Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-03


and one each from the South and
Far West.
This, however, fails to reveal the
entire picture. If the Midwest cap
lures the bulk of first-team honors,
1t remains for the Old South. in
Guiding the Southwest area, to earn
a heavy plurality on the all-star
squad of 80. including first, second
and third teams.
Here the count shows IA of the
outh-Southwest as against for
the Midwest, 7 for the East, 3 for
the Far West and / from the Rocky
Mountain district.
Double Teams Complicate Task.
In season as spectacular and
unpredictable as any in football his
tory, the all-America debate was
complicated by the widespread use
of two or more unit teams by col
leges fortunate enough to have
virtually unlimited football man.
power. There is no question of this
systems strategical effectiveness,
but it served to make all-America
selections just that much more diff
cult.
There was a striking trend all
along the line, as a matter of fact,
to place the main emphasis on the
team as a whole rather than on the
individual. Notable examples of
this were Notre Dame, back once
more as a national contender;
Dukes Southern Conference cham
pions, Oklahoma's Big Six title
holders, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and
Texas Christian, to name only a
few.
Partly because of this, perhaps,
the all-America spotlight centered
for the most part on the stars of
teams in the lower-ranking brack-
cts.
Thus. Iowa State, Michigan State,
Mississippi and Santa Clara, all
beaten at least once, won first
team brackets for the first time
since the Associated Press began its
all-America selections in 1925. So,
too, did Oklahoma, reckoned as a
Midwestern entry because of its
membership in the Big Six Confer
ence.
T. c. U. Gets Two Posts.
Texas Christian, one of the Ma
tons top-ranking outfits, placed two
men, Robert David O'Brien and
Charles Collins Aldrich, on the first
team, the other big team berths 60
ing to Pittsburgh, Cornell, Notre
Dame and Michigan.
The two Eastern representatives,
Marshall tBiggie) Goldberg, key man
in the ferocious Pittsburgh attack,
and Jerome (Brud Holland, Cor
nells great Negro end, both are re-
peaters from the 1897 All-America.
Rounding out the All-America
backfield with OBrien and Gold
berg are two more seniors, Linus
Parker Hall of Mississippi and John
Spencer Pingel of Michigan State.
This quartet combines passing,
running, kicking, blocking and de-
fensive skill to an extraordinary de-
gree and would need to offer few if
any apologies if confronted with
any All-America backfield combi-
nation of the past
Whatever arguments might de-
velop elsewhere, there can be few to
challenge OBrien's right to a place
on any all-star array. His exploits
as passer brought Davey his prin-
cipal recognition. But the fact is
that on an all-around basis he has
few equals. His passing record this
year far eclipses that compiled by
Sammy Baugh, his illustrious prede-
cessor at T. C. u, in his (Baugh's)
senior year. In addition, O'Brien's
generalship, his running, his play at
She safety position, his defensive
work and his durability, all have
been major factors in Texas Chris
tian's spectacular showing.
In the Horned Frogs first nine
games O'Brien figured directly in
2l2 OF the 234 points the Frogs
scored. He tossed 10 touchdown
passes, set up more touchdowns
on pass plays that reached inside the
enemy 6-yard line; passed laterally
for three more; scored three him.
self by rushing, and added rs more
points on conversions by place-kicks.
Little Davey tossed 1853 passes in
the Frogs first nine games, COM
pleted 81 for a SIT average, and
gained 1,491 yards in the process.
His passing skill is further empha-
sized by the fact that only four of his
losses were intercepted. Baugh, in
his senior year, compiled no such
record. In IL games Baugh passed
203 times with 104 compilations for
1l96 yards and 512 average. More
over, 20 of Baugh's passes we're in
!, tercepted.
Goldberg Sparks Pitt.
Goldberg, shifted to the fullback
berth in Pitts dream backfield," is
named to the All-America team for
the second successive year despite
the fact he was troubled by a leg
injury in midseason and yielded the
headlines to Pitts halfbacks, Dick
Cassiano and Hal Stebbins
Goldberg undoubtedly was the key
man in the Pitt ensemble. There
was no better blocker in college
ranks and it was due, in no small
measure, to his effective mopping-up
that Cassiano and Stebbins broke
loose so often.
Hall and Pingel, although less
widely known than their flrst-team
backfield mates, were brilliant and
consistent performers all season.
Halls spectacular passing, kick
ing and running carried what looked
like an average Mississippi team to
unexpected heights. Many observ-
ers rated this 205-pound powerhouse
the best all-around back to come out
of the South in recent years. He
averaged better than 61a yards rush.
Ing, better than 500 per cent passing,
better than 40 yards kicking, and
found time to lead the Southeastern
, Conference in scoring From the
safety position the Mississippi ace
piled up a tremendous average of
206 yards on punt returns.
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