FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1954
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
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PAGiE SEVEN
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Michigan Big Ten
Defensive Leader
Wolverines Have Kept Opponents
From Scoring for 172 Minutes
Branca, One-Time Star,
Leaves Diamond Scene
M
Ou tls
Indiana,
By ALAN EISENBERG
The world of sports is an ex-
tremely interesting but confusing
paradox.
It isa world of make believe-
played for keeps. It is a world
The old adage that defense is
half of football certainly holds
more than true for the Wolverines
who currently lead the toughest
conference in the land in defensive
statistics.
Dominate on Offense
By its 34-0 rout of Minnesota
last weekend, Bennie Oosterbaan's
charges achieved the top rung
position by dominating on offense,,
hardly giving a chance for Mc-
Namara and company to handle
the ball.
In its three conference games
Michigan has allowed 202 yards,
per game, 140 by ground and 62
by air. In the last 172 minutes of
conference action, opponents have
failed to score a single point
against the Maize and Blue.
Plagued by a spasmodic offense,
the Wolverines were forced to
cpme up with a top notch defen-
sive squad to get them where they
are today.
Hold Gophers to 43 Yards
The big Blue line has had no
small part in this rise to the top
of conference defensive rankings.
It has wrecked havoc with the
vaunted running attacks of Iowa
and Minnesota, reaching the
heights by holding the Gophers toI
a measly 43 yards on the ground.
Minnesota, Iowa, and North-
western managed to total only 30
first downs between them in their
encounters against the climbing
Wolverines. With the sparkling
play of Art Walker and Ron Kra-
mer, and the adroit linebacking
of Jim Bates, Lou Baldacci, Fred
Baer, and Dave Hill plugging up
those holes, foes of Michigan have
found it hard to move the ball
during the past few weeks.
In fact, one defensive ma-
nuever turned what would have
been a scoreless tie into a Michi-
gan victory. It was at Evanston
earlier this month, and the big
Wolverine line was pushing a des-
perate Northwestern team deep
into its own territory.
Mead Recovers Fumble
Suddenly, hulking guard G. Ed-
gar Meads, newly discovered first
stringer, plowed into the Wildcat
backfield to fall on a Northwest-
ern fumble. This play was the
door-step to victory, as the Maize
and Blue rolled to its only score
of the day a few plays later.
On pass defensesthe Michigan
men have looked especially good.
With safetyman Dan Cline mak-
ing several outstanding plays, the
Wolverines have stopped over 70
per cent of the passes thrown
against them in Big Ten play.
Northwestern found the going
hardest, completing only 27 per
cent of its 22 tosses.
Michigan's three conference op-
ponents have been able to gain an
average of only 63 yards per game
via the aerial route. Minnesota
gained 95 yards, more than the
combined totals of Northwestern
and Iowa.
RALPH BRANCA
...the string runs out .
where grown men play at games
made for children. It is only in
this sphere, in this wonderland of
unrealities, that a man such as
Indiana in Top Condition
For Weekend Encounter
Ralph Branca could flash across
the horizon, shine briefly, and dis-
appear.
Branca Inconsistent
The major league baseball ca-
reer of Branca is, mndeed, a cur-
ious one. His work as a hurler for
three teams has, to say the least,
been inconsistent. Branca's per-
formances have ranged from bril-
liant to inept-and one could never
be sure when he would be bril-
liant.
At the moment, however, it
looks as if the big-leagues and
Branca have parted ways. For it
was last week, buried under the
deluge of collegiate and profes-
sional football news, that the de-
throned New York Yankees an-
nounced that Branca had been
given his unconditional release.
Yanks Revamp Pitching Staff
(The lopping of the veteran by
the New York team is part of a
plan by which the Yankees hope
to bolster their shaky mound staff.
Branca was replaced by Lou Sleat-
er, a 27-year old lefthander, who
was purchased from Toronto of
the International League.)
There was a time, however,
when the name of Ralph Branca
shone brightly in the strange world
in which he has existed.
In was in 1947 that the former
New York University star was
pitching superlative baseball for
the Brooklyn Dodgers. He won 21
games as he led the Brooks into
the World Series, where they were
edged by the Yankees. He was on
top of the pile, then, considered
by the experts to be one of the top
hurlers in the National League.
