The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 19

SMITH! iiMD) iP'S 'I By GEORGE SMITH Star Sporti Editor LEXINGTON, Ky. Black is beautiful. One hundred yards of Kentucky's God-grown bluegrass makes it so, To an Inch, that's what the legs of a black kid out of Purvis, covered here Saturday afternoon with a second half kickoff that jerked Alabama's Crimson Tide out of a Kentucky ambush, opening the doors for a 29-14 victory in beautiful Commonwealth Stadium. WILLIE SHELBY, a baby of a young man in his sophomore season, is the name and when young Willie got through running it was 14-7 for Kentucky instead of 14-zip. It did spoil a very special homecoming new coach Fran Curci had ready for Bear Bryant who once coached here in horse and bourbon country and whose leaving still strikes a chord of bitterness in the hearts of old Kentucky grads.

Until Shelby, a 180-pound grass-burner, did his thing there was an upset brewing here on a sunny, but wind-blown Kentucky afternoon that would have taken its rightful place in Wildcat legend. For it is fact that, through those first 30 minutes of a Southeastern Conference football game, unranked Kentucky had just stood there and soundly whipped fourth-ranked Alabama. KENTUCKY HAD dared to spit in Alabama's eye and get away with it. Like giving Alabama the wind at its back and the football to get things started and then living to howl about it with two second-quarter touchdowns that had red-and-crimson banners flying at half-mast when Kentucky's baton twirlers came strutting out in front of Kentucky's band. Fran Curci, now two games deep into his first season at Kentucky, had promised "some surprises" on defense late Friday afternoon.

What Kentucky did may not have been a surprise to coaches who know football, but what happened was sure one heck of a surprise to fans who watch football. WHAT KENTUCKY'S defense, led by senior linebacker Frank Lemaster did, was take away Alabama's lead man, pitch man, quarterback, and passing. It was frustrating for Gary Rutledge and then it was frustrating for Richard Todd, two quarterbacks who had lit the board with 66 points just one week earlier against California. And while Alabama helped things along by losing two of three fumbles in that first half, it was Kentucky's linebackers pinching down and sliding with the flow quickly that deserved the credit. Make that double for a Kentucky offense, led by little Ernie Lewis, a 5-9 quarterback, that cut through Alabama's heart for two second-quarter touchdowns.

OPPORTUNITY, after Kentucky had whipped the wind and the Tide early, came knocking with just 38 seconds left in the first period and after Greg Gantt had missed a 59-yard field goal by a mile when cornerback Jeff Woodcock, coming up fast on an option, jumped on Wilbur Jackson's fumble at the Alabama 30. It took Lewis just five plays, the last two in the second period, to get six with sophomore Sonny Cbllins busting over (See Shelby on page IOC) 3. 1 id Ytrdi Pitting 71 I i YL JL A' 1 PumbltiLott 0 tiX If 1C ty AmttBlOtt tar Sunday, September 23, 1973 1 1C Wcp Anntalott tar Sunday, September 23, 1973 ffr THE YARDSTICK I CI ill Auburn (31) Chittinoogi (0) 1 I THE YARDSTICK Auburn (31) Chittinoogi (0) ri wm II Flnt Downi 11 Yirdt Ruining -30 11 Yirdt Pitting i BIG WILBUR JACKSON BANGS AHEAD FOR BAM A Darryl Bishop wants the football 3 nrniMMLtJ ir 4CT Puntlno Avo, EJ I Yirdt PtniUwd AU'S SULLIVAN WALKER Tiger against Mocs ax machine THE YARDSTICK in Stti (SO) UT-Mirtln (7) 10 First Downt 14 Yirdt Ruthlng i 141 Yirdt Pitting 100 431 Totll Offtntl 246 21 PltMt Attimpttd 34 IS PltHl Complittd IS 0 PltMt Int. By 1 0 FumblM Lot! 40 Punting Avg. 31.3 65 Yirdt Pmillild IS 4 In Awkwm totals UTM And if Charley Pell had any doubts about the "Young Bunch" (defense) before this There's not room for all the stars, but those who really stood out against the Pacers were Richard Stone, Wayne Boyd, Ralph Clayton, Gary Stedham, Henry Studyvent, Dee Cumbaa, Sindo Mayor, Ben Peters, Roger Hibbs and Kim Porch.

The offensive line, with Calvin Word, John Chaney, Mike Chappell, Roy Shaddix and Bob Germany bursting the gaps, was at its best. Gamecock runners made the best of it gaining 296 yards on the ground alone. It was obvious from the start that this would be a field day for the Jaxmen. It took only seven plays for Brock, Callahan, Crump and Co. to move 59 yards after the first (See Jax on page 10C) FARRELL By DAVID HESTER Star Sports Writer AUBURN Chattanooga has been trying and trying to brine down the War Eagle.

