DUCK TRACKS
By GLENN GILLESPIE
Emerald Sports Editor
In spite of the mediocre showing as a team against St.
Mary’s last Saturday, Oregon individual stars strengthened
their leads in individual statistics compiled by the Athletic News
Bureau.
These figures are the total result of seven Webfoot football
games, and are given to you each week for what they may be
worth. Statictics are interesting to study, really, and they can
show a lot about a team. Especiallv these individual statictics.
DICK WILKINS
The team statistics, however,
, can often be misleading. For in
; stance, in the Oregon State
] Michigan State football game
last week, the Aggies actually
out-first-downed the Spartans
13 to 11. The final score was
46-21, Michigan State. The
Spartans showed their super
iority on the ground, 241 yards
to 117, but Oregon State made
more yardage on passes, 135 to
116.
The losing team is often
ahead in passing yardage, and
could be accounted for by last
minute desperation passing attempts to even the score. Wash
* ington made 183 yards in the air to 105 for Stanford, and the
Huskies lost 20-0. Ditto for the Cal-USC game, where the Tro
- jans made 183 yards passing compared to a scant 68 for the Bears,
while losing the game 13-7.
Statistics Sometimes Misleading
Individual statistics can sometimes be misleading, and the
St. Mary’s game offers a good example. Although we thought
. Spike Cordeiro was a little overrated, he did play a good game of
football. His rushing average- was only 2.1 yards per carry. Glen
Bell, leading ground-gainer for the Gaels, rushed for 83 yards
in 19 carries, a 4.3 per-try average.
But back to Oregon’s statistics, the thing we started to talk
about in the first place.
With a big 60 yards gained against St. Mary’s, Johnny Mc
Kay leads the Webfoot rushing column, but not by a decisive
margin. The little scatback has gained 447 net yards in 64
carries, for a 6.9 per-try average. That’s packing the ball.
Righthalf George Bell is right behind with a net of 442 yards in
100 carries, a 4.2 average.
Woodley Lewis sticks to his number 3 spot in rushing, with
301 net yards in 56 tries, a healthy 5.4 per-try average. Blasting
Bob Sanders, at fullback, has bucked for 238 yards in 63 tries for
a 3.8 per-carry average.
McKay Leads Oregon Scorers
McKay leads in another important department, total scoring.
With one tally against the Gaels, McKay brought his point total
to 42 on seven touchdowns. Dick Wilkins follows with four
touchdowns and 24 points, and Keith DeCourcey has three TD’s
and 18 points.
Norm Van Brocklin didn’t throw many passes Saturday,
but he completed six of the eleven he did throw to boost his
passing percentage to .515. In 99 attempts, the Duck quarter
back has completed 51 for 759 yards. That’s an average of 100
plus yards per game.
Four catches in the St. Mary’s game brought Wilkins even
farther ahead in the pass-receiving column, with 17 catches for
351 yards and four touchdowns.
Wilkins’ performance in games so far has been a pleasure
to watch. This college football rookie has a fine chance to
gain All-Coast or higher honors for the 1948 play, and his se
lection would be a wise one.
Dan Garza has received eleven passes for 129 yards and one
TD, while Boh Sanders has caught ten aerials for 55 yards. Mc
Kay is next with seven catches for 144 yards. Wayne Barthol
emy, defensive right end, holds to his pass interception lead, with
five for 83 yards and one touchdown.
Webfoot Passers Hold Edge
As a team, the Webfoots have gained 1618 net yards rushing
and 783 yards from passing, a total of 2401 net yards from rush
ing and passing. Their opponents have gained 1057 net yards on
the ground and 652 from passing, a 1708 total.
Oregon has made 108 first downs compared to 91 for the op
position. Duck quarterbacks have attempted 108 passes, com
pleting 54 of these, while enemy passers have thrown 107 for only
38 completions. Only seven Oregon passes have been intercept
ed in the seven games, while Duck pass defenders have grabbed
15 of their opponents' passes.
Couple of Prime Ribs of Beaver
TWO OAC AGGIES, Arvid Nierhi (left), a 227-pound sophomore left tackle, and Ken Carpenter (right),
two-year letterman at left halfback, will see action this Saturday when the Beavers entertain the
Washington State Cougars at Corvallis.
Swimmers Anticipate Good Year
It has been a bumper crop of
swimming candidates, both var
sity and freshmen, that have
greeted John Borchardt, new
Oregon coach, and it won’t be
stretching things to say that he
and the squad are looking for
ward to a fairly rosy season ev
en though this is his first year
in the PCC.
This seasons victories will
have to be accomplished without
the help of Jim Anderson, sensa
tional freestyle sprinter who last
year unofficially tied the national
40-yard-sprint record twice at 17.4
seconds.
The varsity team will be led by!
three outstanding seniors. One is
Earl Walters, last year-s captain
and high pointer who in the last two
years has been an all-conference
team member in the backstroke.
Earl is a two year letterman. An
other, George Moor^head, a three
year letterman, was high point get
ter in 1946-47. An outstanding
sprinter and one of the finest free
stylers in the PCC for two years.
George should snare plenty of
points this year for the ducks.
The senior who will end his swim
ming career at Oregon this year is
Bob Hiatt, who was out of school
last year. In 1947 Hiatt was second
top point getter and a high class
220 and' 440 man.
Giving their utmost support to
the varsity in their second year or
their first as some are up from last
years frosh team will be: Bill Van
atta an outstanding sprinter: Rod
Harmon, breast stroker who has an
excellent chance of equalling the
outstanding swimming of the great
Jack Dallas, and Spike Baget, an
other good breaststroker.
Jim Stanley is up from the frosh
, and is a fine diving prospect. Bill
Auburn, a letterman from last year,
specializes in the breaststroke. Div
er Willie McCullough is another let
terman from last year.
Frosh Look Good
This year’s frosh team stands a
good chance in winning some of
(Please turn to page seven)
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