The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • 25

No 1 Bucks Prove It To Trojans 27-16 By Trrry Betterton Kriwnn Br sport writer PASADENA There can he no doubt about it Ohio State University's claim to the No 1 ranking among the college font-ball teams is valid The mighty Buckeyes of coach Woody Hayes voided a spectacular 80-yard touchdown dash by heralded 0 Simpson and put the breaks on the second-ranked USC offense in the second hulf to take an overpowering 27-16 Rose Bowl victory Led by sophomore quarter back Rex Kern named the play-er-of-the-game by the Helms Athletic Foundation and first- game kept our backs home a little more than usual but we did not put in a special defense for this game We did not change anything at halftime either takes a great back to run those sweeps and that son-of-a-gun runs them better than anybody Simpson must have broke by eight players on that long Although Simpson had what many considered a poor game the Trojan workhorse finished with 171 yards rushing and eight pass catches for 85 yards On the minus side for the Hcisman Trophy winner were fered no excuses: "We got beat That Is all I ran say When you fumble deep In your own area you'll get beat I was not surprised at anything they did They moved the ball on everybody they played and I assumed they would move against us" Move the bull Ohio State did The Bucks rolled up 361 total yards on offense But the Trojans had 366 yards The difference was the big defensive play of the muscular Buckeye much to the pleasure of the large and vocal OSU See Buckeyes Page 4-C year roverbnek John Tatum Ohio State turned a 10-pninl deficit Into an Impressive victory before a record 102063 sun-drenched New Year's Day crowd Then came the biggest single play in the game On second and seven from the Trojan 30 Steve Sogge dropped back to pass was blasted by Bill Urbnnik and the ball bounced away to be recovered by Vic Stottlcmycr The Buckeyes who finished the season undefeated and ranked tops in the nation in both wire-service polls simply had (no much muscle for the Trojans Superior blocking in the trenches and muscular defense wore USC down in (he final half "Stop 0 Simpson and you stop the USC Trojans" had been the theme of 10 straight Troy opponents Ohio State was able to do that In the second half In the first two periods with a big boost from the spectacular 80-yard sweep Simpson rolled to 137 yards in 18 carries But in the final half the 307-pound speedster was limited to 34 yards in 10 tries did not do anything special to stop Simpson" said the bubbling Hayes while holding court with the press after the three turnovers two fumbles and a pass interception One of the fumbles led to the clinching touchdown In the final quarter "Ohio State is a great team They hit very hard but not quite as hard ns California Tatum is a great defensive player" Simpson said Tatum a rugged 202 -pound sophomore got to know Simpson very well The Buckeye ro-verhack was credited with only four unassisted tackles but was all over the field He continually was crashing into Simpson with impressive results Kern displayed considerable poise and coolness for a sopho more Although the OSU coaching staff called 80 per cent of the plays the sure-fingered ball-handler engineered this ball-control offense despite a temporary shoulder dislocation in the first period lie remained in the ball game until the final seconds "The turning point was the momentum we gained just before the end rf the half" said the quiet uuarterback were down by 10 points but if we were to be the No 1 team we had to show our championship calibre by coming back Our seniors played great and supplied the leadership" USC coach John McKay of A Day With 0 Picks pSf-0 'The 49ers? PASADENA CaliT (AP) -OJ Simpson says he probably will decide "in the next three or four days what I want to do" about his future in football The swivel-legged Southern California runner a standout In the 27-16 Rose Bowl loss Wednesday to Ohio State Ohio Governor Praises PASADENA (AP) Gov James A Rhodes of Ohio complimented Southern California football star 0 Simpson today as "a gentleman and true Rhodes who saw Ohio Slate University down the Trojans 27-16 on New Year's Day in the Rose Bowl said Simpson came to the Ohio State dressing room "and told them that they (OSU) are No He added me it was the greatest display of sportsmanship No wonder California loves Gi his right and ran score un- Debeve touched dazzling 80-yard touchdown run in the second quarter begins as he pulls out of the grasp of Mark AP WlrtoholD 0 Simpson fumbles in the fourth quarter after being tackled by Mark Slier of Ohio State to set up a third Buckeye touchdown and put the game out of reach mm mm said he would like to live in San Francisco after graduation next spring like to play for a California professional team preferably in the National Football he said if I'm happy financially happy" chances of playing I for a California team are slim Buffalo will get the first pick in the pro-draft with Philadelphia and Atlanta next in line San Forty Niners will get the 16th selection As a pro player Simpson said he expects to catch the ball more often After gaining more than miles carrying a pigskin in four years of college he said: like to get a defensive man one-on-one And as a pass receiver I'll be one-on-one more often I expect to be running