Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 62

Over! Party9 tie Vikings Bury Lions' Playoff Hopes, 29-10 Coach Bud Grunt's irrepressible Vikes thus defeated Detroit for the eighth straight time and clinched' their fourth successive Central Division championship. They will play a warmup game at Chicago next week, then host a Super Bowl playoff game here Christmas weekend. The Lions? They'll wind up a disappointing campaign at San Francisco next Sunday, then bah, humbug! "We spotted them too many points," Joe Schmidt said with a shrug. "There's no way you can play a team like Minnesota and give them that many points." Landry threw an interception to Viking linebacker Roy Winston for a 29-yard touchdown return before the game was scarcely two minutes old, and that set the pattern for the whole ugly mess. The victory was a signal success (as are most in these parts) for the Viking special teams and defensive unit particularly tackle Alan Page, who made approximately 3,792 tackles and blocked a Herman Weaver punt for a safety.

What the Vikings laughlingly call their offense managed only seven first downs. They ran only 47 offensive plays and gained merely 21 yards passs-ing and 1 13 on the ground. In addition, Minnesota was penalized 13 times. Still, the Vikes won it guing away. "IT'S HARD TO believe," said General Malinger Russ Thomas, shaking his head.

"It's unreal. We really beat ourselves good this time." In every locker room corner, Lions sat either looking at the floor or. shaking their heads on disbelief over the strange hex this purple-clad band seems to have over them. "It's the same thing every time," said Wayne Walker, who has suffered through all the Viking victory string. "If it's not one thing, it's something else." "I guess we don't live right," added co-captain Ed Flanagan.

"I don't know what we're doing wrong." "Every year it's the same damn thing," echoed Craig Cotton, who played the entire game and Please turn to Page 2D, Col. By JACK SAYLOK Free Press Sports Writer MINNEAPOLIS There are 36 to Super Sunday, but there are 218 days until the start of training camp at Cranbrook. That's the Lions' magic number. Get out the Frank Sinatra record and hum along, dolefully, that "The Party's Over." Throw in a chorus of "Hearts and Flowers" too. The Lions were buried in Grant's tomb by the Minnesota Vikings, 29-10, Saturday their long shot playoff dreams strewn on the barren Minnesota wasteland as the big giveaway show returned to national television.

The Lions, their offense dulled by Greg Landry's poorest game of the season and the thud! thud! thud! of the incomparable Viking defense, managed 10 points. But they also handed Minnesota all its points via innumerable mistakes in an incredible display of largesse. In the spirit of the season, the Lions gave up three interceptions, two fumbles, one blocked punt and a partridge in a pear tree. t71 71 hVJL JW mil WuAvu nr. i 4 Awn i Si fit i St I I this year," quarterback Greg Landry con- "The worst game I've played I esses.

Story on Page SECTION Detroit 4frccSrco Ford Has I Ions For Lion Coaches Sports SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1971 UPu Joh fti is tiny Photo Colts in 1st 14-3 It's all over but the shouting for the Lions' Bob Bell, who screams at referee Jimmy Cole that a blocked field goal shouldn't have been ruled a TD. Bell blocked the kick, the ball struck Lion Jim Mitchell and Viking Jim Lindsey fell on it in the end zone for the score. Walker: Til Get Cuozzo' BY CURT SYLVESTER Free Press Sports Writer BALTIMORE Bring on the challengers the Patriots, the playoff contenders and the Super Bowl pretenders. The Baltimore Colts are ready. That is, Johnny Unitas Is ready and when Johnny U.

is ready, so are the Colts. They put their house in order Saturday by choking off the: Miami Dolphins, 14-3, before 60,238 fans in Memorial Stadium, That put the Colts, the defending Super Bowl champions," back on top of the American Football Conference-East; ahead of the Dolphins, where they will stay unless the New England Patriots can produce a miracle here MINNEAPOLIS No one is more disappointed at what happened to the Lions this season than the man who pays the bills Bill Ford. And now, in the wake of this disaster in the Minnesota north country, he plans to do something about it. He is going to make some changes, he said. What they'll be, he doesn't know.

