Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Western Carolinian Volume 38 Number 22

  • wcu_publications-12902.jpg
6 / 8
Item
  • Page 6 THE WESTERN CAROLINIAN Thursday November 2, 1972 WCU Shows Memorable Season This time last November, Western Carolina University's football team was floundering along with a 2-6 record and on the verge of a disasterous season. This week, the Cats are enjoying football again with a 5-2- 1 showing and have hopes of making an already good season into a year to remember. Much of the credit for Western's reversal has been directed towards quarterback Hal Mote, who returned to direct the WCU offense after missing last season with a shoulder injury. Another group of fans might point out the play of the defense in big wins over Murray State, Tennessee Tech, The Citadel and Jacksonville as the key to success. Western Carolina sports analysts will agree that both the aforementioned are big factors in the Cats' turn-around. However, they are also in agreement that one group in particular has been somewhat overlooked when the plaudits are handed out after a win and that unit is the offensive line...the group that o- pens the big holes for David Hackett's long gains and protects Mote when he drops back to pass. According to its developer coach Johnny Wike, Western's offensive line this year is "physically, the toughest, and potentially, the best," in the Cats' recent history. The statistics bear out Wike'sanalysis as the Cats have already equalled the entire offensive yardage output of the '71 team. "And," Wike adds, "the competition has been much stronger this year." Wike gives his personnel all the credit. "Unlike pastyears, the opposition now has to respect our running game as well as our passing attack. Last week was a good example of that. We had only 55 yards passing, because of injuries to FOOTBA LI L £ ;ta' TISTII AVO. AVO. cs WCU STATISTICS OPPCMBIT RUSHING PER PER Ti 1st downs rushing n PLAYER 0 ATT OAIN LOSS NET C.UUI OAhE TD 56 1st downs passing So Hackett 8 \ii oC6 51 6o? J.B 83.1 "5 7 1st downs penalty 12 Xlivin 8 U8 212 0 212 U.k 26.5 1 138 total 1st downs 109 1-1088 8 UO 202 11 191 ll.B 23.8 0 372 rushing attempts 337 Cole 5 31* 135 h 132 3.9 26.U 0 3513 yds. gained rushing 1392 Slier 8 23 103 7 96 U. 2 12.0 1 167 yds. loat rushing 26U Hewett 8 21t 69 3 86 3.6 10.7 0 B26 net yds. rushing 1028 Dunbar U 9 37 6 29 3.2 7.2 1 193 passes attempted 189 Green 5 13 30 6 2U 1.7 U.8 0 10U passes completed 93 Hilner 8 12 0 2 2.0 0.2 0 9 passes had intercepted 16 Oaines 8 3 2 22 -20 -6.6 -2.5 0 3566 yds. gained passing 1238 Hots 8 22 lli 105 -9U -U.lt -11 .'7 0 565 total run-pass plays 526 TOTALS 8 372 1513 167 1326 3.8 165.7 11 392 total offensive ydage. 2261 C0MP. 16 opp. passes intercepted 9 pasjmo PER 229 net yds. intercept. retum!20 PLAYES 0 ATT COUP BIT PCT. YDS. ID'S OAME 50 punts W llote -8 162 92 7 .566 11*56 6" 11.5 1 punts had blocked 1 Junbar 8 31 12 2 .387 110 0 3.0 1915 punting yards 1905 CATCHES YARDS 36.3 punting average 39.7 PASS RECEIVING PER PER 21 punts returned ih PLAYER QAlIES NO. Yttj. TD'3 OAME OAIIE 207 net yds. punts returned 129 Oaines B- 31- 759 It 3.8 9l.i 16 kiokoffs returned 26 Moss 8 29 369 2 3.6 U6.1 257 net yds. KO's returned K6 Hackett 8 lit 116 0 1.7 1U.S 1U fumbles 19 liorrow 8 8 99 0 l.o 12.3 7 own fumbles lost lit Walton 3 6 76 0 2.0 26.0 0 net yds. fumble-rec. ret. 0 8 6 61t 0 .7 6.0 U36 ret. yds.(lnt.,fum. ,pim ts)259 Smith 1 2 Ii2 0 2.0 U2.0 k9 times penalized 30 Kirwin 8 li 33 o .5 U.l 51U total yds. penalized 282 Snider 1 1 20 0 1.0 20.0 Cole 5 3 16 0 .6 3.2 SCORING TOTALS 8 loli 1566 6 13.0 195.7 &XTS& TD FQ PAT PAT(2) S TP 5 15 PASS INTERCEPTIONS IHTERCEP Hackett 6 0-0 0-0 0-0 rioss Joyce 0 5-10 17-17 0-0 0 27 PLAYER 0 NO. YDS. TD PER OAME Oaines k 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2U Hunter ff T "53" "5 ISZ tioss 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 16 Rathbum 8 li 75 o .50 Siler 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 6 Stubblefield 6 3 35 0 .36 Kirwin 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 6 Yates 8 1 21 0 .12 Dunbar 1 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 6 Herlong 7 1 20 0 .13 TOT.U.S 18 5-10 17-17 0-1 0 lliO Bruns 8 1 0 0 .12 OPPS. 1U 5-8 6-9 0-3 0 107 PUNTHIO PONT RETURNS