Evening star., 1939-11-13
Texas Ags F|out
Grid Tradition
In Southwest
Coach Fears Desertion
Of Pass May Be Error,
But Success Tells
BY GAYLE TALBOT,

BRYAN, Tex, Nov. 13.-The Texas
Aggies are bringing new type of
football to the Southwest Confer
ence, a hitting, bone crushing
variety that is the very antithesis of
the pass-crazy game associated with
this section the past 10 years or so.
The ponderous and orthodox team
that showed Southern Methodist
aside on a muddy field Saturday
and registered its eighth straight
victory could move right into the
Big Ten tomorrow though it would
be little hard on the other men,
bers of that conference.
Coach Homer Norton, frankly, is
making the experiment with some
trepidation. A generation of fans
has grown up in Texas to like its
football rich, rare and racy, and
Homer still isn't sure the custom
ers are going to fancy this new
close-to-the-vest policy.
Can't Argue With Success.
But he need not worry too much.
Victories have a way of making
themselves popular. however they
are accomplished, and Norton has
come up with a bunch of crushers
who likely as not are to dominate
the Southwest again next season,
despite the fact conference history
does not list repeater.
Though there is nothing at all
spectacular about its offense, unless
it is the vicious blocking ahead Of
John Kimbrough and John Connat-
ser. the A. & M. team is an impress
sive outfit. 1t is big, exceptionally
fast for its size. and it hits like a
pile-driver. Without much doubt
it is one of the years really fine
teams, and it will lose only one reg
ular by graduation.
Previous to this team, it has been
explained by several Southwest
Conference coaches in recent days,
1t has been plain suicide for one of
them to play for a single touch
down and then try to protect it.
They learned through sad expert
ence.
Seven points don't mean a thing
down here" one of them said. I'VE
might be able to hold a lead like
that, but it is too risky with the
other side scattering passes all over
the field. So we've had to go out
and try to get two or three touch
downs. even If it meant passing
sometimes in our own end of the
field when we were leading"
Kimbrough Is Key Man.
But the Aggies this year produces
a defense, both against running at
tack and passes, that has enabled
Coach Norton to cut the foolishness
down to a minimum. They attempted
only one pass against Southern
Methodist. and Norton didn't know
why in the world his quarterback
did even that This, the reader
must realize, is truly revolutionary
in this section, where more than so
aerials in a game is not uncommon
For the benefit of Tulane, which
now looks to be the probable op-
ponent of the Aggies in the Sugar
Bowl game at New Orleans, the
style of the Aggies is fairly simple.
They tackle so hard it hurts clean
up in the stands. Sooner or later,
the man they tackle is going to lose
the ball and, temporarily, his inter-
est in the ball game.
The Aggies fall on the ball, and
then they give it to Kimbrough to
carry for a touchdown. Though
there will be argument whether he
is the best fullback in the Nation,
Big John almost certainly is the
most valuable to his own particular
team. He doesn't 60 so far, but he
goes steadily, and he is giant on
defense.
He and Big Jim Thomason, the
teams blocking back, are formidable
men.