Imperial Valley press., 1940-12-18

as football players. The A
of what the world has come to eX-
pect of team from the southwest
a straightforward, driving combina-
ton that scorns tricky plays and
relies chiefly on power.
The Aggies rolled over eight op-
ponents before being stopped 10,
by Texas in the final game of the
season. That left the Aggies in a
tie for the Southwest conference
title with Southern Methodist and
continued the tradition that no
team ever wins that championship
two years in a row.
Despite that defeat, which snap
ped the Aggies' l9-game winning
streak, this team from college sta
ton was one of the real elevenS OF
1910. It's a veteran combination
with 10 seniors on the starting team
and all-America and all-conference
players literally sprinkled up and
down the lineup.
The football which Coach Homer
Norton teaches is run from the dou
BILE win or box formation. AT times
the Aggies use deep punt formations
and run a pass or a run off fake.
| They use a balanced line without
shift after coming out of the hud-
/ die. On defense they have four or
| five stock patterns designed to fit
what is thrown against them. Five
and six-man lines depend on what
] ~ &c Ini,Nn Tho Anoinc
use minimum of plays and it was
mostly smart quarterbacking and
team spirit that enabled them to
run up their great record.
If the Aggies can be said to have
any weaknesses in view of their rec
ord, they must be that they are a
little off on pass defense and appear
to be "one-man team"
Two passes and line plunge cost
them the Texas game-the one in
which Quarterback Marion Pugh
was on the sidelines for SO minutes.
Before the season started, the Texas
A. and NJ. coaching staff said that
Pugh was the key to the Aggies' for
tunes and as he went, so would go
the team. AS long as he was in the
lineup, the Aggies won but when
he was out, their streak was snap
ped.
The Aggie line is tough and very
few teams went through it for any
sizable gains this year. But in sew
eral games, the Aggies were suck
ers for a passing attack. UCLA, for
example. was held to minus 10 yards
rushing but gained 123 yards pass
ing while SMU lost % yards rushing
and gained 166 yards through the
air
over the full season, the opposi-
ton made only 387 yards rushing
and 908 passing. Passing may decide
the Cotton Bowl because Steve
Filipowics of Fordham is one of the
best throwers in the business and
the AggieS will have to stop him if
they hope to halt Fordham.
The Aggies' starting team is COM
posed of 10 seniors and one Junior
end Jim Sterling The line aver
ages 1913 pounds and the backfield
1876.
Star of the team is "Jarrin' John
Kimbrough, all-America fullback.
Kimbrough carried the ball 161
times, gained GIL yards and lost 54
for net gain of 1888 yards per
carry. He also was high scorer with
40 points. He can run over, through
and under line and is a good pass
er as well.
Pugh, according to his teammates,
was more valuable than Kimbrough.
His selection of plays, his ability to
gain an average of 4.10 yards try
himself, and his passing and quick
kicking made him the teams key
man.
Jim ThomaSon, the blocking back,
has been rated the greatest man
for that job in the history of the
conference while Bill Conatser, in
addition to being the best punter,
with an average of 38.42 yards on 38
kicks, is the most dangerous climax
runner in the conference.
At the ends are Bill Henderson,
best pass catcher on the team, and
Sterling, a great defensive man. The
tackles are Ernie Pannell, 60-min-
ute man, and Chip" Routt. The
guards are Marshall Foch Robnett
another Commute player who made
the all-America team, and Charlie
Henke, a forgotten man because
Robnett overshadoWed him. Tommie
Vaughn, the center, who calls de-
fensive signals, is a great player
at breaking up the oppositions plays
into the line.
This will be the Aggies' third ap-
pearance in a bowl game. They
defeated Centre, 22-14, in a game
on Jan. 2, 1922, in Dallas for the
benefit of the Shriners' hospital ano
licked Tulane in the Sugar Bowl
14-13, this year.