DUCK TRACKS
By GLENN GILLESPIE
Emerald Sports Editor
Oregon’s 1948 football team, surely one of the finest in Uni
versity history and a team that can be compared with the great
Webfoot teams of 1916, 1919, and 1933, has returned from its
sojourn into the land of Cotton.
The Cotton Bowl Ducks, co-champions of the Pacific Coast
Conference, returned to Eugene Monday night. They returned
to a city and school where townspeople and students are a lit
tie disappointed about tne garni
result.
It’s only natural that some
disappointment should be
felt, but the Ducks are still
regarded as true champions,
a football team which the
state of Oregon can be proud
of.
Jim Aiken’s Webfoots wen
beaten in the 13th annual Cot
ton Bowl game. They wer
beaten by an equally grea
football team, the fighting Mus
tangs from Southern Methodis
University. The final score real
ly doesn’t mean a great deal
JIM AIKEN
A few breaks one way or the other, and that score could ve been
altered.
The important thing came to light when Pony Coach Matty
Bell admitted that his boys played their best game of the year
against Oregon. It’s no secret that the Oregons didn’t do the
same.
Oregon's Ducks Were 'Off' Against SMU
They were definitely off. The Ducks didn't turn in the kind
of ball game they were capable of playing. They didn't play
another UCLA or Oregon State game. They didn’t, and they
lost 21-13.
Many people have demanded to know why, and plenty of
answers have bounced right back. Answers and excuses that
may or may not be valid. All this ticket business threw this
writer, for one, for a complete loss.
Perhaps many Oregon players were concerned at disposing
of their game tickets. Who woudn’t be? Plenty of money chang
ed hands for Cotton Bowl ducats, and football players are “hu
man” enough to want their share. But we wonder just how
much influence this would have on a college football team?
They sayj the same thing has happened before, and will prob
ably happen in the future. But we really can’t see how this “tick
et fever” could disrupt a football team’s spirit and ability. We
can’t see it, but it could be.
A Mental 'Thing' Beat the Webfoots
The “thing” that whipped the Webfoots certainly was of
the mental variety, since Aiken and his assistants had the squad
in perfect physical condition. But a coach has only limited con
trol over a player's mental attitude.
Presence of the player’s wives and the elaborate pregame
whoop-to-do have also been mentioned as possible causes of
the under-par Duck performance. Of any of the reasons, we
believe the latter to be the most significant.
Arriving in Texas nearly two weeks before the game date,
the team had plenty of time and opportunity to forget about
playing football and concentrate on having a good time. The
boys were really softened up with Texas hospitality and color,
and then torn apart by a furious bunch of Mustangs January 1.
It’s all in the game, and these bowl trips have been under
fire a long time. But the bad is usually crowded out by the
good, what with valuable publicity, “good neighbor” rela
tions, lots of handy contacts, and all the rest.
The 1948 football season is history, and there’s plenty of
reason for the sport fan to be satisfied with it. And besides,
basketball is taking over now, with the hot Northern Division
cage race already underway.
Gill's Beavers Favored in Cage Race
Slat Gill's OSC Beavers have been tabbed the team to beat
by most pre-season forecasters, and they’ve shown fairly well
in pre-season games. Watch Washington and Washington
State, and with a few breaks, John Warren’s Webfoots could
be in there. The loss of Bob Amacher will hurt a lot, since six
foot, eight-inch basketball players aren’t too plentiful. Amacher
didn't make the Idaho trip, and is not expected to see further
action this year.
The Webfoots open here at home January 14 and 15, with
a two-game series against the Idaho \ andals on schedule.
Comes the Revolt:
New PCC Rulings
Aimed atOregon
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Jan. 5
— (AP)—The Pacific Coast con
ference last night in effect banned
all New Year’s Day bowl games ex
cept the Rose Bowl.
Directors at their annual winter
meeting here approved a ruling
providing that the football season
must end no later than the second
Saturday after the last Thursday
in November.
It does not apply, of course, to
the Rose Bowl game. The measure,
as well as two other adopted, was
pointed at the University of Ore
gon.
The conference decided that any
I student enrolled in a physical edu
cation course which includes foot
ball and basketball would not be
permitted to compete in Intercol
legiate athletics in these two
sports for the succeeding year or
season.
Oregon was criticized last year
when it was discovered that some
18 Webfoot football players were
in its famous “PE 190’’ course and
some critics from rival universities
claimed that their lessons seemed
to emphasize football.
Another regulation stipulates
that next year there will be a re
straining line chalked out at least
five feet from the football playing
fields in the conference. Coaches,
players, cameramen and others will
have to stay at least that distance
from those actually in the contest
on the field.
