Evening star., 1939-09-09
Talent Jams Sooners,
Though Graduations
Took Many Stars
One Good Team at Iowa
State; Kansas Stote,
Kansas Only Fair
BY HAROLD CLAASSEN,


Associated Press Sports Writer.
KANSAS CITY, Sept. 9-Like 9
chorus of dancing girls, every foot.
ball member of the Big Six Confer.
ence appears dazzling from a dis
tance
Oklahoma is proud of its line pros
poets; Kansas State has its Elmer
Hackney and Missouri its Pau
Christian; Iowa State is alive with
a new spirit and some good sopho-
mores; Kansas hired Gwinn Henry
the midland's football wizard; and
two poor seasons in succession never
before have plagued Nebraska.
But in reality-as in every good
chorus-the conference has two
rows. Out front are Oklahoma. the
1888 champion and Orange Bowl
competitor; Nebraska and Missouri
Iowa State, Kansas State and Kan
sas are allotted space farther back
on the stage.
Graduation took from the Soon
ers an All-America end, an out
standing guard and five backs from
their 1888 machine. Another back
can't play because of injuries, so
Coach Tom Stidham must worry
through the fall with only two COM
plete lines, a dozen or so average
backs-and Jack Jacobs.
Sooners' Jacobs Big Secret.
Jacobs is a full-blooded Indian,
continually on the gridiron warpath.
He's sophomore and scarcely men,
toned by any Sooner officials except
in their report that he injured an
arch in a spring workout. Gossip,
however, has it that praising him
would be like making love to a
widow-it couldn't be overdone.
He is being kept under cover as a
surprise for Northwestern in Evans
ton on October 7.
Clifford Cactus Face Duggan. a
tackle, Ralph Stevenson, a guard; !;
and End John Shirk are expected
to twinkle in the line.
Except for Center Charles Brock,
just about the entire sophomore
eleven which represented Nebraska
a year ago will be available again
for Maj Lawrence M. tBiff) Jones.
The Huskers still were seeking
their first victory as the October
pages fell from the 1898 calendars.
Things will be different this year
and if Vike Francis turns out to be
just part of the player Brother Sam
was a few years ago, the Nebras-
kans may be great.
Herman Rohrig, a quick halfback,
was good enough as a sophomore
last year to win second all-Big Six
recognition
Missouri kept in the 1888 picture
with one of the Nations best pass
ers along with a great center and a
set of ends who were outstanding
defensively, but usually just stand
ing when 1t came to pass catching.
orr, orr Missouri Stars.
Paul Christman. tractor-legged
halfback, returns to do the tossing.
He can run as well and sometimes
plunges. He was the conferences
outstanding sophomore of 1898.
AS ends Coach Don Faurot will
have orr and orr, not laugh but
twins who have the first names of
Robert and Roland. Both won let
tiers by spectacular performances
IN the windup games last fall.
Squat, rubbery Don Ducheck is
the top candidate for the center
post vacated by Jack Kinnison.
Loss of All-America Guard Ed
BOOK, Quarterback Everett Kisch-
er and six other regulars would have
oeen fatal to Iowa States prospects
any other year, but the spirit gen.
Grated by last seasons second-place
club carried through the spring
drills where Coach Jim Yeager saws
he uncovered enough talent to put
another smart eleven on the field
Yeager's only lament is that he
found only enough for one team a
problem Iowa State coaches face
annually. Hank Wilder, a crash
ing halfback; Capt. Martin Boswell
a rangy end, and Jack West. a CEN
ter, are available from the 1938
team which lost only its final con-
test.
Hackney Kansas States Hope.
Elmer Hackney, Mr.. Muscle of
Kansas State, is the hope of Coach
Wes Fry. Holder of the COLLEGIATE
shot-put mark and a former Big Six
mat titleholder, Hackney hits the
line with all the finesse and the
structiveness of a runaway freight.
He was all-conference fullback
and placed on the all-America
honorable mention roll last fall, but
couldn't gain starting berth on
his own team. This year Coach Fry
says his pulverizer will start every
game. Don Crumbaker is a better
than-average end.
At Kansas Coach Henry finds
ball carriers plentiful but a line
below par. He lost Ralph Miller,
a lean-limbed, racing halfback,
who underwent a summer op-
Grafton for a knee injury.
His offensive hopes center on
Dick Amerine, Bill Bunsen, Milt
Suliivant and Frank Bukaty.
Line candidates are numerous
with only the guard positions we'll
There's no question about
Mike Sihlanich and Guido Massare
being able to take care Of them
selves.
Here's how the teams finished in
1938
Pts. o. P.
Oklahoma 8 O 1000 90 O
Iowa State - 8 200 SO so