The Daily Times-News from Burlington, North Carolina • Page 10

10-A Burlington (N.C.) Times-News, Wednesday, Dec. 22,1171 'We Weren't Winning With What We Were Doing' Bryant 'Bear' Abandons Old Patterns, Installs Wishbone-T, Coaches Tide To 11-0 Log TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -A visitor to this hotbed of Dixie football geis the message quickly--blaring out from red automobile bumper stickers and placards in drug store windows: "The Bear is Back!" Back from where? It's back from mere football respectability to national title contention again for Paul W. "Bear" Bryant, the tough whip hand of the Alabama Crimson Tide and the man with the most victories of all active college football coaches. There were whispers that the game might be passing the old master by when the Tide experienced three straight lack- lustre seasons, starting in 1968, with 20 victories in 33 games.

Rumors were rampant that the Bear might be thinking of retirement. The Bear showed them. Abandoning old and well-entrenched patterns and techniques, Bryant installed the Wishbone-T formation three weeks before the start of the season and proceeded to coach Alabama to a perfect 11-0 season. No. 2 in the national rankings and a shot at top-ranked mgb and a shot at top-ranked Nebraska in the Jan.

1 Orange Bowl. "We weren't winning with what we were doing, so we had to go to something different," the tall, 58-year-old native of Fordyce, said as he dis- cussed the transition from behind a mahogany desk in Alabama's $6 million Sports Coliseum. "I went to Dallas to talk to Darrell Royal (the Texas coach who is credited with popularizing the formation). Then Darrell came to Tuscaloosa to give a clinic. I made up my mind.

We were going to the Wishbone The rest is a matter of Alabama stunned Southern Cal, a 14-pomt favorite, 17-10 in the season opener. Then it went on to sweep past 10 other foes, climaxing the season with a 31-7 triumph over Auburn and its Heisman Trophy winner, Pat Sullivan. noted dis- tinguishing marks other than the Wishbone in the revived Alabama team. Instead of small, quick men--a Bryant trademark--the 1971 squad was peopled by big, quick men. Two black athletes held down key posts.

"You can't call me a wishbone man," Bryant said. "Formations don't win football games, players do. We simply adopted a formation that seemed better adapted to our material--and, fortunately, it worked." The keys to Alabama's Wishbone success have been Terry Davis, a frail-looking 173-pound junior quarterback, and a trio of bullish ball-carriers, hard- running Johnny Musso, Joe LaBue and Steve Bisceglia. "It took a lot of guts for that man to make the move," said Sam Bailey, Bryant's top aide for the last 15 years. "It was like taking all your life's savings and dumping it on an oil well that might or might not hit." Bryant has struck oil, so to speak, at every place he has coached.

In his 27 years at Maryland, Kentucky, Texas and Alabama, he took run-down, rag-a-muffin teams and turned them into instant winners. He suffered only one losing season. His teams have won 210 games, more than those of any other active coach. The rest of the record is 66 losses and 16 ties. Coaching associates and players find it difficult to put a finger on the secret of Bryant's success.

"It's intangible--there's DO way to describe it," says Musso, Alabama's biggest ground- gainer. "He's a great man and you feel it every time you get in his presence." Bryant, speaking in a slow Southern drawl, soft-sells his own contributions to Alabama's success, referring to himself as "chairman of the board." He has become something of a national personality with television audiences because of the worried demeanor and hound's tooth checkered hat he wears on the sidelines. The hat constantly is being snatched by souvenir hunters. Mississippi State holds the hat-stealing record, having grabbed one each of the last five years. Bryant can afford to replace them.

He is preparing to sign a contract with a hat company. He owns a Volkswagen agency in Tuscaloosa, is part owner of a meat-packing company, on the board of directors of an Alabama bank and insurance company, has real estate holdings in Alabama and Texas, does a TV show and endorses a soft drink and potato chips. A millionaire with nothing else to prove as a coach, Bryant says he has no desire to enter the professional field or to retire on his laurels. State Stops Davidson; Virginia Wins; Wake And Clemson Lose CcLVS Run Carolina Faces Juventad; Duke, Dayton Vie Tonight For Coach In Rout By BERT ROSENTHAL Associated Press Sports Writer Yes, Virginia, the Cavaliers will enjoy Christmas. "People are going to ask how we're doing and it's going to be fun telling them we're 7-0 and ranked 18th the country," said high-scoring Barry Parkhill after leading Virginia to an 83-58 rout over Richmond Tuesday night in the Roanoke Basketball Classic Leading only 28-20 with 5:40 remaining in the first half, the Cavaliers were told by Coach Bill Gibson to forget patience and run.

"I wanted them to run," said Gibson. The Cavaliers ran running away from the Spiders by outscoring them 31-3 during one stretch of the second half Parkhill finished with 31 points, while Scott McCandlish had 10 points and 12 rebounds Virginia Military won the second game in the Roanoke Classic, edging Virginia Tech 57-56. Marquette, the nation's No. 2 team, stretched its home court winning streak to 61, downing Minnesota 55-40 behind Bob Lackey's 22 points. Minnesota Coach Bill Musselman said the Gophers were intimidated by Marquette's 6- foot-11 Jim Chones.