But as the owner of the Lions stood in the middle of the dressing room after Saturday's 29-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, he made it plain that he was satisfied with, the job Joe Schmidt was doing as the head coach but wasn't so sure about the rest of the staff. Ford did not name any names. He is too smart for that. He's been there before. But he said the Lions may not be using their coaching staff in the proper way and indicated they might add another coach for the 1972 season.

Nothere would be no deletions just possibly an And, he said, something would have to be done about the defense and if this sounded strangely like Alex Karras at work at the typewriter, so be it. On this dismal day in the tundra, William Clay Ford was as unhappy as anyone connected with this team and more so because he expected so much of (his season. "This has got to be the most disappointed I've ever been since I've owned the club," he said in a quiet voice. "Always before we were building, we were always moving in the right direction. "Now this is the first time we've gone the other way and we've got to take a hard look at our situation." Lions Spinning Their Wheels Ford was not lashing out at anybody in particular.

He's learned about that, too He was merely answering questions about the state of his football team and he was being honest, as always. "I can't criticize the efforts of our coaching staff. They work as hard as any staff in the league," said Ford. "But maybe we are working on the wrong things. You can spin your wheels a lot in this business, you know.

"We just make too many mistakes out there training camp mistakes," he went on. "It's obvious we've got to make changes. We've got to look at our staff and we've got to make some changes in our defense. "Our defensive line has been sagging. It'll have to be rebuilt.

We've got some age in our secondary. I can't find fault with our offense. "We've got good running backs, good receivers, two fine quarterbacks and I hope they both stay and our offensive line is as good as there is in the league. "But ape has been catching up with us on defense. And then, Mike Lucci and Paul Naumoff have never been 100 percent And, well, I don't like to use these things as excuses, but we just didn't play up to our potential.

"In fact, I don't think ever really fulfilled our potential this season." Ford made it clear that Schmidt was safe that he hadn't lost any faith in his No. 1 man. He said it would be himself, Schmidt and General Manager Russ Thomas who would have to sit down and analyze the entire situation. "We've got a lot of studying to do and some decisions to make," said Ford. "It's nothing we're going to rush into.

It's going to take several weeks, maybe longer. But we've got to make some changes. "I look at the Chicago Bears with their seven-man staff. I think maybe that's the thing to do." Ford did not say whether, if the Lions added a new coach, that man would work with the offense or defense. He was asked if Schmidt, who suddenly has come under fire from the fans and the press, might be getting disgusted with the whole situation and possibly think about quitting.

"No, it's in his blood I don't think Joe could give it up," Ford replied. And then he backed up his man, who is in a strong finarl- cial position since he has a renewable contract, That means if Ford ever wanted to fire him like now he'd have to pay off at least two years on Schmidt's contract. By JOE FALLS Free Press Sports Editor MINNEAPOLIS The tears welled up in Wayne Walker's eyes. They were tears of frustration and anger. For the 14th straight season, he was playing with a loser.

BUT FOR the first time in his life, he felt he was being made a fool of. He was livid over Giiry Cuozzo's attempt, to throw a bomb against the Lions in the final 40 seconds of Saturday's game. The score was 29-10 at the time, the decision long settled. Walker felt the Minnesota quar-terhnck was trvny to rub salt into tlif Lions' v.lf Mh vli -Wfks. wounds.

