Evening star., 1957-12-02
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW ;, FRANCE, ,1.uu
Army Tried the Hard Way

1T is WRITTEN that it is easier to while having
possession Of the football II impossible the other
way, but it is easier with the ball. There times
Saturday however. when it looked if Army trying
to win the hard way.
Army had the toss-the only thing the Cadets
won all day-and elected To kick OF. To layman this
appeared to be odd because Col Red Blaiks team had
been at or near the top in the Nation all season IN
scoring. Army had average of than 81 points
per game going up against Navy.
The first time the Cadets had the ball they declined
to all their offensive privileges and punted third
down The second time Army got the ball. minutes later
it was third down. and only yards to go West
Points 26 Incredibly felt in the press box Vince
Harta punted
1t cost the Cadets Navy took the punt and a 10
play. 72-yard march. went for TO lead.
BLAIK-coACHED TEAMS rarely, if ever. have been
accused of mafunction between the ears the Army
team Of Saturday being charged the Cadets
strategy puzzling. at least to many For instance,
Army transformed from a super-cautous unit to
reckless tbut only for brief momentl and
back again.
the second period trailing by TO and very much
in the game. Army found itself with the ball Navys
As. fourth down and yards to go. Barta went into
punt formation but didn't kick Instead Armys fulback
passed to Bill Graf The gain good for only half the
needed distance and Navy took the ball
Obviously, Army intended to surprise Navy and maybe
the Cadets did up to a point Had the Barta-to-Graf
pass gained big yardage might have hailed
turned out no great harm was done.
Now it is the final quarter and Army is deep in its
own territory the 0-yard line to be specific and while
the remains TO it behooves the Cadets gamble
But they don't They go back to their game
and once more Barta punts on third down.
THIS is THE KICK which Capt Ned Oldham of Navy
helded Armys 4-yard line and back all the way
for touchdown, making IL l4-0 Thus two of West
Points three third-down punts developed into Middle
scores.
Navys depth, and Armys supposed lack OF it, played
little part in the outcome True Eddie Erdeatz used 80
players to 20 for Bak but the disparity in numbers
due TO Erdeatz sending in his No unit late in the
day, when the battle The basic difference per-
haps not Odhams running but the sharp agile
hard-tacklng Middle line
In the dressing after the game Col Blaik
significantly praised the Navy forwards That's the best
line we've met all year." he said and, of course. the
records bear him out. Army had scored AZ points
Nebraska, 27 Penn State. 81 Notre Dame, 20 on
Pitt 20 each on Virginia and Tulane, SO Colgate and
80 on Utah.
Against the Middies however, Army not only was
sknked on the scoreboard but for only SO net yards
and passed for only 49, Were not for ntercepng four
Navy passes and recovering two OF the Mddes umbles
Army might have been bigger loser.
IT WAS A NICE, RELAXED squad which represented
Navy In those unfamiliar robins egg blue ersies The
Mddes were reminiscent OF the 1854 outfit, which beat
Army by 27-20 and also went bowl-the Sugar True
Navy fumbled four times but the field little better
than mudfat and the rain and poor visual conditions
made ball handling extremely difficult
The important point that Navy which proved
able TO gain almost twice much yardage the ground
as Army, showed reluctance TO switch to the air.
regardless Of the Twenty-Five times the quarter
backs, Tom Forresta Pat Flood and Joe Trachin flung
the ball The net effect to keep the Cadets defense
loose.
1t was not banner day for Army's star sophomore,
Bob Anderson, and 1t widely pointed out that ne
gained only 10 yards for average OF l6 per carry
Such emphasis may have unfair but not until
See WIN. LOSE OR DRAW. Page Az