THE 1.MICHIGAN DAILY I THROUGH THE BULL'S EYE by Bill Bullard Big Ten Teams Hold Final Grid Scrimmag By LLOYD GRAFF "" Ell C 't Lose In the Spring Game Coach Bump Elliott is preparing his football team for a game, that he can't possibly lose. Saturday will be the only time during the year when Elliott will be on the sidelines just observing his players and not coaching them. In what is known as the annual spring game, the assistant coaches will have charge of two squads of Wolverine gridders in the conclud- ing scrimmage of spring practice. This game is looked upon by Elliott and his staff as a contest in which they can learn much about the personnel of the team. But it is also a contest which has great appeal for Wolverine spectators. . !The small group of fans who watched the first three scrimmages of the season will likely be augmented by another group of regulars who are interested in getting an advanced look at next fall's for- tunes. Programs with the numbers of the players will be provided and the clock and scoreboard may even be running. An alumni group from Detroit will make the trip to see the game as they have for the past several years. They will view the scene from the unusually quiet and uncongested Stadium press box. But aside from the spectator enjoyment, the game has a serious purpose. "We don't put the game on necessarily for the fans,""Elliott said yesterday. "We put it on for our own purposes. It's a continua- tion of our spring practice sessions. "We're splitting up the teams evenly. So I expect little scoring. But we'll probably have more scoring than last year." Elliott has been emphasizing offense in his scrimmages so far, usually pitting his top three teams against the, rest of the squad. But even with the attempt at making the two opposing teams evenly mached, there should be more of an offensive show than last year's standstill. Michigan rooters will be looking for signs of an offensive .,punch that often stalled last season's team just short of victory. The 1963 Wolverines held their nine opponents to an average of about two touchdowns a game but could barely do better them- selves in the scoring column. Of course, the results of the game Saturday will not provide ob- jective evidence about how the team will do next fall. But it will pro- vide fans and alumni with plenty to talk and argue about over summer months. Elliott and his coaches will also have plenty to discuss and do in the aftermath of the game and spring practice. At almost the exact moment Eugene Ormandy will delicately lift his baton to direct a Debus- sy Nocturne Saturday afternoon, hundreds of Big Ten football play- ers will be taking turns knocking each other around in final spring scrimmages. The music of shrill whistles, dull thuds, and sharp grunts will filter through the air from Iowa City to East Lansing. After the games are over some coaches will sing out the praises of their boys while others will croon the blues. Probably the coach with the most to chirp about is Pete El- liott of Illinois. With 24 returning lettermen and little of value gone except for quarterback Mike'Tali- aferro, the Illini may well take a top pre-season national rating into competition next season. Fullback Jim Grabowski will be just a junior, as will halfback Sam Price, and quarterback Fred Custardo. All-American Dick But- kus, Archie Sutton, and Dick Dell- er will be back to cement the line. Besides these stars, Illinois boasts depth with two returning letter- men at each of the 11 positions. About all they lack is a place- kicker and a punter. Illinois may be loaded, but old shirtsleeved Woody Hayes down in Columbus is beating the drums for his Buckeyes too. He thinks he will have a better combo of backs than he has had for quite a few years to go with a typical OSU line. Quarterback Don Unverforth will be back along with Bob Scott, who was ineligible last season; and Tom Barrington at the half- back slots. Barrington may be moved to fullback or quarterback. OSU will get just nine men off of a very thin freshman team. NU Has 'Jazzy Backfield' In Evanston, first year Coach Alex Agase will have a jazzy' backfield, but his line may not swing. JackuCvercko, an oft-in- jured guard, will be gone as will' end Chuck Logan and 21 other lettermen. Halfback Dick McCau- ley could br'eak the' all-time NU scoring record with six touch- downs. Tom Meyers will be back to throw the ball hoping to find another Paul Flatley kind of re- ceiver. Steve Murphy will anchor the fullback spot. Down in Hoosier country, Phil Dickens will have a team that will not exactly waltz through the season, but may step on quite a few teams' shoes. Indiana has bundles of lettermen back (28 of the first 33) including Big Ten rushing leader of last season Tom Nowatzke at fullback, arnd accur- ate passer Rich Bader. The team has concentrated on pass defense during spring drills. MSU Minus Speed Duffy Daugherty is not doing the jig about his Michigan State team which is strangely devoid of backfield speed. The pony back- field has departed to greener pas- tures. Lettermen are scarce except at quarterback where Steve Juday, Dave McCormack, and Dick Proeb- stle will come back. Daugherty looked like he did not have much last season and almost won the title. Might he do it again? At Purdue Jack Mollenkoph will have an unfinished symphony of talent, with proven strength everywhere except quarterback and fullback. Ron DiGravio will be gone after three outstanding sea- sons as will his understudy Gary Hogan. Fullback Gene Donaldson has exhausted his eligibility, too. Holcomb Leads Purdue Chip Holcomb, son of Stu Hol- comb, Northwestern athletic direc- tor, is holding the position this spring and will probably be the starting quarterback in the fall. He will probably aim at Bob Had- rick, who was the second leading pass receiver in the Big Ten last season. Dick Kuzniewski, an ef- fective halfback in '63, will be switched to fullback. Wisconsin, which dropped to fifth place last season, may have trouble making the first division this year. Milt Bruhn lost his linebackers, and quarterback re- mains a question mark with no proven virtuoso. Hal Brandt and BASKETBALL: U.S. Gets FifhaLss KIEV, U.S.S.R. (M)-The tour- ing United States national bask- etball team lost again last night --its fifth defeat in six games in the - Soviet Union-but showed some improvement before yield- ing 81-80 in a five-minute over- time period to the Ukranian team. The Americans w it h Jim Barnes and Jerry Shipp setting a strong early pace, led 38-25 at half time and weren't overtaken until the last two seconds. Barnes, the 6-8 center from Texas Western, dominated both boards and teamed well with Shipp on defense. Shipp scored 30 points and Barnes 15. The Ukranians began using a pressing defense in the second half and finally drew even at 71- 71 on a goal by Etremoukhov 10 seconds before the whistle. The lead alternated several times dur- ing the overtime period until two free throws'by Kovyanov produced the winning points. ALL BARBER SHOPS WILL CLOSE EVERY MONDAY BEGINNING THIS WEEK: MAY 4, IN ANN ARBOR PATRONIZE YOUR FAVORITE BARBER SHOP TUESDAY thru SATURDAY -Daily-Frank wing BARRY DEHLIN DRIVES through the White line in this spring's first scrimmage. The stocky Blue fullback receives blocking from his teammates as Dennis Flanagan (62) is taken out of play be- hind him. 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