Section B Daily Hansan Sports
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
55th Year, No. 51
Friday, Nov. 22, 1957
Football And Basketball In Spotlight
Mather Bows Out Of KU Grid Picture Saturday
In 1954 Charles V. "Chuck" Mather and his family moved to Lawrence. The famous Man from Massillon had a mission to accomplish. He had been hired to satisfy the appetites of victory conscious students, faculty and alumni of KU. Tomorrow he coaches his last game for Kansas.
His resignation October 31st brought to an end the career of KU's 27th football coach. He had the fault that, almost without exception, all previous KU football coaches had—he couldn't win games.
Thousands of visitors will wander around the campus Saturday morning looking at the homecoming decorations of the organized houses. Bands will play and the mood, in general, will be a gay one—especially for the students who will take a welcome 3-day vacation next week.
Game Is Purpose Of It All
Amid all this, a football game will be played and Chuck Mather will coach Kansas for the last time, meeting Frank Broyles' up and coming Tigers, the surprise team of the Big Eight this season.
In 1954 Mather came to KU from Ohio prep circles where his team had amassed a 111-18-5 record. He was thought by many to be "the man" for the job.
When he first came to KU he was criticized for bringing in so many football players from outside Kansas. Asked to comment on this he said.
"I doubt if any school in the nation can build a good football team from talent inside the state alone. Your only exception to this might be Ohio State, Texas, and Pittsburgh. Only in the center of a densely populated football area can you do this."
He stated, "I believe there are only 10 real football players in every two million people."
Asked the difference in high school and college football coaching, Mather said, "There is an entirely different approach. You don't have any recruiting problems. There is very little turnover of personnel. But it's a fact that only about 10 per cent of your freshman football players ever graduate." Turnover of personnel has been a big thorn in Mather's side since he started his coaching here.
In his first year here he lost 54 men from the previous year's team. Fourteen were seniors,29 academically ineligible,and 11 dropped out.
Mather seemed extremely pleased with this year's team. He said, "This team has competed exceptionally well. It is certainly a team with a future."
Duties Over Bv Saturday Night
Tomorrow Mather will finish his duties at KU. He will soon clear the belongings out of his office and head for some other destination. On his office wall hangs a sign.
"A sure way to failure is to compromise on principles.
Have the courage to face your faults."
This Chuck Mather did on October 31st. As one of his players put it, "He went out like a man."
KU's Remarkable Runners Wrap Up Another Crown
By DOUGLAS PARKER
(Of The Daily Kansan Staff)
The remarkable cross country crew of Bill Easton has wrapped up another conference title and established two new records this year.
In the Big Eight conference held in Ames, Iowa two weeks ago, Kansas walked off with its 11th consecutive conference victory setting a new record for consecutive victories. The Kansas runners broke the record of 10 victories held by Iowa State from 1913 to 1923.
Also in the same meet Tom Skutka finished first with a time of 14:58 to break the 3-mile course record of 15:10 held by Jerry McNeal. The Jayhawkers have won every year since Easton started coaching at Kansas.
Easton explained why Kansas has a good team when he said recently, "They have a desire to win and have pride in a great tradition with the great leadership this year of captain Jerry McNeal. They have all of this plus the fact that they work."
Kansas made a clean sweep of its
"I think we can be termed one of four or five teams who have a chance to win the NCAA meet," Easton said, "because our boys are coming along very well and with some luck we will have a good showing."
four dual meets this season with Missouri, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and the Chicago Track Club. McNeal placed first in three of the meets and second against the Chicago team.
Grand slams with five Kansas men across the finish line in order were scored this year against Missouri and Oklahoma. In the Oklahoma State meet, a Cowpoke took third, but a block of Kansas men followed,
Next in sight for the team is the NCAA cross country meet at East Lansing, Michigan Nov. 25.
The Big Eight meet saw McNeal finishing behind Skutka. Other Kansas finishers were Travis, 4, Crawash finishers were Travis 4, Crawford 9, Greenlee 10, Harrison 14 22.
By MALCOLM APPLEGATE
(Daily Kansan Snorts, Editor)
On Nov. 21, 1953, Jules V. Sikes, head coach at Kansas, resigned under pressure from persons intent on having a winning football team at KU. Four seasons later, the man who was hired to fill Sikes' shoes and bring Kansas this winning team, coach Chuck Mather, resigned under similar circumstances.
What's wrong with Kansas football? Of course the main thing most people are interested in now is who will be next coach at Kansas. But is this really so important? The main thing in the minds of those who will hire Mather's successor should be to see that the situation which ridded the school of Sikes and Mather never happens again.
A telephone conversation with Missouri's Coach Frank Broyles, whose team will oppose Mather's squad in the Jayhawker coach's last game at Kansas, revealed what he thought of the situation.
"Kansas doesn't have any school officials who will exercise the control they have over football," Broyles said. "Anytime the school officials won't take charge of their athletic program, there is bound to be trouble. Mather didn't have a chance because the school officials would not keep the alumni out of the situation."
Broyles said that he had known Sikes for the several years that he was assistant coach at Georgia Tech and Sikes was an end coach at Georgia.
"He was a very outstanding coach at Georgia," Broyles said, "and I think Mather is also an outstanding coach and gentleman."