"If I have to play until I'm 40 years old, I'll get him so help me, I'll get him," Walker raged in the Lions' dressing room. "I told him that, too," added Walker, who was so angry he had (rouble getting his words out. "The guy's got no class no class at all. lie pulU I thai stuff wiien he first came Into the and he's still doing it." 4- jti. itytofw V' With Alan Page (88, far left) staring him In snap from center, le wound up ar, a busted the face, quarterback Greg Landry drops the play when Landry feil on his ow IVn'Vo.

ase turn to Page 2D, Col. I rquetle next Sunday in their last regular-season game. i ALL IT TOOK Saturday was one good half by the old pro, Unitas, who is a little late i getting into mid-season form because of an Achilles injury i that required pre-season sur- gery. I And one good half was easy for Johnny on this sunny, 68- degree afternoon. Even Miami Coach Don Shula was Impressed.

Shula, who had Unitas on his side when he coached the Colts, said the Unitas he saw take apart his Dolphins Saturday was the Unitas of the 1950s and 1960s a quarterback "who always seemed like he had the right play at the right time." The first time he put his hands on the ball, Unitas marched the Colts 81 yards in 16 plays, expertly mixing his radar passes with the rushing bolts of Norm Bulaich and Tom Matte; After going 12 for 13 and 103 yards in the air in that first half, Unitas threw only six more times in the game. The 38-year-old quarterback completed a total of 16 out of 19 passes for 142 yards, none longer than 17 yards. "THEY HAD nine men in the secondary," Unitas said. "Where else are you going to put the ball? They dropped Please turn to Page 5D, Col. 1 Hurons Are Beaten In Bowl DebuL 14-3 La.

Toch 14 41-106 170 91 15-14 1 3 34 0 0-3 7 0-14 E. Mich First downs 12 Rushes Y'cls 41-1711 Possina yardaqe 37 Return yard.me 6 Passes 7-14-0 Pums 4-211. Fumbles lost 4 Yards penaliied .0 E. Michigan 0 3 Louisiana Tech 7 0 6 Joe Is Gelling Heller' Obviously, that isn't about to happen. Schmidt is still his Louisi.il LT Borleau 17 pass Irom.

Lantrlo i Bale kick). FM FO 13 Nunn. LT Williorn fl punt return (Bales kick A Smothers U-M, 81-52 MILWAUKEE (AP) Second-ranked Marquette, behind the intimidating Jim Chones and a defense which smothered Michigan star Henry Wilmore, toppled the ninth -ranked Wolverines, Saturday night. The fl-foot-ll Chones scored 24 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked seven shots to lend the Warriors, 4-0 this year, to their consecutive win at home. WILMORE, averaging 29..1 points per game, was guarded chiefly by sophomore Marcus Washington and was held to 12, a total matched by teammate Ernie Johnson, Michigan's Wayne Grablec, averaging 19.7, was held to three.

Red Wiiijjs Breeze by Flyers, 6-3 BY HOWARD ER1CKSON Free Press Sports Writer Nick Libctt was the real hero of the Red Wings' 6-3 triumph over the Philadelphia Myers at Olympia Saturday He scored the winning goal with y2 minutes left in the game. Unfortunately, though, Li-belt wasn't the man who ignited the 1 1 ,775 paying customers. It was Marcel Dionne, the Wings' talented rookie who came to Detroit with a fist-full of press notices claiming him to be one of Canada's top junior scorers of all time, UNTIL SATURDAY night, however, those press notices were as worthless to the 20-year-old murvel as a bul-sam hockey stick. IJut hU two goals late In the third period after Libett had given Detroit Its victory put almost every spectator on his heels. "My goal didn't mean Bositrc alter Dan ern Coach stop the passing game of Ken Lantrip, had virtually no air arm itself, had no threat to the outside and no kicking game.

Eastern's problems began midway in the first periot' when starting quarterback Houston Booth fumbled an Louisiana Tech recovered on its own 45 yard line. Lantrip, a lefthanded passer, who admits he probably won't be drafted by the pros because of his lack of size, got his aerial game working in a hurry. On the first play following the fumble Lantrip hit Roland Harper for an eight yard gain. Glen Berteuu, subbing for star buck Charlie Me-Daniels who was injured early in the game, broke up the middle for six yards TWO OF the next four plays were pusses from Lantrip to Robert Sheppard and Harper which put the bull on the Hu- Plcase turn to Page 71), Col. 4 By HAL SCItRAM Free Press Sports Writer WICHITA FALLS, Tex.

