The Washington times., 1936-09-19

DALLAS, Tex, Sept. 19.-Open
ing of the 1885 football playing
season in the Southwestern Con
ference this and next weekend
finds the seven squads lined ur
much the same as they were at
the close of last years schedule
They will take up about as they
left off as losses of stars through
graduation and other causes, and
requirements in sight, on paper
at least; put them in about the
same relative places.
Though they have the jinx OF
never a Conference champion
. repeater" to face, the Southern
Methodist University Mustangs
here are early favorites to repeat
a champion year. Coach Matty
Bell boasts the heftieSt squad he
has ever had in years of coach
ing college football. Such letter.
men as Shuford, Sprague and
Finley have returned along with
q promising handful of Sophomores
who will take the places of such
stars as Bobby Wilson. One of
the most promising is Jack Morri.
son, son of the famous former
s. M. C. coach, Ray Morrison, who
it at Vanderbilt.
Texas Christian University, Fort
Worth, was in second place last
3 year and though Coach Dutch
Meyer says he has a better
balanced squad, football posi-,
bilitieS are not so bright at the
Fort Worth institution. Meyer
has As men working out, with Is
lettermen and good men three
Deep" he says.
Baylor is Contender
Early season dope points to Bay
lor University, Waco, as T. C. us
most serious contender for second
place honorS. In addition to a
squad of As men, Coach Morley
Jennings can throw his 1885 back
field combination into play-Rus-
sell, Gerhard, Masters and Brazell.
Last year the Baylor team was one
of the greenest in the field, but
the youngsters gave the other
teams fits. This year, Jennings
has a seasoned squad and expects
to make the most of it.
The other four schools in the
conference were rather weak last
year and there is no indication
they will be otherwise during 1896.
However, A. and M. College, Col
lege Station, seems to be a stand
out in this group. Coach Homer
Norten has so men working out
twice daily and they are farther
advanced than usual after only a
week of practice. Pitner, back
field ace, has returned as the
brightest letterman and Dick
Todd, from a class B high school,
looks like the best prospect of the
sophomore backfield material.
Then comes Texas University,
Austin, where Coach Jack Che
vigny, though more than 5000 stu
dents annually enroll in the State
University, seldom has more ma
terial to work with than smaller
schools and just as seldom has
outstanding teams. This year the
" squad is ordinary. Fifty-three men
reported for practice and Che
vigny has whipped them into
good condition"
Rice. Arkansas. Par
About on a par are Rice Insti-
tute, at Houston, and the Univer-
sity of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Rice remembers the days of Wal
lace and McCauley, but memories
. will do little to bolster the squad
, this season. Fifty men have turned
out for the Rice team, but there
are few Standouts and there is
slight possibility the Owls will
give the favoriteS serious competi-
ton.
Up in the Ozark Hills, Coach
Fred Thomson is drilling his
; Razorbacks on passing. The two
score men who turned out for the
Arkansas team are light in the
backfield and ends, fairly heavy
in the line. So, Thomson believes
his chances of dumping the favor
. ties and rising toward the top this
. season rest in the air. The type
of attack the Razorbacks will de-
velop has the other teams wor-
: ried. Coach Ray Morton and
. then Coach Bell gave the Mus
tangs just about every pass that
could be conceived, but Thomson
. has dropped hints he improved
even on their technique.