Plagued by Injuries
Branca was never to reach these
heights again. The next year he
was plagued by arm trouble. He
began to tail off, until in July of
1953 he was sold on waivers to
the Detroit Tigers.
In the middle of the '54 cam-
paign, the Detroit club released
him and the Yanks, desperate for
pitching, picked up his contract.
The Mount Vernon resident's rec-
ord in the American League was
a mediocre four wins and three
losses.
Between '47 and '54 one event
happened to Branca, an event
which will make his name long
remembered in sports history. For
it was Branca who threw the
homerun pitch to Bobby Thomson
-and which cost the Dodgers the
pennant in 1951.
Thomson Wins Game
The four-bagger came in the
third game of the tension-packed
playoff between the Giants and
the Brooks. There were two men
on base and two men out in the
bottom of the ninth inning when
Thomson rifled a Branca pitch
into the left field seats. It gave the
Giants the game, 4-3, and enabled
them to cop the flag.
But this is 1954. Ralph Branca
is 28-years old, and he is consid-
ered washed up.
Could it happen anywhere else
but in baseball?
16-4, in
L
1936-MICHIGAN'S BOB COOPERRAMBLES IN THE RAIN BUT
TO NO AVAIL AS HOOSIERS WIN, 14-3.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. {P-Coach
Bernie Crimmins said yesterday
his Indiana University football
team will be in its best physical
shape in two weeks when it faces
Michigan Saturday.
.One reason is that the passing
arm of quarterback Florian Helin-
ski appeared strong again after
weeks of nursing a bruished shoul-
der.
Practices this week indicated the
Hoosiers intend to rely heavily on
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a passing attack against the Wol-
verines.
The 38-man Indiana traveling
squad will fly to Ann Arbor Friday
for a workout in the Michigan sta-
dium and then spend the night at
nearby Ypsilanti.
* * * ,
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (R - Strong
emphasis on defense yesterday cli-
maxed Purdue's preparation for
the homecoming football game
against Illinois here Saturday.
Coach Stu Holcomb continued to
stress alert defensive play in hopes
of stopping Illinois' speedy back-
field trio of J. C. Caroline, Mickey
Bates and Abe Woodson.
MSC Invaded
The University of Michigan Soc-
cer Club travels to East Lansing
this weekend for an encounter
with the Michigan State club on
Saturday morning.
The Michigan club has a .500
record so far this season whilel
Michigan State is still undefeated.
Michigan's victory came overl
Turkish International and its loss
was at the hands of Indiana.
Read and Use
Daily Classifieds
Ancient Series Dates Back
To the Turn of the Century
When Michigan and Indiana collide Saturday in the Stadium
it will mark the 21st meeting between the two schools, a rivalry that
began way back when grandma was wearing a bustle, and movies cost
only a nickel.
Way back in 1900 the two teams met for the first time, and
Michigan squeezed out a neat 12-0 victory behind the crunching runs
of captain Neil Snow.
Yost's Debut
1901 was Fielding Yost's debut as coach of Michigan, and his
first experience with the Hoosiers wound up 33-0 in favor of the
Maize and Blue. The Yost steamroller kept rolling, and Indiana was
among the many victims to be humiliated by the "point-a-minute"
teams. In 1902 Michigan took the Hoosiers to task, 60-0, and in '03
Indiana fell, 51-0.
The rivalry evidently did not set too well with Indiana authori-
ties, so it was broken off for 22 years, until 1925, when the Hoosiers
took on Michigan's great Friedman and Oosterbaan juggernaught.
The final score-63-0 in favor of Michigan, and even the most rabid
Indiana fan wished he had never heard of Ann Arbor.
First Hoosier Victory
In 1928 the Hoosiers again challenged the Wolverines and gained
their first victory over the Maize and Blue, to the tune of 6-0. It
was the first touchdown scored by Indiana against Michigan In history.
The year 1931 saw a 22-0 Mich-
Igan victory, and the following
year Ivy Williamson, now coach of
Wisconsin, and Harry Newman led
the Michigan squad to a 7-0 tri-
umph.
Michigan's Low Ebb
Dark days set in soon however,
and Michigan football reached its
I lowest ebb in history. It was an
Indiana team that w t
verines out of the doldrums by
bowing 7-0 in 1935 to give Mich-
4 igan its first conference win in two
However Kipkes Maize and Blue
fell back into oblivion soon after,
and Indiana took the 1936 en-
counter in the rain, 14-3.