IDS. TOUCHDOWNS PLAY.B } HO. YDu./AVO. PLAYER 0 HO. YDS TD RET. wen opp Hilner 6 50 1915/38.3 Moss 8 11 lltj 1 13.C 11 RUSHING 5 Rathburn 8 8 U8 0 6.0 6 PASSING 9 Callis 8 1 13 0 13.0 1 PUNT HETllRN 0 Cleveland^ 1 2 0 2.0 SCOiiINO BY QMiiTEIS KICKOFF RETURIIS WCU 31 55 3T 15 TP PLAYER Cleveland 0 H YDS. TD 5 5 "Bo- "7J AVO. TfTi OPPONENTS 3 23 17 6U TOTALS 31 85 il % 107 -ill hoss 8 It 67 0 16.7 Slier 6 3 1* 0 lii.6 Oaines 8 2 35 0 17.5 SEASON'S RESULTS (5-2-1) (ATT.) Hewett 8 2 25 0 12.5 W 21 At hurray State 12 (6,500) FUiBLE RECOVERIES W 31 Tennessee Tech 13 (7,200) PLAYER NO. YDS. I'D tf 10 At The Cltaael 0 (15,700) Herlong T ~o~ "5 L 17 At Florida A a k 21 (11,600) Cater 3 0 0 W 21l Furman 15 (6,635) Whiteside 2 0 0 T 111 Livingston(Ala.) U. Ik (10,226) Yates 1 0 0 L 6 At lasslssippl College 20 (2,500) Stubblefield 1 0 0 W 17 Jacksonville State 12 (7,350) Rathbum 1 0 0 Nov. li OPEH Hyder 1 0 0 ; Nov. 11 At Presbyterian College Hunter 1 0 0 Nov. IB Appalachian State Sharp 1 0 0 Conservative .FROM Page 5 The truth is, he cant; George McGovern is not presidential material. Richard Nixon is the best man we have available at the time, but that's all. As I see it, voting for Nixon rather than McGovern is like choosing to ride jn an Edsel rather than a Kamikaze plane. It is difficult for a man to vote increased welfare benefits and guaranteed annual incomes for those whom he sees as the ones responsible for his family's lack of safety on the streets. George McGovern is the personification of over- zealous liberalism which, in the enthusiasm of protecting the criminals, neglects the rights of the potential victims. Another reason for McGovern's national bell-flop is that the people don't believe that he can bring stability. First he was 1,000% behind Eagleton, then he wasn't. He was in favor of giving everyone $1,000, then he wasn't, If McGovern can't maintain order in his own campaign, how can he be trusted to bring order to the nation? key personnel, but we rushed for 209 yards. Last year, if we could not pass, we did not move the ball on the ground either," he explained. "This is the first year we have been able to line up with people we knew could do the job, physically, on the pass block as well as open holes for our runners." The personnel offers a contrast in youth and experience. The veterans are strong guard Jim Ebvis and quick side tackle Doug Murajda. The middle of the line is manned by center Mark Ferguson, a junior starting for the first time. The strong tackle spot is manned by a pair of sophomores, Mitch Myers and Harry Fawkes. The quick side guard has been alternated by J.C. Hyder, playing for the first time after a military hitch, and freshman Mike Green, who is now sidelined for the season with a broken arm. The tight end is a converted tackle, Pete Morrow. WCU's ground game is centered around the power sweeps of tailback David Hackett (665 yds.) and the key blocks on those plays are the responsibility of Davis, Murajda and Morrow, all seniors. "Davis always gives us a consistent performance and his escort blocking has been outstanding," said Wike. "Murajda is probably the most improved lineman and has the toughest assignment on pass blocking. Morrow has done more to make our running attack go than any other lineman. The opposition sets their defenses to stop our power sweeps and Pete has to adjust each week to a new situation," Wike explained. "This offensive line has performed up to our expectations this season, but the pressure will be on it for the last twe games. Everyone knows that our passing game has lost some of its effectiveness with the injury to Hal Mote and they (Presbyterian and Appalachian) will be stacked against our running game...it will be quite a challenge," Wike concluded. VARIETY MUSIC CENTER RECORD ALBUMS 8INGLE8 STRING INSTRUMENTS and ACCESSORIES MILL STREET—SYLVA Across from E. L. Erwin Co. JtAN-s FACTOR/ OOTIET 1 TAACK5 mk.H ; l*OM «Wru SUM 1 .^ AMBP9K1 »UW'fterJ,AUfHit ;fWtO«r| pKjfNcMs >.:■! PROFESSIONAL DRUG STORE Bjorn Arlin .R. PH. Phone 586—2413 Sylva, MX. *f*tlCATI«H A»to:r*SSH*T PHOTO WEDPIN6S - CAOIDS BODOBOBBQBBlPaeOOOeBaiBHODBQQBBDI Anniversary Sate In Downtown Sylva Starts Thur. 6:30 to 8:30pm Ends Sot. NOV. 11th Ladies High Thi, Waist High ** u a ist Qua1ity- Super soft Hudson FACIAL TISSUE.
Object