Bo Suffers Heart Attack

'"We are fearful," they said, "of an impairment of the oxygen supply to his heart." Schembechler's condition was described as "good" Thursday night but he will be hospitalized for three or four more days for tests. Jim Mandich, the Michigan tight end and captain, spoke in plainer language. "The assistant coaches said before the game that it was a mild heart attack," he reported. Mandich was speaking in defeat, after USC had put the first blemish on the Rose Bowl record of the Michigan Wolverines. "I am not making any kind of excuse," he began. "USC played a fantastic game. They just took it right away from us. However, we couldn't devote all our attention to the football game today and that's a must. I think the assistant coaches were right to tell us about Coach Schembechler ... to just lay it out flat to the team. But he had called every single offensive play for us all year. I'm sure his loss handicapped us."

The same thoughts flowed from the other Wolverines, who retained their poise through an extremely trying situation. "My initial reaction," said quarterback Don Moorhead, "was shock ... shock that Bo wasn't going to be here. He is always kind of my inspiration on the sidelines. After the shock passed, I just thought that we had to pull together and try to get this one for him. I'm sorry we couldn't do it." Defensive end Cecil Pryor, who very nearly blocked a fourth quarter Ron Ayala punt that could have turned the game around, said "Bo and I are pretty close. I know that my play was affected, at least early in the game, until I convinced myself we had to carry on. "And I think Bo's loss affected the younger guys even more. They draw on him a lot. He has a very dominant personality."

Defensive coordinator Jim Young, a 34-year-old assistant with a blond, brush crewcut and glasses, was given the difficult assignment of filling in for Schembechler. The rest of the staff shared the responsibilities that Bo had carried. "They did all they could," said one Wolverine. "But it just wasn't the same without Bo." Michigan, a team that had averaged more than 34 points a game going into the bowl, couldn't get a touchdown. The offense, which had produced 420 yards a game in total offense, got just 289 against the Wild Bunch and friends. "The main thing wrong through most of the game," said middle guard Henry Hill, "was our field position, The offense moved the ball but they were always in a hole, especially in the first half. USC just punched us around."

"Our defense," added defensive hack Tom Curtis, "let 'em control the ball too much. Our offense was continually in a spot where it had to go 80 yards or more to score."

"We didn't play a real good game," said Moorhead. "We weren't going after people like we were against Ohio State."

[source: l.a. times]

Parseghian Upset By Fumble Call

"I was proud of every man on that field today," Johnson told Parseghian. Up to that point, Parseghian had been understandably glum in recapping the loss. Parseghian was particularly upset about a controversial call in the second quarter when Texas had 10 men on the field. "I am mystified by the whole thing," Parseghian said. "I asked the official how in the name of heaven can they keep from being penalized." A Texas substitute was entering the game just as the play started but the official ruled there was no play. James Street fumbled and Notre Dame recovered on the Texas 6. It was disallowed.

Parseghian also commented on another call against Irish quarterback Joe Theismann, who was ruled down while trying to pass. "Theismann was ready to throw the ball and the guy blew the whistle and said he was down," Parseghian said. "But things happen. I'm not criticizing the officials." Theismann had his own version of what happened. "I still don't understand that," Theismann said. "I was hit by one man, got away and another man hit me and was hanging on when I tried to throw. "He (the official) said "You were standing still."

[source: ap]

4 Negro Players Quit South Team

Those who will be added include two Negro players from Florida A. & M. Those who left were Ron Gardin of Arizona and Ron Shanklin of North Texas State, wide receivers; Arthur James of East Texas State, a running back, and Glen Holloway of North Texas State, a tackle.

Lee Bouggess of the University of Louisville, a Negro running back, said the four telephoned him about 3 A.M. and said they were quitting and wanted him to go with them. Ron Gorton, a director of the game, said he understood the four had been involved in a dispute when they entered a private party sometime New Year's Eve at the Tampa Sheraton Hotel, the headquarters for the South team.

[source: ap]

Ole Miss Beats Arkansas With Clutch Plays, 27-22

Twice in the final going Cannon stopped scoring threats by the Razorbacks when they were only five points behind with a pass interception in his own end zone and a fumble recovery. Cannon's recovery of Arkansas receiver Chuck Dicus' fumble on the Mississippi 28 with 1:08 left nipped what could have been the winning Razorback drive. Dicus, last year's most valuable player in the Sugar Bowl when the Porkers upset Georgia, 16-2, had just caught a 12-yard pass from Montgomery when he coughed up the ball after Cannon's jarring tackle. Just minutes earlier, Cannon broke up third and fourth down passes by Montgomery from the Rebels' 38 to stop another Arkansas threat.