But for 17 years that's been like trying to knock a jet out of game, he can rest easy now. They came into their own in this one, surrendering only 246 yards with most of that coming when Pell emptied his bench late in the third quarter and all of the fourth the sky with a sling shot. An assembly of 46,500 watched Chattanooga try again here Saturday. It was no contest in the sweltering heat at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mm Auburn hammered and stammered and finally wrapped up the afternoon 31 points better than the Mocs.

The 31-0 victory made the Tigers record against Chattanooga 17-0- 0. A rock-'emr sock-'em defense was again TjpM By JIM FARRELL Star Sports Writer JACKSONVILLE Fasten your seat belts No. 1 team Grambling and No. 2 Northwest Louisiana, there is some unexpected turbulance ahead in your flight to being the Best small college football team in America. Charley Pell's Jacksonville State Gamecocks stormed through the University of Tennessee at Martin here Saturday night 50-7 and left no doubt that there's a place for them at the top of that list.

This ensemble of runners, passers, catchers and hitters may be the best to ever live up on Paul Snow grass. At least they left that impression with 8,000 or so here who looked on at the circus of scoring. Grabbing center ring for the third time this year was freshman tailback Richard Crump. He runs like a lizzard through a wood pile. He's no Boyce Callahan yet.

but he's well on his way to matching the little record breaker. This night, he was simply incredible every time he touched the football, gaining 91 jfards on just six carries and scoring two touchdowns, one a dazzling 57-yarder. Callahan was his old self again, running for 58 yards on 14 carries and scoring once, despite playing very little. Fullback Gordon Knowlton was at his best, gaining 68 on eight runs. He also caught an eight yard touchdown pass for his first score of the year.

Quarterback Ralph Brock, looking much sharper than a week ago but still not in full form, cut the Pacer defense to pieces completing 13 of 24 passes for 111 yards and two TD's He had two intercepted in the end zone. Terry Grammer was the leading receiver with five catches for 43 yards and one score, and it was a beauty. Howard Preskitt caught four for 29 yards, and Mike Hobson had two for 11 yards and a TD. Vr me success story lor Kalph "Shug Jordan' Tigers, a defense that derailed the V' I in if' I i choo-choo boys before they ever got on the track. HESTER It was solid licks all afternoon from Bill Luka, Ken Bernich, Rusty Dean, Benny Sivley, David Hughes, Bill Newton and David Langner that kept UTC bottl ed up for a 29-yard deficit in running.

And it was big-play men Roger Mitchell and Jim McKinney who helped Auburn get on top and stay there the entire afternoon. It was Mitchell, picking up a blocked Chattanooga punt which was swatted down by Hughes, caressing it in his arms at the four and getting the Tigers first points. And then it was McKinney, returning a blocked field goal attempt and racing past the Auburn bench down to the UTC HOLD ON THERE, ROGER Hibbs just misses interception four where the Tigers scored two plays later. McKinney also swiped two passes from the heralded Moc 1. SOU CAL defeated Ga.

Tech. 23-6 2. NEBRASKA whipped NC State, 31-14 3. OHIO ST. was idle, plays at Purdue next Saturday 4.

ALABAMA clipped Kentucky. 28-14 5. MICHIGANsmothered Stanford, 47-10 6. TEXAS was upset by Miami, 20-15 (Friday night) 7. PENN STATE shut out Navy.

39-0 8. NOTRK DAME blanked N'western. 44-0 9. OKLAHOMA was idle, plays at Sou Cal next Saturday 10. TENNKSSEE crunched Army, 37-18 11.

LSU dropped Texas 28-23 12. AUBURN dropped Chattanooga. 31-0. 13. ARIZONA ST.

played Wash. St. on Coast (night) 14. NC STATE fell to Nebraska. 31-14 15.

FLORIDA edged by Sou Miss, 14-13 16. HOUSTON clubbed S. Carolina, 27-T9 (Friday night) 17. OKLAHOMA ST. crushed Arkansas, 38-36 18.

UCLA played Iowa on Coast night 19. COLORADO nipped Wisconsin, 28-25 20. (tie) BOWLING GREEN slugged Dayton, 31-16 MISSOURI knocked off Virginia, 31-7 casin quarterback, Mickey Brokas, and one led to a touchdown. That Auburn front four probably had a hand In causing Brokas to throw the two interceptions as they swarmed the little quarterback several times. But perhaps there were many people leaving Jordan-Hare Stadium trying to find the answer to the unpotent Auburn offense.

The Tigers longest scoring drive followed a 29-yard punt return by Rick Neel to the 'Nooga 27 and the Tigers took It in from there. Wade Whatley got the starting call at quarterback this (See Auburn on page IOC) 1 i.