through the line that much" Simpson said his dual role as See Simpson Page 4-C The Fresno Bee Fresno California Thursday January 2 1969 BBOmu McKay Lays Loss On Fumbles Would Rather Bowls son caught 18 passes in 10 regular season games but he caught eight Wednesday for 85 yards In the Rose Bowl Tatum is their rover" McKay said by sending Simpson in motion we thought we could Isolate him one-on-one with someone" Simpson agreed with the game plan and said he might be used more as a pass receiver by See McKay Page 4-C By Dan Berger PASADENA Calif (AP) can't fumble the ball and expect to be in the said a weary Coach John McKay after his Southern California Trojans had been ripped 27-16 by Ohio State gave them the ball and they capitalized 1 on it added McKay we hadn't given up the ball deep in our territory I think we would have given up more than two or three touchdowns and I think we would have won Two key fumble recoveries helped the Buckeyes to 14 points in the final quarter after they had led just 13-10 Asked if one of his game plans was to throw passes to Hcisman Trophy star OJ Simpson more than in the past McKay answered and then added "Looking back maybe we should have thrown to him a lot more1 All-American halfback Simp By TM SiHciaM Pros Uw Bawl Ohlp State 27 Southern Callternla Carton Bowl Toxas Ttniwuca I Arkansas It Georgia 2 Oranee Bowl Penn State 15 Kansas 14 TveMoy'i Hewitt AP Wlrmhoto ever officials ruled Dickerson had possession and awarded USC a touchdown provoking the biggest argument Coach Woody Hayes of Ohio State viewed these photos and said it was an incomplete pass END-ZONE Southern California end Sam Dickerson (18) and Ohio State halfback Mike Polaski (15) go up for an end-zone pass intended for Dickerson in the closing moments of the Rose Bowl game After they fell to the ground the ball squirted loose How- Southern Methodist 21 Okie home 27 Lions Roar Back On 'Gift' PAT No 12 Kills Kansas the two points fell incomplete leaving Kansas with a 14-13 back Chuck Burkhart passing to Campbell who grabbed the ball over the head of Kansas defender Tommy Anderson and fell at the three-yard line Two smashes by fullback Tom Cherry netted absolutely nothing against the stubborn Kansas By Ralph Bernstein MIAMI (AP) A 12th man on the field gave Penn Stale a second chance for a winning two-point conversion with 15 seconds remaining and the Nittany Lions made it for a 15-14 victory over Kansas fn the Orange Bowl New night Halfback Bob Campbell ripped into the end zone for the lead A red flag however lay on the goal line as players streamed off the field An official had counted 12 Jayhawks in the lineup on the play -Penn State about to stare a gift horse in the mouth Given a second chance this time from the one-yard line the Nittany Lions made it good for their 11th victory in a perfect Orange Statistics bility to see that he comes back out" Rodgers said he realize he had 12 men on the field until the official's flag was thrown Until then he thought his game kids had withstood late assault Rodgers also defended his decision not to go for a field goal in the fourth period which could have put the game out of reach Kansas had fourth and one at the State five and went for it John Riggins was held for no gain I need less than one or two yards for a first down I am not afraid to go for Rodgers said thought we had a good chance to make it We have a fine fullback (Riggins) and if he did not make it we would still be in a very good defensive Kansas built its 14-7 lead with See Lions Page 3-C Kansas Psaa Slate 17 It 207 M5 154 lot 01 t-is-l 1S23-2 IBM HI I 2 10 15 Pint downi RuiMna yardaq Palling vardaga Ralurn vardaga Paisas Punte FumWes last Yards panaOnd The finish stunned a crowd of 77719 which had begun to file out thinking the game was over and Kansas had won Even the Nittany tying touchdown was something out of fiction It came on a busted play Penn State trailed 14-7 with 1:28 remaining Kansas with defense Then Burkhart the un sung quarterback of the third' ranked Nittany Lions rolled to his right and raced three yards for a touchdown Actually Burkart was sup posed to hand off the ball to halfback Charley Pittman but a Kansas defender got between them and Burkhart had no choice but to run for his life into the corner He scored standing up setting up the most dramatic finish in the 35-year history of the Orange Bowl Kansas Coach Pepper Rodgers took the blame for the 12th man caper was my fault' he said I send a player into the game my response deciding conversion which preserved Penn State's unbeaten season and left a shell-shocked Kansas team in his wake An hour after the frantic fin- Ish the 12th man junior linebacker Rick Abernathy sat in the Kansas dressing room his head cupped in his hands and tears streaking his face Third-ranked Penn State appeared beaten when a pass for fourth down and 23 at its 25-yard line was forced to punt Penn State put on a 10-man rush and defensive halfback Neal Smith partially blocked the ball which was covered at the Kansas 49 On first down Penn State ran what Coach Joe Patemo called a with quarter UPI Radio-TV Sports TONIGHT Television pm Rallar Darby KAIL 51 'OH THANK YOU- Penn Stale's Bob Campbell (23) raises his arms in ecstasy as the referee signals that Campbell's two-point conversion run was good to give Penn State victory over Kansas 15-14 a pP A.