Del Rio News Herald from Del Rio, Texas • Page 14

2B-OEL RIO (TEXAS) NEWS-HERALD, Friday, November 16,1973 WINNING EXCITES VIKING STAR Football Not Dull to Tarkenton By Murray SAK FRANCISCO (NEA) Who says professional football is 4ull? Boring? Repetitive? Unimaginative? The questions were pealed off rhetorically by Francis Asbury Tarkenton. the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, who has been elated by his team's success but incensed by criticism of the basic product. He was for an impassioned defense of football as it is played today, with proliferating field goals, heavy emphasis on running, shoK safe passes and accent on defense. "Who said the long bomb is necessary," argued Fran, "to exciting football?" Think about it a second. A couple of decades ago, critics especially -college coaches were deriding pro football is basketball in shoulder pads because teams were throwing the ball all over the lot Now suddenly everybody's yearning for the good old days.

"Nobody can tell me," continued Fran, "the home run ball is the only interesting thing in football. I mean, what's duller than an incomplete pass? "Listen, Green Bay beat the Dallas Cowboys in 1965 with a minus-10 yards passing and nobody complained then about dull football. They were legends, those teams. The New York Giants won three games in 1958 without scoring a touchdown on offense. The New York fans FRAN TARKENTON cheered more in those days for defense.

It wasn't a wide open game then." A check of statistics re- veals an interesting comparison. In 1952, each of the 12 teams then in the National Football League threw an average of 28 passes a game, completed 13, for an average gain of 14.4 yards. In 1972, each of the 26 NFL teams averaged 25 passes a game, also completed 13, for an average gain of 13.2 yards. A team averaged isy yards rushing per game in 1972, versus 134 in '52. "The pro game is so far advanced today," asserted Tarkenton, "there's no comparison.

The athletes are better and the game is much more sophisticated, plus there are more disciplined patterns of offense and defense now. "Most teams didn't really work 13 years ago when I came into pro ball There was no conditioning factor then. These guys are really in shape. And they know what they're doing because of superior preparation. It's a strategy game now.

You got to do what the situation dictates." There has, of course, been a perceptible increase in field goals. The Vikings, for instance, beat Green Bay earlier this season without scoring a touchdown. In their thriller against the Rams, only one touchdown was scored in the 10-9 victory. "Well," rationalized the veteran quarterback. "Gen.

Bob Neyland of Tennessee said years ago the kicking game is the most important part of football. "I tell you, I think the game is so popular and so successful that somebody's got to zing it "They talk about the zone defense shutting off the passing game. Well, Detroit is blitzing 18 times a game now, and you know that when blitz a team can't use zone. "I tell you what makes football exciting. Winning.

Winning is everything, like Vince Lombardi said. You don't hear them complaining about our football being dull in Minnesota." The Vikings passed the halfway part of the season as the only undefeated team in the NFL, and for Tarkenton this has to be particularly satisfying because in the past dozen years he has never played on a team that reached a championship plateau, even at the division level. The innuendos about not being a winner, which trailed Tarkenton for years, are fading. You don look like you're very excited," said his wife, Elaine, when he came home after the first few Viking wins. "I won't get excited," shrugged Fran, "until we've won it all." Meanwhile, for him, it's not dull.

(NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSNJ SWC PLAYER OF WEEK Hollas Unleashes Owls Penned Emotions Ass MICHAEL A. LUTZ ited Press Sports Writer HOUSTON CAP) The Rice Dnlverslty tend, called The Mob, set the tone at halfttme Witt a tO ttK buiMing up inside of each of us the past several weeks ly came right out in the end zone in a pile of bodies," said Owls have been torn by internal friction much of the season. Hollas was playing for the first time since be dislocated Ovl linebacker Richard fes farther contributed to the theme in the fourth quarter when he returned an ceptton 29 jute for down that ended a five-game losing streak ind assured a 17-7 victory over Arkansas. By the time HoOac reacted end cone, the entire Rice team had cone bananas. Coaches' players, and ere all mobbed Hollas in the -end acne in an emotional pouring that bad been baffling op for fire weeks.

Freshman player BUIy Heal, taking note of Coach Al Groover's antics, did abort 10 yards of wheels. When order was finaOy stored, Bice booted the extra point and floated on to victory. HoDBB dttnt just stand around waiting to make the hie play of the game. He also made 11 tackles, including six unassisted, in the emotional victory and Us efforts earned him The Associated Press Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors. Conovercaltodaftrst onarter interception by Collie Cufeep- per more important to OK come of the game, but called I the emotional Ugh pnfatt gf fta game.

"Everythtai that had been SWC OFFENSIVE STAR Mike Land rum Revives Coffin-Corner Kicking By MICHAEL A. LUTZ Associated Press Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) Rice punter Mike Landrnm- his friends call him Goofy- revived the lost art of kicking for the "coffin corner" last week and it put the Arkansas Raxorbacks ic one. Rice rained only 138 yards in total offense to 404 for Arkansas but Landrum's deadly inp and coverage by Us teammates allowed the Owls to beat the Boa and snap a five-game losing streak. Landrum, a sophomore from Tyler, panted nine times for a 40.3 average that included boots of 51 aadlbyards.Five of the punts landed inside UK Arkansas 11-yard ane. The Hogs had to start drives at their own 7,8,7,3, and 11 yard lines due to ID Landmm pinpoint accuracy earned him The Associated Press Offensive Player of the Week honor, the first time the award ever has bean presented to a punter.

Going into the game Landrum said be was thinking about improving his average. "Ever since I've been around football, I've seen Oat when yon are down and losing guys try to boost themselves instead of the team. "I know going into the game I was thinking more of improving my average than anything else. Bat by keeping them in the hole, our defense could afford to give up 50 to 60 yards and stmkeep them out of field goal range. "So I forgot about my average and just tried to keep them in the hole." Landrum said the victory, which gave the Oils a 2-6 record, really was their first of the season.

"Wefeel it is our first victory," Landrum said. "We played so poorly against Montana. We scored 20 points when we should have scored 50. But Has had to be a great uplift" Landrnm said he started out the season just trying to hang the ball up the middle but in the last three games has started going for the sidelines. Landrnm straight -away boomers also did the job.

Landrum's first punt of the game went 51 yards from his own 28 to the Arkansas 21, where the Hogs netted a three-yard return. His other three boots possess own 44. 16 and 36, Arkansas possession at gave their Coach Al Conover tagged the "Goofy" nickname on Landrum last year shortly after Conover collared Landrum at a Rice- Texas basketball game for what Conover thought was too much rowdiness. "It didnt help when I fumbled a snap during spring train ing and threw an Landrum said. "But coach told me I could go to the Am basketball game this year and shout all I want to- just dont use sign language." an elbow three weeks ago against Southern Methodist.

At the time be was feared lost four to six weeks but he made it back in two weeks. Despite bis contributions to the victory, Hollas said it wasnt his best game. "I didnt play that well," the senior from Schulenburg said. "One play made it look that way, but I was just plain lucky. I had been hurt, and didnt even start I have had much better games." The victory gave Rice a record this year with games against Texas "TCU and Baylor left Hollas said part of the difference in the Arkansas game compared to past games was a return visit to "the tree." "Our meeting at the tree was part of it," said Hollas, referring to a tree where Rice players meet prior to home games.

weren't very close before, but more of the team is backing Coach Conover there's more a feeling of togetherness." The Owls host the Texas gies this week. Conover to time to direct the Aggie band hat season after an upset of but Conover probably wont try that trick again. The bananas routine could work two weeks in a row..