A thousand long miles from home, a long way to come to lose a football game. Dreams of an unbeaten season, a bowl conquest and a high national rating faded in the sinking Texas sun here Saturday us Louisiana Tech defeated Eastern Michigan, 14-3, before 8,000 fans in the Pioneer Bowl. The Hurons, playing their first bowl game in the school's 79-year football history, simply didn't have the scoring punch on this afternoon and tasted defeat for the first time in 10 games. EMU HAD CONE Into the game the a 1 1 's No. 3 ranked college division power but couldn't come up with any offensive consistency.

"When you can't put the points on the board, you don't moke any excuses," said Lnst- COLTJ I M-104 141 114 H-1 411 DOLPHINS 14 12101 151 17301 1-41 man. "I think Joe is getting to be a better coach all the time. This has been a dreadful season, dreadful for all of us, including Joe. Hut I think he has learned some things from it," Ford said. "I think if you weighed all of Joe's pluses and minuses, the pluses far outweigh the minuses." Ford's disappointment stems from the fact this was supposed to be the culmination of his five-year plan in hiring Schmidt to build the Lions into a championship team.

"That's why this is so tough to take," he said. "This is the first time we've started going backwards." Actually, the Lions deserve no better than what they have a spot In the middle of the pack. As Ford said, they never played up to their potential. They were never in command of anything this season. They lost twice in head-to-heud combat with Minnesota, the team they had to beat.

They blew a game to the Philadelphia F'agles, a team they should have beaten. They lucked out of wine high-scoring games early in the yeur. They never looked like a team capable of playing in the Super Bowl. They kept getting by on their know-how and their improved offense. But in tie end, they didn't have a solid two-way team which Please turn to Page 20, Col.

I first downs Pftitinq yardnu Roiurn yardeuo Putoei Punl Fumbles lost Penelty yards Miami Baltimore the game. "Wc were down there three four times. We had our shots, but we couldn't come up with the big play. Those passes we dropped, the fumbles the offense had to take the blame for that. "Give our defense full credit, It turned in its usual fine game," Dositure said.

EASTERN MICHIGAN could fault itself on four failures which largely led to the defeat. Tho Hurons couldn't I i (O Brian kick). UAL Malle 7 run MARQUE TIC MICHIGAN I 1 el 11 Lackey Loriiaid 1 J-l Johnsn 0-1 1 McNeill 0 0 Chones 1) if l.riiHk 0 0 0 1 Wa'lumtit 4 McGuIre 1 0 Frailer 1 l-l hal Mall I run lO'Hrmn kick). MIA FO Ytpromlan 17. A 40,131, Individual Leuders PUSHINO-Mlaml, Oonka 11 44, Kllck M4 Baltimore, Bulaich It-SO, Matte IS, Nottingham 7 78.

RECEIVING Miami, Kllck 7 57, Fleming Warllrld 1 Hi Baltimore, Bulaich 4-11, Hinton 1-43, Nottinehain Ml. PAfSINO Miami, Oriese 17 10 1, HI yerdti Baltimore, Unllas I4-10, 14J yards. I Hart 1 3-3 Gnblec 1-1 Ivn-r 1 3J Wr.ivor 0 00 BMdy 1 0 0 Noa I 00 Buss 4 9 0 Baielon 0 00 Whlllcn 0 0 0 1 Utlicind 0 0 0 1 pyemia 1 0 Mllis 0 0 0 Fists Fly as Piston Fall-P. 3D Totals If 14 It JJ Totals 14 It Totals 14 13 14 It 11 11 51 41 40 II Please turn to Page 4D, Col. 2 Michigan MaiO'ii-lle,.