The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-11-20
SUGAR BOWLERS
LIST ABOUT SET;
MINNESOTA OUT
"Spies" Report Thomson
Better Than KimbrOugh
At Texas
BY JOE WILLIAMS

By JOE WILLIAMS
New York, Nov. 20-(UP)-Of the
ten teams listed by the experts as
the best in football at this writing
four win have no part Of any Of the
various bowl games. These four are
Minnesota, Cornell, Michigan and
Northwestern.
The experts rank Minnesota as the
best team In the country. That's
just guess, Of course, but 1t could
be q pretty good guess. When you
rank teams you must consider the
caliber of the schedules.
Practically everyone agrees the
Golden Gophers, unbeaten and I'M
tied as of today, attempted the
toughest schedule Of the season
They've taken on everybody except
Joe Louis and the r. A. r. They
have only Wisconsin left, and this
figures to be a soft touch.
The Gophers went out of their
territory for only one engagement.
This was with Washington. It was
severe assignment because 1t
opened the season. Yet the Gophers
won from one of the best teams in
the Pacific coast loop.
1t is regrettable we aren't going
to get to see them in action against
some Of the leaders in other parts
of the football country. Against
nactoY1 nol1oua TIavoc A ay,s AR ~.
Stanford, for instance. But west
.ern conference teams, like Ivy league
teams, don't 60 in for bowling on
the gridiron, so that's out.
The experts rank Texas A. and M.
right back of the Gophers as the
No. 2 team Of the country. The Ag-
gies will go bowling any time, any
where. With them it's just ques-
ton Of what bowl they're going to
land in. We hear they're tentatively
scheduled for the Sugar Bowl down
old New Orleans way and that Bos-
ton college, ranked No. 4, may fur
nish the opposition.
Stand0ut
This would be a terrific game, per-
haps the best of all the bowl games.
But a number of things must event.
uate before 1t becomes something
more substantial than a promoter
dream. The most important thing is
that both teams must keep on win
ming.
This the Aggies figure to do. They
have only University Of Texas left,
and the Longhorns have already
been knocked off by Rice and the
Southern MethodiSts. Boston college
has two fairly stern appointments
remaining, Auburn and Holy Cross
The latter is one of those hallowec
traditions where past performance
don't count and in which anything
can happen. Frequently does, too.
So further speculation as to these
two teams, the Aggies and B. c. ,aE
bowl opponents, must be suspended
until all the returns are in. That
will be time to start thumbing the
pages in the dope book. We don't
suppose it is necessary to remind
you that nothing is certain in foot
ball, especially after what happened
to Cornell.
Just how good are the Aggies-the
team the experts list next to power
full Minnesota? They are unbeaten
and united but they have been ex-
tended in several of their games. The
only time they went out of Their
League they had to fight to beat U
c. L. A., TO, and this team dropped
seven In a row before winning fol-
the first time last Saturday.
Even so our spies down there re-
port it is fully capable of maintain
ing the best traditions of southwest
ern football. They say with the ex-
ception of the 1888 Texas Christians
of the Davey O'Brien period, it i,
the best team the cattle country has
ever turned out.
Thomson Best?
Earring John Kimbrough is the
headline figure on the squad, 22(
pounds Of dynamite, and a really
fine back, but our spies report the
real star Is Jim Thomson, the block
ing back. "Once you see this
fellow" our spies rhapsodize, "yol
forget all about guys like Evashevski
Toczylowski and MatuSzcak. He:
just the best"
The key man in the line is a gem
named Robnett, a fast charging
guard who backs up the line. Oul
spies Insist he's the best guard II
the southwest and one of them goe!
so far as to call him the best guarc
These are the three men who carry
the load, Kimbrough, Thomson anc
Robnett. They are work horses
capable Of full game service, and thu
Aggies have been fortunate in keep.
ing them intact all season. Our spie.
say the absence of any one Of thu
three in a major battle would b.
seriously felt; not that the Aggie.
are sparse In requirements but thesl
men are such standouts they arr
practically indispensable anC
where have we heard that word be.
fore?
Honor Norton is the coach. H,
came from Centenary where he wa!
known principally as a defensive
coach. Apparently this Is no Longer
true. Except for the U. G. L. A
game, the Aggies have scored II
double figures every weekend. Theil
total Of ITO points is tops in thei
league.