Evening star., 1940-01-01
Trojans Choice
Al 81 Odds
Over Vols
Host Team Superior
In Weight, Man Power;
Cdfego Still Enigma
BY RUSSELL NEWLAND,
A. P. SPORTS Writer,

"A. r. opOrtS Wrlter
PASADENA, Calf, Jan. Down
in the bottom of Rose Bowl today a
couple of teams squared off to settle
the burning question of the hour
does Tennessee play better football
than Southern California, or vice
versa?
After weeks of drum beating, de-
bate and argument over relative
merits of the squads, some $4,000
fans jammed into the big stadium
to find out for themselves.
Pigskin jargon was the universal
language of the day Since the
U. S. c. Trojans won the nomina-
ton and reached into the old South
to hand an invitation to the Volun-
teers, the house of football found
itself divided over the outcome of
the latest renewal of the Oldest and
best known of the bowl classics.
Trojans 81 Favorites.
Unscored on in 10 games this last
season and unbeaten in string of
% games reaching back into 1887,
Tennessee had a remarkable record
that nevertheless failed to impress
the odds makers Those who back
their opinions with money, folding
or clinking types both acceptable,
installed Southern Californias
twice-tied but undefeated team as
the favorite. The margin was
slight, to T. or even with three.
point drag for the Volunteers.
Poundage and numbers in the
matter of outstanding requirements
were Southern California advan-
tages. These factors probably in
fluenced the thin layer of favoritism.
Tennessees greatest halfback,
George Bad News" Cafego, pro-
vided problem that could be solved
only in the heat of battle The un-
certainty of his injured knee was
sufficient to give the stanchest
backer case of the creeps He was
assigned to start, but the question
was how long would his knee hold
out.
Able replacements were on hand
in the persons of Buist Warren, slick
passer, and Johnny Butler, broken
fleld-running specialist, but the
mere presence of Cafego in a game
was assurance of a substantial up
lift for the team.
Five thousand Tennessee followers
were noisily confident that with or
without Cafego their team would
break the spell the Trojans have
held on the Rose Bowl-five pre-
vious wins in that number of New
Year Day appearances
Defensively, the club Maj. Bob
Neyland's brilliant coaching built
into an unscored-on power in 1899
outranked the Trojan team in the
pre-game size-up. On the offense
side, Southern California outranked
the other.
Weights Favor Homeguards.
Weights were decidedly in favor
of the homeguards. The U. S. c.
line carried a 207-pound average
onto the field. Tennessee was much
lighter at 1876 pounds. Backfeld
poundage differences also were con-
siderable, with the Trojans averag.
AAiS 4of w 4oo 1ol I1lC
Southern California was prepared
to throw three quarterbacks, one
after another. at the opposition.
This phase of gridiron strategy
worked Southern California into the
bowl. If Grenville Lansdell failed
to turn on the scoring momentum,
Ambrose SCHNEIDER or Doyle have
usually managed to find the COM
bination. the scoreless tie with the
University of California at Los An
geles being the single exception.
Nave was the hero of the Rose
Bowl year ago, when his passes
to Al Kruger turned almost Ger
tain defeat into 7-to-3 victory over
Duke in the last 40 seconds. Kruger
also was on hand again today, am
bilious to carve himself another
piece of fame.