Although Montgomery finished with more impressive aerial statistics than Manning, the 6-foot-3 Rebel quarterback was awarded the Miller-Bigby Trophy as the game's outstanding player. Montgomery completed 17 of 32 passes for 340 yards, falling 12 yards shy of the mark for Sugar Bowl passing set by Florida's Steve Spurrier in a losing effort against Missouri three years ago. Manning completed 21 of 35 passes for 273 yards and picked up another 39 yards on the ground for a total production of 312. He scored one touchdown, running 17 yards in the second quarter and hit Vernon Studdard with a 30-yard touchdown pass in the same period.

Bo Bowen scored the other TD for Ole Miss, galloping 69 yards midway through the first period. Cloyce Hinton accounted for the other Rebel points with a record 52-yard field goal in the second quarter and a 36-yarder in the third period. His 52-yard kick broke the Sugar Bowl record of 49 yards sat by Jerry DePoyster of Wyoming in 1968.

Montgomery threw two touchdown passes for Arkansas, one of 47 yards to Dicus shortly before halftime and the other for six yards to fullback Bruce Maxwell early in the final quarter. Bill Burnett scored Arkansas' first touchdown on a 12-yard run in the second quarter after Ole Miss had taken a 14-0 lead. Bill McClard kicked a 35-yard field goal for Arkansas in the third period after missing 22- and 32-yard attempts and an extra point in the first half. The punting of Ole Miss' Julian Fagan also aided the Rebel cause in the final period. He boomed one punt 40 yards and it rolled out of bounds on the Hogs' three-yard line. His next punt, with 2:33 remaining, went to the Arkansas 13.

Other defensive standouts of the Rebels included linebacker Fred Brister, tackle Buz Morrow and end Hap Farber, who made key third down stops on two occasions in the first quarter, forcing the Razorbacks to try for field goals. Both attempts by McClard were wide. Safety Dennis Berner's interception of a Manning pass that set up the Arkansas touchdown pulled the Hogs within five points in the final quarter and set the stage for the final throbbing minutes. Berner's steal came on the Ole Miss 41 and he returned it to the Rebel 11. Three plays later on a third down situation, Montgomery whipped a six-yard toss to Maxwell in the corner of the end zone for the score. The clock showed 10:15 left to play.

The interception came two minutes after Cannon had made a one-handed theft of Maxwell's halfback option pass, thrown from the 13 into the Rebel end zone. Arkansas finished the regular season with a 9-1 mark and was ranked only behind unbeaten Texas and Penn State among the nation's college powers. The Rebels had a 7-3 season and entered the Sugar Bowl as slight underdogs.

[source: ap]

Penn State No. 1?

"I know we don't look great. We sputter around, but we win. All I can say is that we have as much right as anyone to be No. 1." And Penn State has a friend in Missouri coach Dan Devine. "If I had a vote," he said, "I might vote a tie for No. 1 hetween Texas and Penn State. I can guarantee you that I wouldn't vote Penn State No. 2 under any circumstances."

Paterno described the Orange Bowl game as a great defensive contest. He said, "You won't see college teams play better defense. It was a great defensive effort." Still, as usual, he came to the defense of his offense, even though it was nine turnovers, seven interceptions and two fumbles which turned the game in Penn State's favor. "We don't have a defense; we have a team," he emphasized. Devine said the Tigers, who posted a 9-1 regular season record, were over-prepared in many respects. "I did a poor job," he said, "in so many ways I can't be specific. "The only surprise was that Penn State ran from a short punt formation on the game's first play," he said. "After that, we got what we expected. They used the same stuff that got them here to the Orange Bowl."

Missouri quarterback Terry McMillan had a bad day in his hometown, throwing five interceptions, "No, I don't think Terry had jitters," Devine said. "I know he doesn't want to give out any excuses." Devine was right. McMillan declined to discuss the game with newsmen at all, but exchanged some hard pressed smiles with fellow seniors around the room.

[source: ap]