Evening star., 1945-11-06
|ArmY,Nayy,CoIumbia
Oklahoma Ags Meet
Razor Sharp Foes
BY GRANTLAND RICE.

By GRANTLAND RICE.
NEW YORK, Nov. Give un-
beaten football teams. although two
have been tied, move into the range
of heavier artillery this week They
are Army, Navy, Notre Dame, Co.
lumbia and Oklahoma A. and M.
Either Army or Notre Dame will
be called on to leave the green and
pleasant pastures of the unbeaten.
Navy will need more than Navy has
shown so far to handle Michigan.
Columbia has by all odds her storm
lest afternoon against Pennsylvania.
And Oklahoma A. and NJ, with the
brilliant Fennimore, will need all
she can muster to get by Tulsa,
beaten only 7 to by Indiana, now
heading the Big Ten.
These will be Saturdays four
major engagements, all of them
highly important in any seasons
ranking.
This Notre Dame tangle easily can
be the hardest game Army, Davis,
Blanchard & Co. will have all fall.
After three soft Saturdays in a
row, Notre Dame needed the Navy
game badly" leading scout tells
us. While outplaying Navy, it was
easy to see that Hugh Devore's
squad lacked the sharpness and the
timing that harder competition
could have brought.
This is a good Notre Dame line,
a challenge even to Army's fast,
crushing attack And Notre Danes
offense should be much better in
this next game for it has both pass
ing and ball carrying possibilities
against even Army's defensive
strength.
Trouble for Navy Looms.
Navy has an even stormier after
noon when Michigan's Wolverines
reach Baltimore. There are more
than a few who now rate Fritz
Crisler's fast, young squad as the
best in the Middle West.
Our line was as good as Army's, "
Michigan scout writes. I'VE
simply couldn't stop Blanchard and
Davis with their double threat. And
we are better team today than
we were against Army"
Defensively. this is a hard Navy
team to push around consistently,
especially in the vicinity of the goal.
It's grim determination to remain
unbeaten, plus the possibility that
her stars suddenly will start click
ing, can make Navy an indigestible
dish for any opponent at any time
Meanwhile, SO far as the football
map goes, the Columbia -Pennsyl-
vania and the Tulsa -Oklahoma
Aggies parties shouldn't be over
looked.
1t will be interesting to see what
Columbia's fast, deceptive attack,
headed by Gene Rossides, can do
against a Red and Blue defense
that must take its place as one
Of the strongest in the country.
Pennsylvania has her share OF
backfeld strength-at least four OF
five combined passers and ball car
riers who will be better than any
attack Columbia's Lion has met so
far. But in this respect Columbia
has just as many good backs and
the star Of the lot in Rossides. the
Greek Ghost, who undoubtedly Is
one OF the best all-around backs in
a season packed with backfield
talent.
Columbia Offense Keen.
AS strong as is Pennsylvanias
line, perfectly drilled by George
Munger and Ray Crowther, the Red
and Blue will find Columbia's offense
much harder to handle than any,
Penn has met so far, including
Navy's
But Columbia's S defensive strength
is another chapter in a different
book. Most of Columbia's earlier
opponents, not in Pennsylvania S
class at the time, have piled up a
large bale of points along the
ground or through the air.
The Oklahoma Aggies have back
named Bob Fennimore, who was an
outstanding all-America selection
last fall and who has been rated the
best aIl-around back the Southwest
has known in many seasons. He is
big and fast, hard runner to stop,
a passer of class, and one of the
games best kickers.
On the other side Henry Frnka
has another veteran squad at Tulsa
that can give any team 6 lusty
argument.
Both teams may draw bowl
nomina tions, but the winner is
certain to have one of the leading
calls. These teams seem to be the
two strongest in sector where few
ever finish unbeaten. A year ago
the Oklahoma Aggies beat Tulsa by
46 to 40 in the widest scoring
stampede of the wear.