Long Beach State, rated sixth, whipped UC-Riverside 9678 behind 6-foot-ll Nate Stephens' 24 points and 20 rebounds. The victory was the 49ers' sixth in seven outings. Sam Cash kept Riverside in contention with 24 points. Ohio University, ranked 17th, lost its second game in two nights, bowing to Detroit 84-77 the consolation game of the Michgian Invitational Tournament. Toledo won the title, beating Michigan 88-72 Louisville, the No.

19 team, rode Jim Price's career high of 32 points to its fourth straight victory after an opening season By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS "The Dayton and Duke basketball teams, who play a Duke tonight, usually have impressive records, but that's not the case so far this season. Dayton is 2-4 after losing its last two games by seven points each. The Flyers are shooting only 39 per cent from the floor. Their leading scorer is Don Smith, who is averaging 14 7. Duke is 3-3 and in its last game, Saturday, defeated Wake Forest 70-58 in the consolation game of the North Carolina Big Tournament.

Richie O'Connor was the leading scorer with 24 points. Besides Duke, two other Atlantic Coast Conference teams, both nationally ranked, play tonight. North Carolina, 5-1 and No. 4, plays in a three-day international round-robin tournament in Madrid, Spain, and opens against Juventad of Barcelona Maryland, No. 15, meets Holy Cross at Hampton, Va.

Then the Terps will take a week's rest before opening in their own invitation tournament next Thursday. Maryland is 5-1 and defeated Baltimore Loyola 73-60 Monday night with Howard White scor- Brodie And Plunkett Get NFL Honor ing 17 points and Jim O'Brien 15. Four ACC teams played Tuesday night. Undefeated Virginia, ranked 18th nationally, won its seventh game, 93-58 over Richmond, in the Roanoke, Basketball Classic. The Cavaliers cleared fheir bench as they drove to a 40 24 halftime lead.

Barry Parkhill had 31 points for Virginia Wake Forest lost to Yale 8575 The Deacons, down 17 points at the half, used a pressing defense to cut their deficit to 5ix late in the game. Each team now is 2-4. Scott Michel and Mike Baskauskas had 26 points apiece for Yale and Willie Griffin was high for Wake Forest with 16. North Carolina State shot 58.8 per cent in defeating Davidson 79-67 for its fifth victory against two losses. The Wolfpack had five players in double figures, led by Steve Nuce with 17 and Joe Cafferky with 15.

Cincinnati routed Clemson 9364 at Cincinnati. The home team raced to a 42-15 lead midway in the first period and relied mainly on reserves thereafter. Clemson was led by Mike Browning and Denny Odle, who had 15 points apiece. Cincinnati is 4-2, and Clemson is 2-2. YAUt PS FT Red.

PFTP 0 0 3 4 6 Mayors Wager On Colts, Browns CLEVELAND (AP) Cleveand Mayor Ralph Perk tried to bet 20 pounds of Polish sausage on the Cleveland Browns in their divisional playoff game Sunday against the Baltimore Colts, but Baltimore Mayor William Schaefer declined to bet. Schaefer said however he'd be happy to exchange a Lexington market basket of frui's. meats and seafoods for tvo baskets of Perk's Kielbasa. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) John Brodie of the San Francisco 49ers was among the biggest boosters of Stanford quarterback Jim Plunkett a year ago "And I'm sure glad the 49ers won't have a chance to draft him," said Brodie last year, the 14th since he himself had been a Stanford quarterback. Heisman Trophy-winner Plunkett went to the New England McLoren 3-10 Heorns 2- 6 Michel 8-13 Ferguson 1- 3 Baskauskas 11-12 Mundane 0- 2 Jaboszewskl 4 7 Wilson 0 0 G'izzard O- 1 Rinck 0-0 Watkins TOTALS 1- 2 0- 0 10-13 1- 1 3- 3 2- 2 0- 0 0- 0 3- 0- 0 0 3 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 3 setback, an 89-70 "decision over i Patriots and helped them be- Alabama come one of the surprise teams Don Haskins gained his 200th victory as coach at Texas-El Paso as the Miners blasted Colorado 83-57 for their eighth triumph nine games this season.

Colorado State knocked Texas Christian from the unbeaten ranks, handing the Horned Frogs their first setback in five games 100-78. North Carolina State shot 58 8 per cent from the field and whipped Davidson 79-67. Sophomore Andy Rimel's 26 points helped Princeton hold off a late Stanford rally dians 88-85. and nip the In- Bob Ford pumped in 31 points and Bill Franklin added 22, leading Purdue to an 88-62 romp over San Jose State. Rick Williams' 28 points paced Iowa to an 86-77 victory over Nebraska Lionel Harris, a second-string transfer from Miami of Flon- of the National Football League this season Brodie led the 49ers to a second straight division title and a playoff assignment against the Washington Redskins here Sunday Brodie and Plunkett were named the NFL Offensive Play wrs of the Week by The Associated press Tuesday for their performances on the last Sunday of the regular season.

