't likely to forget that day when Jayhawker Bob Marshall hit end Jim Letcavits with a pass on the TCU goal line just as the game ended to tie the Texans 13-13. Coach Martin will have 20 lettermen returning from last year's squad. The Horned Frogs will spend the first two weeks of September working out four hours a day. One of the main threats in any passing attack the Frogs might uncork will be senior Hunter Enis, who hit 30 out of 40 toes in spring practice. These passes accounted for eight touchdowns in "game" scrimmages. Beayers were Tough For the second game of the season, the Jayhawkers head west to the home of the Oregon State Beavers. Last year's game with the Beavers was the opening home game under the Chuck Mather regime—and it could easily be termed the costliest. A Band Day crowd of 28,000 saw the Jayhawkers lose 6-34. Another big loss in that game was crack-quarterback Bob Marshall who injured his knee and was lost most of the season. The Beavers are expected to be just as tough as they were last year. The predictions have Oregon State taking top place in the Pacific Coast Conference—the same spot they won last year. And again this year, coach Tommy Prothro's squad will be running out of their deadly single-wing which caused the devastation at Memorial Stadium last September. The next three Saturdays will provide anything but a rest for the Kansans as they tangle with Colorado (favored as bridesmaid for the Big Eight). Iowa State, and then, mighty Oklahoma. The next week will see the Tulane Green Wave descend on Mt. Oread. This New Orleans club boasts the return of seven starters plus the wealth gathered from last year's freshman team that went unbeaten. Tulane is a sleeper as far as Jayhawker non-conference foes are concerned. Having to face the wrath of the Big Red just a week previously, coach Mitchell and his pupils are probably hoping the "sleeper" doesn't wake up. 1958 Schedule Sept. 20 T.C.U. Lawrence **Sept. 27 Oregon St. Portland *Oct. 4 Colorado Lawrence *Oct. 11 Iowa St. Ames *Oct. 18 Oklahoma Lawrence Oct. 25 Tulane Lawrence *Nov. 1 Kansas St. Manhattan *Nov. 8 Nebraska Lawrence Nov. 15 Okla. St. Stillwater *Nov. 22 Missouri ... Columbia *Big Eight conference games. **Night game. Sooners Top Experts' Poll 1958 Forecast | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | TP | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Oklahoma | $61_{1/2}$ | $8_{1/2}$ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $83_{1/2}$ | | Colorado | 7 | $37_{1/2}$ | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 191 | | Kansas | 1 | $20_{1/2}$ | $33_{1/2}$ | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | $235_{1/2}$ | | Missouri | $1_{2}$ | $5_{1/2}$ | 17 | $38_{1/2}$ | $10_{1/2}$ | 3 | 0 | $288_{1/2}$ | | Kansas State | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | $32_{1/2}$ | $18_{1/2}$ | 12 | $405_{1/2}$ | | Iowa State | 0 | 2 | $1_{2}$ | 6 | 11 | $28_{1/2}$ | 27 | $442_{1/2}$ | | Nebraska | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 21 | 36 | 460 | To determine totals multiply the number of votes under each position times the number of that position. For the first time in three years the Oklahoma Sooners, who have walked off with the Big Eight conference football crown for ten years and shared co-championships the two years previous to that, were not given a unanimous first place vote in the 13th annual Big Eight pre-season poll. The Sooners still won by a landslide, getting $63\frac{1}{2}$ of the possible 75 first place votes. The experts figured Colorado to be the most likely team to unseat Oklahoma. The Buffaloes drew seven first-place votes, while Kansas garnered one and Missouri a half. Buffs a Strong Second Even with the overwhelming vote for the Sooners, the future looks somewhat brighter for other league teams. This was the first time since 1953 that more than two teams drew championship votes. It also was the most title ballots the Buffaloales have ever been given and the most any second-place team has been given since 1951. Colorado received strong support for second place as most Buff supporters think the team should have its best chance in history to unseat the mighty Sooners. In addition to having top personnel and depth, the Buffs meet Oklahoma in Boulder, Colo., which is always a tough place for the Sooners to win. The experts nearly all favored the Sooners, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri to nab the first four places in the conference. Most experts figured the tightest race would be to stay out of the cellar. Kansas State, Iowa State and Nebraska were grounded between $405^{1/2}$ and 400 points. Nebraska's descent to the cellar marked the first time the Cornhuskers had been voted to the basement since the poll's origination in 1946. In glancing through the writers' quotes many sounded the same typical words that Burt Hurt of the Topeka Daily Capital, said. "You can't win 'em all, but no one has informed Bud Wilkinson of this fact of life," said Hurt. But a more optimistic view for Colorado was forecast by Jay Simon, Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman, who typed, "At long last Colorado is going to put an end to its frustration by beating Oklahoma in their clash at Boulder." Then he warned . . . "However, the Buffs will stumble some place along the line and settle for a tie in the championship race." Skp1 Patrick, AP, said, "Oklahoma for sure. Colorado as good as a year ago. Kansas will be the darkhorse, Missouri a better offensive club than in '57." Individual player mention drew a poll high with 25 different men being tabbed as outstanding. Men like Oklahoma center Bob Harrison; John Wooten, Colorado guard; Bovd Dowler, Colorado quarterback, and Homer Floyd, Kansas halfback, headed the top player list. What Will KU Do Without Wilt? How will the loss of Wilt Chamberlain affect KU's basketball team this year? According to Coach Dick Harp, who has to find a replacement for the seven-foot All America, the team will suffer primarily from loss of height and speed. The zone defense which KU used so much of last year will be very much weakend with the loss of Chamberlain. Coach Harp is looking to Bill Bridges, 6-foot $5\frac{1}{2}$-inch sophomore from Hobbs, N. M., to fill the empty pivot spot along with Dick Keith, Blue Springs, Mo. junior, and Gary Mowry, St. Joseph. Mo. senior, both 6-feet 7-inches tall. The team will be strong in the backcourt. Coach Harp says, Bob Billings, 5-foot $11^{\mathrm{U}}_{2}$-inch senior from Russell, who has recovered from a back injury suffered late last season, and Bob Hickman, 6-foot 2-inch junior from Terre Haute, Ind., will lead the returning lettermen. Hickman has recovered from a knee operation and should be in good shape for the coming season. Coach Harp expects help for these two from Dick Gisel, 6-foot 1-inch junior from Hutchinson. Gisel is considered a very aggressive player and is expected to play in both the guard and forward positions. Other men Coach Harp is counting on in the guard position are Dee Ketchum, 6-foot sophomore Loneski Tops Forwards from Bartlesville, Okla.; Lynn Kindred, 6-foot $2 \frac{1}{2}$-inch senior from Emporia, and Russ Marcinek, 5-foot 9-inch sophomore from East Chicago, Ind. In the forward positions Ron Loneski, Hammond, Ind. senior, should be one of the best if not the best forward in the Big Eight conference this year according to Coach Harp, Alan Donaghue, 6-foot $4\frac{1}{2}$-inch junior from Kansas City, Kan.; Gary Thompson, 6-foot 4-inch senior from Wellington; and Monte Johnson, 6-foot 5-inch senior from Kansas City, Kan. are too contenders for the other forward position. Carrol Dawson, 6-foot 5-inch junior from Alba, Texas, will see action in the forward and center positions both. Kansas State and Iowa State will probably be strong teams in the conference this year, Coach Harp says. Both of these have a height advantage over the rest of the conference teams. Kansas State is favored at the present to win the conference title this year.