Wolverines Fill Air With Passes In Preparation For PRESS PASSES By BUD BENJAMIN p rrrlr rrlr ~ ~ (EDITOR'S NOTE: Guest this week in our regular exchange column is Fred Vance, sports editor of the Daily Iflinl. Here is what Mr. Vance has to say about tomorrow's game between Illinois and Michigan.) The Illinois Slant . . By FRED VANCE I'VE BEEN sitting in my room at Champaign fully 30 minutes now, pipe in mouth, thinking of nothing but the Michigan-Illinois game in Ann Arbor Saturday. I've been trying to locate some reason why Illinois should be expected to win. I've been trying to size up the Illinois outlook in terms of victory or defeat. And the result of it all is almost as sour as the juice of my pipe. My thinking has been somewhat retarded, I'll admit, by a rer'ark which Coach Bob Zuppke uttered in the coaches' locker room after the final prac- tice before last week's Northwestern game: "I hope we beat Northwestern because from what I understand there's no use trying to beat Michigan." Zup was sincere in his remark, truly sincere. All week long he had heard assistant coach and scout Ray Eliot sing the praises of the revived Wolverines in their battle with Minnesota. "They've got everything," said Ray. "Precision, power, tackling, blocking, passing, running, good defense. Right now they could beat 1S easily by four touchdowns." But let that be as it may. The fact that Zuppke and Eliot truly fear Michigan only means that they and the rest of the staff will be working all the harder to prepare the team for the Wolverine encounter., But what a futile task that seems to be. AT LEAST five of the Illini starters against Northwestern will find them- selves relegated to the sidelines or a hospital bed when game time comes Saturday. There may be more, but for the present, perhaps discussion of this quintet will suffice to demonstrate the pitiful condition of the Illinois squad as it gets ready for battle Saturday. Both starting halfbacks against the Wildcats are out for the season-Bob Wehrli with a fractured plus dislocated elbow, and Pony Tony Mazeika with a severely twisted knee which has injured ligaments and the cartilege. When Wehrli went out of the Northwestern game with only seven minutes in the first quarter gone, three-fourths of the Illini backfield power went with him. "Wehrli is the only backfield man we 1ave that comes anywhere near Notre Dame's standard this year," Zup had said time and again before the Northwestern game. "He is the only back we have." To fill in at. the halves, Zup will use Cliff Peterson, a sophomore who was demoted to the third team after starting the Notre Dame game, and Bo Burris, a senior, who scored the touchdown in Illinois' 13 to 6 defeat at Indi- ana last year but didn't get in another game until last Saturday. Both performed well in substitute roles last week. There is a possibility that Johnny Thistlewood, a sly little left half who sprained his ankle two weeks ago last Monday, may get in his first major game for Illinois. He's a junior. ZUPPKE HAS-or had-four guards he considered top-notch-Wes Martin, George Bernhardt, Jim Hodges, and Ralph Hathaway. Going down the line systematically, we find that Martin has an injured pelvic bone, Bern- hardt a nerve separation in his shoulder, Hodges his arm in a sling for general reconditioning, and Hathaway a charley horse. Martin will probably play Saturday with a back brace, as he did against Northwestern, but the rest are extremely doubtful . And that's why Zuppke has put Mel Brewer back at his guard position. Mel, apparently well enough recovered from the knee ligament injury that kept him from playing quarterback, against Notre Dame and Northwestern, was considered last year the best tophomore guard in the history of Illinois. Varsity Stops Jayvees Using Zuppke Plays Nicholson And Valek Star At Pass-Catching; Five Backs Heave Aerials It was well after dusk and nearly dark when Coach Fritz Crisler called a halt to yesterday's practice activi- ties of the Wolverine gridders. The lengthy session was featured by extended passing drills. It virtual- ly rained footballs 'as the squad tuned up its aerial attack, running through each play time and again until At was worked byeach set of backs to perfection. On the throwing end was the regu- lar crew of passers, Harmon, Strong, Kromer, Trosko and Luther. The first mentioned