Mayve Brovles is right. Although Coach Mather did not have an outstanding record at Kansas, we have always known him to be a sincere and devoted man to the game of football.
much has probably already been done by school officials to hire a new coach for the Jayhawkers. This year let's think twice before we hire anyone.
"It is something every coach dreams of and he tries to prepare himself in the best way possible." he said, "but in his first year he is never quite fully prepared to meet all situations."
Missouri Coach Frank Broyles said that in moving from an assistant coach at one school to head coach at another school was a big change.
In comparing the Big Seven conference and the Southeastern conference of which Georgia Tech is a member, Broyles said. "I haven't seen all of the Big Seven teams in action vet, but right now I would say that the Southeastern conference has more team speed than the majority of the Big Seven teams exclusive of Oklahoma."
Broyles explained that he thought the warm weather during the season which enables the athletes to participate more in track is the reason for the speedier Southeastern conference teams.
One hand which meant a great deal in the homecoming game last year will be sorely missed this year. It was Wally Strauch who kept the Jayhawkers in the game with his passing attack. The Kansans passed 20 times hitting nine for 181 yards. The Elmhurst, Illinois senior received a broken bone in his hand three weeks ago ending his college football career.
Strauch Will Be Sorely Missed
Freshmen Meet Varsity In Traditional Game
By GEORGE ANTHAN (Daily Kansan Sports Editor)
Kansas' 1957 football season will become a matter for the record books by late Saturday afternoon but even before then attention is being focused on the coming basketball season.
Fans, especially the paying ones, will flock to Allen Field House again this year to see the tall man from Pennsylvania perform his feats under the baskets but the team as a whole will definitely be weaker than the one which took No. 2 in the nation last year.
Premiere showing of the basketball team is tonight when a hapless freshman team meets the varsity.
The freshmen are loaded with speed and desire but have little height so the final score will merely be a matter of discretion.
Kansas opens the 1957-58 season against Hank Iba's Cowpokes Dec.2 and the KU team that meets Oklahoma State this season will certainly be weaker than the one which Oklahoma State defeated last year.
Top Players Lost
Kansas lost Lew Johnson, Maurice King, John Parker and Gene Elstun through graduation. Replacements will probably be Alan Donaghue and Monte Johnson from Kansas City, Kansas' Wyandotte, Bob Billings, who saw action last year, Jim Hoffman from Northeast in Kansas City, Mo., Phil Raisor from Muncie, Ind, and the two regulars back, Ron Loneski and Wilt Chamberlain.
Contrary to popular opinion, Kansas is not seeded as favored to win the Big Eight pre-season tournament in Kansas City, Mo. or the conference title.
Kansas State, with most of its starting squad intact, is picked to win the Big Eight championship after a tight race. By virtue of this the Wildcats would also have to be picked as one of the top two or three in the nation since Kansas has already been picked to finish in the top five.
According to Dick Harp the Kansas team faces three major problems this season-defense, no proven shooting ability except Chamberlain and speed.
"I don't see how we'll be able to play an effective man-to-man defense." Harp said and added that his team's decided weakness in that field will necessitate the playing of the zone defense as much as possible.
"We'll have to play man-to-man eventually," Harp said. "We're going to have to go to man-to-man when we play such teams as Oklahoma State and get behind, then we have to begin pressuring."
Weak In Shooting Department
As far as shooting goes, Harp said that with the loss of Parker and Elstun, most of the team's shooting ability, with the exception of Chamberlain was lost. Loneski has not proven himself an exceptionally good shot yet and neither has Bob Billings. It remains to be seen if these two men will improve and if the sophomores do likewise.
"Our lack of speed reflects in both our offensive and defensive play." Harp said.
"We have to play the zone more because it takes some of the responsibility off the players—they get more support from their teammates and Chamberlain can stay closer to the goal," he said.
The Wildcats will have back their two outstanding big men, Jack Parr (6 feet, 9 inches) and Bob Boozer (6-feet, $ \frac{6}{2} $ inches). Iowa State, although admittedly weakened by the loss of All-American guard Gary Thompson, will still be tough in the Big Eight race. Colorado and Missouri should be up to their usual strength while Nebraska and Oklahoma rate darkhorse roles.
Rash, Kuhlmann, Snowden Lead Surging Tiger Team
Missouri head football coach Frank Brovles has dug up a gold mine of talent this year in his attempt to strengthen the Missouri football program.
There isn't a coach in the land who wouldn't be glad to have the magic toe of MU's kicking specialist, Charley Rash, during the crucial moments of the extra point, the running of fullback Hank Kuhlmann or the running and passing of Phil Snowden.
Rash gave the first indication of things to come in the first game of the season when he calmly booted the extra point that gave MU a 7-7 tie with Vanderbilt. In one of MU's
most exciting moments of the season. Rash again failed to yield to pressure as he kicked the all important point that gave the Tigers a 7-6 victory over the favored SMU Mus-tangs.
Kuhlmann, a junior fullback from Webster Groves, Mo., led the Tigers in team rushing last year and is well on his way to an even greater season, despite the fact that he was a halfback last year and is playing his first season as a fullback.
The other half of MU's scoring duo is former prep All-American Phil Snowden, from North Kansas City.