Seven years lapsed in the rival-
> ry, and it was not until 1943 that
It was resumed. The Hoosiers ran
into too much power that day,
and bowed before Elroy "Crazy-
legs" Hirsch, Rudy Smeja and
Wally Dreyer, 23-6.
In 1944 Indiana won, 20-0, and
In the decisive game of 1945 sea-
k> son won 13-7 as George Taliaferro
and Ben Riamondi ran and passed
the Wolverines into submission to
take the Big Ten crown.
. Michigan Victories
-. By sweeping to a 21-0 victory
In 1946, Michigan began a string
of victories over Indiana that will
once again go on the line this
MAN, AS IT WINS ITS FIRST Saturday in the Stadium.
Pinnacle of the long rivalry
0. came in 1947 and 1948. In 1947
the great Chappius-Elliot-Weisen-
burger team rolled over Indiana,
35-0, and prompted Hoosier coach
'Bo" McMillin to say "Michigan
is the best offensive team I have
ever seen I have ever seen, and
I saw Army last year."
In 1948 National champion
Michigan rolled up a 54-0 score, as
Taliaferro tried hard to stem the
tide with a brilliant offensive dis-
play of his own.
Easy Wins
Three easy wins were added to
the Wolverine scalp-lock in 1949,
F50Rand '51, as Michigan rolled to
successive 20-7 victories and a 33-
14 decision.
The last time the two teams
met was two years ago, when
Lowell Perry sparked a 28-13
by yMichigan victory, the 16th time
in 20 meetings that a Maize and
PHIL DOUGL IS Blue team has come out on top.
Saturday, the two teams meet
for the 21st time, renewing a his-
toric rivalry after a year lapse.
Photos Courtesy Though lightly regarded, the In-
of The diana team still poses a stumbling
block to an inspired Michigan
Michigan Alumnus team that is beginning to rumble
ominously. Just how much of a
stumbling block 1954 Hoosiers are,
however, won't be revealed until
Saturday.
1935--MICHIGAN MOVES IN TO STOP HOOSIER VERN HUFF1
CONFERENCE GAME IN TWO YEARS, 7-
"Don't
Shoot!"
00
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From recent Student Council minutes:
CHAIRMAN: Next we come to the problem of the appalling
dressing-habits of our freshman. We have noted such un-
orthodox attire as long-point collars, garishly colored
shirts, some actually made of dotted swiss!
SCH. OF MUSIC REP.: Definitely not in harmony with
our standards.
JOURNALISM REP.: To corn a phrase, they ain't on the
ball team.
BCH. OF LOGIC REP.: Why not shoot 'em?
MED. SCHOOL REP.: Great idea! I'll work up a "Good
Taste" serum, refined from some Van Heusen Oxfordian
shirts. We'll inoculate 'em all!
PHILOSOPHY REP.: Who cares!
LAW SCHOOL REP.: (Happily) Yeah, inoculate 'em. Then
maybe some of 'em will get sick, and I ..
JOURNALISM REP.: Now let's don't go all around Red
Robin Hood's barn ..what we need is a campaign to
tell 'em about the Oxfordian ; : the silky, smooth
oxford shirts with the smart, modern collar styles.
BUS. ADM. REP.: And don't forget ; . fine long-staple
cotton, woven tighter to last longer.. . at the amazing price
(thanks to excellent production facilities) of only $4.50.
JOURNALISM REP.: I think we got the gem of an idea here
somewhere . . but first off the bag, we gotta .
MED. SCHOOL REP.: Inoculate 'em.
LOGIC REP.: Yeah, shoot 'em.
CHAIRMAN: All in favor of mass inoculation say Aye.
(MOTION CARRIES.)
JOURNALISM REP.: Maybe some of 'em already wear
Van Heusen Oxfordians. Don't shoot 'til you see the
whites of their shirts .
ART SCHOOL REP.: :.:.:and the colors! Don't forget
Oxfordians come in the smartest colors this side of a
Bonnard or a Klee.
PHILOSOPHY REP.: (eating Tootsie-roll) Who cares!
1947-BUMB ELLIOT BRINGS KICKOFF UPFIELD AS GREAT
WOLVERINE JUGGERNAUGHT CRUSHES INDIANA, 35-0.
$3950 $4450
TOPCOATS
Zip-in Lining . . . $44.50
SPORT COATS . . $24.50
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