Evening star., 1953-10-19
By MerreII WhittIesey
Navy, 65; Princeton, u.

games GIliS SEASON. WHICH oLlcu
little light on the Middies' po-
tential-the 6-6 tie with William
and Mary and the 65-7 triumph
over Princeton Both games
make it difficult to answer the
question: rs this the best Navy
team since 1945?"
Saturdays record romp over q
feeble Princeton Tiger brought
temporary but hardly lasting joy
to Annapolis, because, speaking
in terms of big-league football.
Navy wasn't beating much. judg-
ing by Princeton's squeaky VIC
tories over Lafayette, Columbia
and Rutgers.
Navy had approximately a
2l2- -to-1 edge on the Tigers in
passing and running! the sta
tistics show, but in touchdowns
it was Navy. 10 to /. 1t was
one of those days when one team
can do no wrong and the other
no right. If they played next
week. Navy might win by about
26 to 7. or something like that.
After the score passes into the
30s. further touchdowns some
times are meaningless.
When the odds come out for
Saturdays games, Navy probably
will be little better than even
money against twice beaten
Penn.
Tigers Saw 1t Coming. =
Princeton had been limiting its
f1ve-Season streak of SO victories
in "a games was nearing an end.
although no one ever suspected
such a rout. After all. 1t hadn't
happened to a Princeton team in
its 85-year football history.
Princeton had lost it's entire
offensive line among 18 letter
men, and the Ivy League had
ruled out spring practice. The
loss Of a quarterback and seven
defensive regulars further COM
plicated the outlook for Coach
Charlie Caldwell.
However. Navy deserves credit.
The Middies were sharp, smart.
handled their defenseS we'll and
executed blocking on long runs
and intercepted passes with
perfection. They took the ut
most advantage of all Prince
ton lapses. some Of which they
forced.
Five of Navy's touchdowns
resulted after the Middies gained
possession in Princeton terri
tory. One followed a bad Prince
ton pass from center, two on
intercepted passes, one on a
tumble recovery, and still an
other when Princeton gambled
on a fake punt pass on fourth
down and IL in its own territory,
and failed to make the first
/ down.
And as Navy rolled up the
touchdowns it was apparent
that Princeton was being run
over by some youngsters who
were fighting for f1rst-team jobs.
| despite what you hear at An
napolis that there is no rfirst"
team. ,se1
George Welsh made a pitch
for the starting quarterback
job with his magnificent per-
formance. He passed to three
touchdoWns, handed a perfect
pitchout on Bob Craig's TO-
yard touchdown run, and set up
two others. John Weaver's bad
ankle might have cost him his
starting job.
And although late in the game
Princeton was tired, humbled
and using the remnants Of its
not-strong bench. Navy'S George
Knots was pleasant surprise
as the third-string quarterback.
He figured in two touchdowns.
Craig is pushing Phil Monahan
for the right half job at Navy
and John Hopkins will make Don
Fullam step for his right end
position. Hopkins scored two
touchdowns, recovered tumble,
ran 38 yards with an intercept
tion and made a 46-yard run by
Bob Hepworth possible with a
smart block. That competition
for positions helped keep Navy
sharp.
1t is customary in a rivalry
such as Navy-Princeton to re-
strict the offense to the ground
after the score mounts. But
when it was 59-7, Navy was On
the Princeton S with less than
two minutes to go and still
throwing passes. Notre Dame.
Maryland and some others have
been kind to Navy in the past
few years, but the Middies were
hungry.