The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1939-09-30

Institute last season on Septem-
Der l.
Nothing could happen. 1t was all
set. Rice merely had to make an
appearance every Saturday after
noon to carry out the deal.
Death, i'll fortune and an incred-
IDLY large amount of injuries slipped
into the picture. Mighty Rice STUN
bled through season in which it
won only four games, lost six. Full
back Jack Vestal died in mid-sea-
son.
But potentialties remained in the
shambles of a ruinous season-so
Rice Institute still looms as a South
west power and coaches over the
seven-club conference again point to
them as the favorite.
Back for their final years are two
of the Southwests greatest players
Ernie Lain and Ollie Cordill, a
pair of breath-ta taking backs.
Loaded with material and out
standing men of experience at each
position. Rice. with its combination
of Lain's passing and plunging and
Cordills unmatched kicking and
broken fielding, certainly looks dan
gerous. The need of better quarter
backing may arise, however, and
veteran ends were graduated.
Tough Schedule
Too, the schedule is tough. Other
than the usual rugged Southwest
Conference competition, the Owls
meet Fordham, Vanderbilt and
Louisiana State.
Dope usually lasts until the kick
off in the Southwest Conference but
the signs point to four teams
Southern Methodist Texas Chris
tan, Arkansas and Texas A. and M
Kicking up the most dust around
Rices wobbly first ranking.
What of Texas Christians, the
undefeated winners of last fall and
conquerors of Carnegie Tech in the
Sugar Bowl?
Tough again--is the general reply.
Stripped of Quarterback Davey
OBrien and Center XII Aldrich, two
ALI Americans, and Tackle /. B..
Hale, the Christians couldn't be as
rowdy as they were last year, in
the opinion of Coach Leo Meyer,
but "we1l be up there scrapping
around in the first division"
Successor to O'Brien will be Jack
Odle, a 187-pound boy who can
throw lots of football and kick more.
The first string will be good; re-
serves are not what they could be.
SMU Dark Horse
Rated with TCU are Southern
Methodist, Arkansas and Texas A.
and M.
Not since the 1885 Rose Bowl days
has Southern Methodist had top
notcher, but Coach Matty Bell be-
lieves this is the year Sophomore
Presto Johnson, huge triple
threaten who can punt EN- out Of
sight, is the big hope, along with
a batch of veteran lettermen back
from a fairly successful season in
'38. SMU is the dark horse"
The Texas Aggies, with power TO
spare, will try more OF the old
bruising game in a pass-daffy
league. Burly running backs will
feature its play, with good dose
of passing thrown in. The Aggies
have reserves aplenty, a factor that
makes them dangerous.
! Twehty-six sophomores adorned
the roster of Arkansas University
last fall They're all back and Coach
Fred Tomsen, who laid claim to the
nations hard luck title last season
by losing several games in the last
minute of play, will have serious
threat. Veterans will crowd around
triple threaten Kay Eakin, fancy
pass pitcher and kicker.
Baylor, always dangerous, finished
the season in 80 with seven vic
tories, two defeats and one tie
only few of the key men are gone
and its freshman team last season
walloped everything else in the Con-
ference first year ranks. Here is a
possibility always well coached and
! free wheeling because they are
usually counted out before they
start.
Coach D. X. Bible at Texas, busy
rebuilding after two seasons in the
basement, will be starting with
sophomores. They could come
through. Just in case-don't forget
Jack Grain and r. B. Patrick-two
soph backs who tore all over the
premises in freshman games. Bible
won only one of nine games last
uaor bt,t E2ihlp feame inst don't Dir