Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-23
SPOTLIGHT
ON
SPORTS
Where's All the Brave Talk?
BY MERRELL WHiTTLESEY

. THERE SEEMS TO BE an alarming lack of confidence
the part Maryland supporters either rabd casual
the Terps chances against Oklahoma in the Orange
81 Bowl
People who just three months ago-beore the Maryland
team proved se-wee supremely confident that Maryland
would beat UCLA shuddering at the thought OF the
: Miami meeting with the Sooners
boastfu phrases that dotted conversations
before the UCLA folks saying DO you think
we have chance?" Maybe can get break, or
IS They're liable to murder us with all that speed"
Is Oklahomas record much awesome than
:, UCLAs? Hardly.
= Oklahoma has won its last 90 games how about
UCA its 20 games The Bruins 26 and lost
three Stanford Michigan State and TO to
Maryland Everyone tired those schedule arguments
but even partisan fans would have to admit
Oklahoma not meeting the likes OF UCLAs opponents
- while Maryland had the advantage over UCLA by
playing College Park the Terps and sooners are even up
= in that respect in neutral Miami.
= oYLAHoMAs ASSORTED streaks have caught the
pbcs fancy apparently but actually there's not too mucn
difference between the Terps and Sooners
The sooners have 30 straight. Maryland has won
" n out of its last 81, with one tie .e-a-sa
" Oklahoma has scored consecutive games Mary
land has payed games under Jim Tatum ana mas oeeh
shut out lust times, only twice in the last oo
Oklahoma has played 50 consecutive Big Seven Confer
games without defeat Maryland is unbeaten In It's
conference although the Atlantic Coast organization
only three years old However Mssours record is second
Big Seven during oklahomas reign, and you
know Maryland has five in row from Missouri even
had four perfect seasons In the past seven
- years Maryland has had three in the last five
1T HAS BEEN printed Oklahoma has much better
Ia team it had two when it beat Maryland
but is the who's been saying that trying oes-
u. perately to keep his team the underdog
There's been too much emphasis the fact that Mary
land hasn't played team with an ofense as good as
Oklahoma little stress the fact that Oklahoma
hasn't played with defense as good as Maryland g.
have had their own way most OF the season
particularly in the Touchdowns came cheap
first downs cheaper.
But week from Monday there's mighty good chance
that Tommy Mcdonald will not average Oh yaros per N.Y.
." that Clendon Thomas will with something snort
of SO every time carries and Bob Burris may be unequal
ITO his AZ.
The BOYS with those fancy haven't met tr
umyirate as tough Bob Pellegrn Jack Davis ana Make
Sandusky of the Maryland line.
. You hear that Maryland hackers shopping Tor IA
and points but against UCLA the people were conen
with g. and many them betting even Wnere Is ha
E: brave talk. and money?
THE LACK OF CONFIDENCE could be due to Marylands
lack of Oklahoma is flasher team scores raster,
gets is 20 plays per game Maryland pods LOT
its touchdowns, lacking home-run score IN It's eh1fe
schedule
Tatum and others say the Oklahoma that has been
awarded the national championship superior to the Orange
Bowl champions of two But how about the TepsP
Only those to the could realize how helpless
Maryland without Bernie Faloney It's been written re-
written many overwritten' But it's true. The
current Maryland with everybody ready is far far
greater threat to Oklahoma than the 1858 team without
Faloney. Ba.
Maryland has been in two precarious situations it
soueaked by Missouri. 1912 to open the The first
was the entire UCLA game, which It TO The second
when 1t traled Clemson 1870 before winning, 25l2
although it escaped from both unbeaten, somewhere
aong the line the Trps version Of sidewalk alumni has lost
its confidence