It was recalled that on at least
one occasion during the football
season last fall, the Oregon players
stood immediately against the
sidelines at intervals during the
game, which brought some confu
sion and a protest, in this case,
from supporters of the University
of Southern California.
The conference decided to con
tinue its 30-day spring football
practice as it has been conducted
for a number of years. No addition
al days will be' approved, despite
recommendations by the coaches.
There has been some belief that
Big Nine teams en oy more off
season practice, days—a point re
peatedly denied by Big Nine offi
cials.
Game motion pictjures from now
on mayfce released for public view
after the season ends, except in in
stances where a Rose Bowl entrant
is involved. The old rule prohibited
movies being'screened until after
January 2.
Oregon’s basketball tea mopens
its 1949 home season January 14
and 15, with a two-garne series
with Idaho scheduled in McArthur
court.
r
BOWL
and
Play National
Shuffleboard
at
Dorsey’s
U-BOWL
29 W 11th Ph. 4716
Drafting of Van
Revealed by Rams
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5—(AP)—Drafting' of Norman Var
Brocklin, Oregon quarterback who passed the Webfoots intc
the Cotton Bowl, was announced last night by President Dai:
Reeves of the Los Angeles Rams.
(Continued from page four)
Pre-Season Action
Nets Four Victories
a furious rally in the last five min
utes. Guard Kenny Seeborg drop
ped in a free throw to break a 50-50
tie after Bob Lavey’s gifter knotted
the score.
Cal, paced by their star combi
nation of Bob Walker and Mike
O’Neill, roared the second night, at
one point holding an 18-point lead.
Again the Webfoots rallied, pulling
up to 55-54, but the Golden Bears
hit three free shots to win, 58-54.
Wyoming, with one of the tallest
teams ever to see action in this
area, chalked up two straight vic
tories over the Ducks in Mac court,
56-51 and 57-44.
Too Much Height
The first night the Webfoot team
scrapped hard and pushed the Cow
boys, but the Rocky Mountain team
pulled away. They were even more
effective the second night, with
giants Ron Livingstone, Jerry Reed,
John Pilch and Keith Bloom work
ing the boards well.
In the PCC Tournament in San
Francisco’s Cow Palace, the Web
foots drew Stanford, rated as the
best of the Southern Division, in
the opening round, and gave the In
dians a scare before losing, 70-62.
The Ducks might have made it
still closer, had not forward Paul
Sowers been kicked out of the game
early in the second half for reasons
apparently known only to Tim Mc
Cullough, the oficial who-gave him
the boot. Sowers had scored 10
points at that point.
Cougars in Sweep
In the second round, the Web
foots were apathetic, and fell before
Washington State, their opponents
this Friday and Saturday. The
Cougars jumped into an early lead
and lengthened itout to a final 50
37 margin.
The Webfoots reversed form and
came up with a thrilling 63-62 win
Van Brocklin, a married athlete
from Walnut Creek, Calif., has an
other year of eligibility but Reeves
said the Webfoot star indicated he
planned to take his degree next
June and capatilize on his football
reputation.
Van Brocklin in 10 games of the
1948 season completed 68 of 139
passes for a 48.9 per cent average,
a total of 1,010 yards and seven
touchdowns. He led Oregon to the
Pacific Coast Conference co-cham
pionship with California which got
the Rose Bowl invitation and lost
to Northwestern, 20-14.
Oregon lost to Southern Method
ist 21-13 in the Cotton Bowl, bot
Van Brocklin outpassed his oppo
sition. He completed eight in 19 at
tempts for 145 yards, including a
23-yard touchdown toss to Dick
Wilkins and one for 43 yards to Dar
rell Robinson which set up another
Oregon score.
Van Brocklin, 29, is 6-feet, 1-inch
tall and weighs 192 pounds. He serv
ed with the Navy from 1943 to 1946.
The Rams of the National foot
ball league previously announced
drafting of Bob Thomason, Virginia
Military Institute and Southern
Conference star quarterback.
Reeves said that with Van Brock
lin and Thomason and veterans Bob
Waterfield and Jim Hardy, the
Rams should be all set in the quar
terbacking department “for the
next 10 or 12 years.”
over Washington in the final round,
despite, a 24-point performance by
Husky ace Sammy White. The
Ducks were paced by pivotman
Roger Wiley with 18 and Bob Lav
ey with 16.
Wiley and Lavey are tops in point
production for the ten pre-season
games, Wiley with 142 and Lavey
with 110. Wiley is tops in field
goals and free throws, while Lavey
has the most personal fouls, 30.
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