Evening star., 1959-11-04
SPOTLIGHT
SPORTS
ScoHinq the Press
BY MERRELL WHlTTLEsEY


THE MARYLAND FOOTBALL team that has won two
and lost four is better football team than the
you read aboutor hear about-n Washington, according
to Coach Tom Nugent.
In fact Nugent upset the press coverage Of
his team-and he specified Washington-that he made
that the opening topic at the weekly press luncheon
yesterday at College Park.
Tom led into the subject somewhat indirectly He called
attention to sheet three Of the "Bar Bug the mimeo
graphed handouts and statistical sheets which Joe Blair
the Terps sports pubcist distributes at the uncheons
Nugent told the guests to remember that his team has
played unbeaten giants Syracuse and Texas plus West
Virginia North Carolina Wake Forest and South Carolina
Tom called attention to the seventh item on team sta
tiscs total yards gained rushing and passing please
note gentlemen" Nugent said, waving the sheets that
six opponents have outgained by total OF IA yards
NUGENT IS CORRECT in this respect Maryland has
gained 490 yards rushing and passing to 1904 for the
opposition.
"Ths" he said, in a rather sarcastic manner from an
ofenSe that read is confused fumblng inept bungng
He ratified off few additional descriptions hardly comp
mentary apparently made up the Of the
moment.
Nugent is extremely touchy the matter of credit
lack of It, for the Maryland oense He explained that he
conscious of it because his assistant coaches
upset the constant reference to the defensive ability
of the Maryland team while the teams oense is brushed
of in the news accounts.
Nugent limited of possible diSsension on his staff If the
defensive StaWarS continued to get top billing over the
boys who operate his pet Iformation the doublewng
spread, ETC.. For moment, everybody thought he was
joking 1t turned out he was very serious.
Apparently reference to confusion" the Maryland
attack against South Carolina ked Nugent to the point
Of preaching his
HE WAS so UPSET he showed pictures of the entire
South Carolina game BY the time the scheduled luncheon
meeting over, it was near dinner hour
"some Of our coaches think we played our best game
$3.50
Terps 1926 loss in Columbia last Saturday Except for
couple Of dropped passes, it might have been
1--WE hit hard, knocked, tackled and blocked against
South Carolina Nugent pointed out "The only difference
that they had the big play in the pinch and didn't
Maryands new coach referred to the North Carolina
game of two weeks ago, 147 victory for Maryland.
1--WE rather proud of that victory he pointed out,
cas- felt that had beaten team with vastly superior
manpower.
"But instead of receiving credit there tendency
in the papers downgrade North Carolina and point
that they were overrated."
NUGENT FINDS 1T HARD to understand the stress
the defense Of his Maryland team.
He pointed to the jazzy oense of the TerpS against
West Virginia; the fact that his team gained almost 300
yards against Texas the IA points scored against North
Carolina and the yards gained against South Carolina
which is first in the Atlantic Coast Conference and among
the national leaders in defense.
"Yet many of the stories team concentrated
the Defense" he said the defense that gave up 26
points to Texas 20 to Syracuse and % to South Carolina"
Nugent referred to compliments, printed ones, paid to
Maryands oense by Coach Darrell Royal of Texas Paul
Amen Of Wake Forest and Others
Somebody there pointed out that the ofense that
Nugent had been prasng highly did not touch
down against Syracuse Texas South Carolina and scored
only once against Wake Forest The Terps touchdown
against South Carolina blocked kick by Guard
Tom Gunderman Most coaches will tell you that touch
down on blocked kick should credited the defense
NUGENT IS ONE OF THE 6rst coecbes the area nress
has encountered in years dwes on statistics and
ssngs Tom constantly refers to some of the national
~ A.. See SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTS Page D.;