The Phoenix index., 1939-10-14
FIorida's
Ego Hit
ByA!.& & T..
BY LUCIUS JONES
jSNS Sports Editor

tSNS Sports Editor)
TALLAHASSEE Fla. Oct. 7--(SNS)
-Floridas mighty Men in orange,
bidding for their second straight
mythical national grid title, were
kicked rudely in the rear of their
ve1min and orange moleskins this
afternoon as fighting A. & T.
eleven, playing inspired ball the
full Sixty-minute route, earned it
self a brilliant moral victory by
tying the 1937-1938 Southern In
tercollegiate Athletic Conference
champions 90.
Twice the Famcee Rattlers were
inside the enemy ten yard line. On
one other occasion, they penetrat-
ed the twenty yard marker. But
the Greensboro Aggies, displaying
dazzling class under their hand
some young first-year mentor,
Homer Harris, University of
Iowa grid captain, proved more
than equal to the crises. On all
three threats, Florida ended up
trying futile fourth down field
goals, two of which fell short and
the final one of which resulted in
a heated protest by Head Coach
Bill Bell and his first assistant,
Jake Gather.
The third field goal attempt came
with Florida in possession of the
ball with fourth down on the 10
yard line and six yards to make for
first down. The ball was snapped
back with Tom Jones Erect while
Hank Butler held the it in posi-
ton. Jones' effort was low and
travelled no farther than the wait
ing hands of enter Pete Griffin,
after the latter had completed his
assignment and turned around, fac
ing his own backfield. Griffin, with
the ball firmly rested in his arms,
scampered across the goal line for
what fans thought touchdown.
Famceeans broke into pandemon-
ium. but a touchdown was disallow-
ed by Referee T. j. Knox who rul-
ed Griffin's knee was on the ground
at the time he caught the short
kick on line of scrimmage.
The desperate final bid to pull the
game out of the fire came with only
two minutes on the timers watch,
So A. & T., once in possession of
the ball, "froze'' it cleverly until
the contest ended.
The Greensboro Aggies were
simply not to be denied here to-
day. 1t was evident in the very
opening period they came to Talla-
hassee bent upon stopping the
vaunted "Me:1 in Orange.
The Aggies carried the fight to
Florida at every turn and it woulc
be nothing short of suppressing
the truth if it were not stated that
the North Carolinians actually out
played the hitherto invincible ma
tional and Dixie champions in vir-
tually every department of the
game.
The charges OF Homer Harris and
Rollie Bernard used various defen-
Sive patterns to stop the great ma
chine piloted by Bill Bell. All told,
they employed 1922, a 6-2-2-1, and
a 6-3-2 set-up. Several times they
spaced their forwards an extra
yard or two in something resemb-
ling defensive spread forma-
ton" to render ineffective Florida
reverses and 1aterals from single
and double wingback variations of
the Warner system.
Captain Sam Bruce, Freshman
quarterback, did virtually all the
gaining for the visitors, personally
making 78 yards from scrimmage
during the day. Hank Butler, Tom
Jones and Stan Strachan, Florida's
mighty high-scoring trio, had Sew
eral gains which moved the chain
and also figured in several pass
competitions for first downs. BuS
all went for naught because Flori-
da was way before her 1887 and
1888 form and Simply could no.
sustain an attack or block effec-
lively.
1t was the first time Florida had
been scoreleSS since her 60 loss to
Sam Taylor's Prairie View clan ir
the 1886 Orange Blossom Classic.
The champions had won II straight
games since that time. Their streak
is still intact despite the inglorious
tie, with a much-feared Alabama
Hornet looming ominously in the
background next weekend in
Montgomery.
Several scouts latched interested
eyes on the unbelievable spectacle
here today, among them j. E.
Pierce, reporting the results of his
close espionage to Hornet coaches
and players when they hit the
gridiron Monday afternoon.
LINEUPS:
FLORIDA POS. A. and L
Sutton LIE King
Neely LII UarVin
Killings LG Gouio
Gee G vance
Wright RG clarke
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