seemed to have im- proved his control and accuracy as he consistently hit the mark. Not to be outdone, the receivers particularly ends John Nicholson and Vince Va- lek snared the pigskin whenever it came within several feet of them. If Bob Zuppke could have witnessed the exhibition, there would be a few more grey hairs lodged in his head this morning. Jayvees Stopped Cold Wally Weber's red shirts were stopped cold as they attempted to em- ploy Illinois plays to gain against the regulars, the stalwart guards and tackles seeming to sense where the play was going would spill the run- ner with little if any gain. However this is no indication of what may hap- pen Saturday for Illinois is big and tough and they have their razzle- dazzle foolers down to perfection. Footballs were not all that filled the atmosphere over Ferry Field yes- terday. They were accompanied by shouts, words of encouragement, cries of "come on gang, lets go," a "little pepper," and the like which add up to an enthusiastic football squad. The players seemed all pepped up, rar- ing to get at those boys from Urbana. Strong Leads Way Leading them, not by voice but by action, was diminutive Dave Strong who seems intent on playing against his old teammates and bringing vic- tory to Michigan. Physically, the squad is in excel- lent condition. Except for Joe Sa- villa, out with a broken foot, all the first three teams are free from seri- ous injuries, surprisingconsidering that four games have been played this year. Work In Stadium The Illinois team is expected to work out here this afternoon in the stadium. If arrangements can be made, Coach Crisler intends to send his, men through a short signal drill lit by in the stadium also, the visiting team But Zup shifted him to quarter this fall where his good head, and having the time preference. Other- ne-backing- and blocking abilities could be utilized. Now, handicapped wise they will hold the session on vhis injury, he's too slow for blocking. Ferry Field, as the final step in prep- At the ends Satui'day will probably be two sophomores, one of whom aration for Saturday's expected battle never played for Illinois before the Northwestern game. Jim Phillips, who had been alternating with Ken Zimmerman at left end, has taken the veteran's place, and neophyte Herb Young has supplanted Bob Castelo at right. Castelo's performances haye been downright discouraging. Zimmerman played well enough against Northwestern but when Phillips went in with the second team at the end of the first quarter, he played so well that the coaches used him the rest of the game. Phil Pezzoli will remain at quarterback the rest of the year now that Brewer has gone back to the line. George Rettinger, the fullback who was supposed to be a triple-threat star, has performed only well enough to keep a slight edge over other candidates. The Talk of the Town!! Not the Michigan football team, not Black Friday; no, you're all "cold." The highlight of this week will be Superior Dairy's two new WEEK-END SPECIALS - not one but two! Read about them below, and you too will start talking. of the air-lanes. John Henry Lewis Stakes Title Tonight NEW HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 27.-(JP) -John Henry Lewis stakes his world's light heavyweight title here 'tomor- row in a 15-round fight against the veteran Al Gainer, who for years has been chasing champions around in the hope of getting a crack at the crown. Because he is younger, bigger and holds one decision over the New Ha- ven Negro, Lewis was favored by the betting odds tonight to retain the title he won three years ago at St. Louis from Bob Olin. The Negro champion, four years younger than the 28-year-old chal- lenger and five or more pounds heav- ier, defeated Gainer in a non-titular fight in Pittsburgh some time ago. Promoters predicted the twice- postponed fight, once because Lewis wanted more time to get down to the 175 pound class limit and the other time because Gainer developed sinus trouble, would bring a gate of $25,000 and $30,000. Both fightershcompleted their training during the day with five- 'mile jogs.I PUMPKIN and VANILLA ab34c per quart brick CIDER SHERBET 25c per quart brick Superior Dairy Stores 332 SOUTH STATE 207 SOUTH MAIN STREET rIi FOR HOMECOMING MICHIGAN BANNERS and PENNANTS Crepe Paper and Streamers All Michigan Decorations I I I I III i