San Francisco, needing a victory to win the National Foo ball Conference West title, beat Detroit Cl-27 as Brodie threw 31-56 23-28 38 14 85 WAKE FOREST (75) FG FT RH). PFTP Jockson 7-13 Hobcager 4 6 Dean 3-10 Owver 5-11 Lewkowlcz 1-7 Griffin 8-20 Hook 2- 2 Orcnczak 0-0 Kellv Catlett 1- 1 2- 2 1-1 0- 4 3- 1- 1 1- 1 2- 2 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 TOTALS 34-73 7-13 29 21 75 1 34--" FortJt 34 41--75 Sorrcntiro Mlnkin Falconi Pecorok Sutler Pecorak Waoner Goficire TOTALS DAVIDSON FG tt 17 2- 3 7 20 0- 5 7 18 5-13 0- 0 0- 0 'FT PF TP 1 2 2 3 1 3 3- 3 4- 7 4 6 0- 1 1 2 0- 2 0- 0 27-76 13-'4 36 47 C. STATE FG FT Reb 5 7 i- 4 2 Wake Forest's JOHN LEWKOWICZ Drives In For A Layup Against Yale Defender; The Ivy Leaguers Emerged Victorious, 85-75 Paladins' Success Credited To Bierly's Rebounding Power Les Selvage, then with Anaheim, holds the ABA record for most three-point field goals. He hit 10 against Denver in 1968 when he also took a record 25 home-run shots. (Not Exactly As Illustrated) An Ideal Christmas Gift! AM-FM TRANSISTOR RADIO Only 50 To Sell! ca Alamance Drug Co.

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Not on- that, but Bierly is Furman's No 2 scorer with an average of 14.8 points per encounter. "Bud has improved tremendously since coming to Fur- man," Williams says. "The big- est thing going for him is his attitude. He's got the attitude of the ideal player, never complain ing and always getting the job done Furman closes out pre-Chnst- mas play tonight with a noncon- ference clash at Georgia Tech. Tonight's only other action has league-leading William and Mary, 2-4 over-all, at Rice to wind up a three-game road trip on which the Indians have lost their first two starts Virginia Military's Keydets turned in the Tuesday night shocker by upsetting Virginia Tech's Gobblers 57-56 in the second game of the Roanoke Classic after Richmond's Spiders had taken a 93-58 whipping in the opener from Virginia's unbeaten Cavaliers, the nation's No 18 team The Keydet triumph was the only one in three tries for league teams, for Davidson's Wildcats dropped a 79-67 decision to N.C.

State Sophomore Steve Nuce had 17 points for the Wolfpack which shot 58.8 per cent to Davidson's 35 5 John Falconi led the Wildcats with 18 points. VMI hit 44 per cent, its best showing of the season, in beating Virginia Tech, which shot just 31 per cent. Trailing 25-21 at intermission, the Keydets caught up at 50-50 and took the lead for good on Rod Brewer's field goal and Charlie Tyler's free throw. three touchdown passes and ran 10 for the winning touchdown. Plunkett completed 10 of 17 passes for 170 yards a 21-17 upset of the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Colls.

The Patriots, the NFL's worst team in '1070. won four of their last seven games and finished a respectable 6-8. Aftei the 49ers beat New da. broke loose for 29 points as rt Cincinnati crushed Clemson 93-'England 27-10 hcie Oct. 31.

64. Mike Baskauskas who hit 11 Brodie said, -Plunkett is of 12 field goal attempts, and but he has to take over the I s- Scott Michel each scored 2fi tnot-s' offense He has to put points, pacing Yale to an 85-75 his own personality into it. triumph over Wake Forest The rookie tossed an 88-yard Connecticut, behind pass to former btan- Gary Custick's 22 points and 14 ford teammate Randy Vataha rphnnnds rfpfeatfid Columbia (Sunday on a third down plaj with 2:22 left in the game. i "I took a chance. That's just me." he said later.

rebounds, 68-62. Boston U. Meets RPI For Crown BOSTON (AP) Boston University, the defending A A a Then hockey champion, will meet fidcnce and RPI tonight in the finals of the more ECAC Christmas hockey tour-i Plunkctt's 1 I i i "I think I loosened up the end of the I realized I was playing conservatively, but I didn't a lo make mis- I got more con- started throwing! nament at Boston Garden. BU moved into the finals with a 4-1 victory over Northeastern Tuesday night. RPI posted a 5-3 victory over New Hampshire.

Sundav was to.ichdown pass his 19th of the year, one under the NFL season record for a rookie and one more than Brodie threw this year. Boys AND Girls! WE HAVE CHICAGO RINK SKATES AND ALL ACCESSORIES JOIN IN ON THE FUN TODAY! Burlington Sporting Goods 425 S. Spring St. 226-6634 Opposite The Old Post Office THE SWEATER SHIRT BY SOFT WARM SOPHISTICATED Here it is, with long collar and placket, the sweater shirt in machine washable Virgin Lambs Wool. For the way you live now.

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