Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-29
Quick Kick Gives
CIV Big Assist
In Muddy Win
CIV. 16; William and Mary, IA
BY GEORGE HUBER.

by OEOhGE HUBER.
What really won for George
Washington was quick kick, a
maneuver the Colonials have
been using as an offensive weap-
on off and on for two seasons
More about that later.
This game was played Friday
night in the mud-a sticky, Slip
perry, gooey. heavy, greasy mud
1t hardly was a test of what
either team could do with a foot
ball. and about all that can be
said of it is that the team ex-
pected to win did win.
Many average football fans
have the idea that rain and mud
hurt a passing team more than
they hurt a running team, but
coaches say otherwise. Passers
get a cleaned and dried-off ball
for every play, but wet or dry
the condition of the ball makes
no difference to runners, partic-
Iularly the speedy, lodging types
such as CIV uses. They can't get
up a good head of steam or cut
around in slippery footing.
Pass Defense Hampered
A slick field also hurts pass de-
tense because it takes nimble
defender who frequently has to
change speed and direction to
keep up with a receiver who
knows where he's going. 1t may
be noted that three of the four
touchdowns in this game came
on passes.
Under the conditions of this
game. it was obvious that
breaks would have a lot to do
with the outcome. GW's two
touchdowns came after tumble
Irecoveries, and one of VEINS
came likewise. The other WIN
score was on a long drive, prac-
Itically all of it through the air
when GW's generally good dry
field defenders couldn't cover
receivers in the goo.
There's no telling what would
have happened under normal
conditions. CIV has two whole
backfields of good runners who
got stuck in the mud Friday
might. and WIN has Charlie
ISidwell at least, and he's quite
a boy.
Coach Jack Freeman of WIN
hasn't developed many substi-
Itutes or a second team, as has
Coach 30 Sherman of CIV. The
Indians go with their starters as
long as possible, and used only
II players Friday night. A player
at W&M apparently plays until
he can't play any longer, which
may be one reason the Indians
have had one tie and the rest
losses in their six games this
year.
Sherman at CIV was in pretty
much the same fix as Freeman
at spring practice time. with one
good team. But he worked out a
second unit of mostly the greener
players and guys named Joe. He
stuck with this group in good
times and bad. substituting the
whole gang by periods regard
less of the game situation. and
its paid off. There are people at
CIV. including II players on the
b unit, who claim this second
group is better than the first
now.
Sherman probably would get
an argument from a B unit
player if he decided to pro
mote" one of them to the A unit
now. They wouldn't consider
it a promotion.
quick Kick Pays on
About the quick kick. For the
last two seasons the Colonials
have used it in about two out
of three games in attempts to
change a poor situation into a
better one. 1t generally doesn't
lead to a score Immediately. but
it at least eases the tension.
Against W&M it came late
in the first period when the Co
.lonials were on their AZ, second
down and rs to go. having just
been penalized Is yards. So
IFullback Bo Austin. who has
done this before, quick kicked 81
yards dead on the WIN 2. The
Indians then had to punt out of
that hole and got it to their So.
The Colonials picked up bet
ter than 20 yards on the ex-
change. In addition, they had
Iloosened up the Indians, so they
were able to move close enough
for the field goal by Dick Clay
pool that eventually proved the
winning margin.