PAGE Front This An le Penn State coach Rip Engle has guided his Lion gridders to six fat victories during the last eight football weeks. But the grey-haired coach would probably trade all six of them right on the spot for a measly one-point edge over the University of Pittsburgh today at Pitt Stadium. Well, guess he wouldn't go that far to beat the Pitts, but when the annual neighborhood opug-nancy comes up at Pitt Stadium, there isn't much Engle or the Pitt coach (whomever he might be at the time), wouldn't do to come out on the winning end. Engle has managed to do it on three out of four occasions he's had to take his Lion squad to Panther town, and two of them have come in succession. Five weeks• ago, there wasn't a person within hearing that wouldn't have wagered his shirt on the Lions in the annual season finale. At the time Pitt had dropped three straight contests by monstrous margins and appeared heded for rock bottom. The Cats list their opener to Southern cal, 27-7, while Penn State was enroute to Illinois—a Penn State victim, 14-12. Then they were buried by Minnesota and Notre Dame 46-7, and 33-0. But things changed in a hurry. Coach Lowell (Red) Dawson, who had set no worlds afire'in 1953, retired to a nearby hospital bed with a heart ailment. Enter Captain Tom Hamilton, Pitt's athletic director who ; had coached the Panthers for two years, before moving to the front office. Hamilton took over the squad, just before Pitt was to meet heavily favored Navy. He altered the lineup (and eventually the entire offensive system), tossed a few misfits off the squad, brashly predicted that his Panthers would whip the Middies—and then went right out and did it, 21-19. - Overnight the Panthers became a different team. They drop ped Northwestern, 14-7 and then topped West Virginia, 13-10. Powerful Ohio State was just too much but Nebraska couldn't hold off the Steel City crew. They fell, 21-7. And that brings us up to date on Pitt. You might consider the Panthers as two different teams—the first with an 0-3 record and the second with a splendid, 4-1 chart. Unfortunately Penn State has to play the second outfit, and it's probably going to be the toughest test- Engle's team has faced this season. While the Panthers were wallowing in the mud against their first three opponents, the Nittanies swept to three straight wins, but just at the time Pitt made its first show of life, the Lions handed two games away to West Virginia and Texas Christian. That kind of football didn't last long, however, and Penn State snapped back to deb Penn, Holy Cross and Rutgers in comfortable fashion. With both teams winning consistently the picture that had developed early in the season began to revise itself until the two teams now face each other on fairly even terms. Evn enough, at least, for the oddsmakers to set the point spread at one point— Pitts favor. The Pitts have been in the favorite's seat before and haven't done too well. In fact the favorite in this yearly gridiron head bash has rarely come out on top. For the past two seasons the Panthers have been the pick, but in both cases failed even to score while the underdog Lions accounted for 17 points in each game. The first of the two whitewashes shoved the Panthers right out of an Orange Bowl bid. The two losses to Penn State plus the tremendous psychological lift that four wins have given them have fired the Panthers to the boiling point for this one today. However, it may, not be enough. You know, it doesn't take much to kindle that little spark around this section of the state either, and the Lions are just as ready. It's been a rough old season on football predictors this season, and it's games just like this one that have been the thorn in the side. Most of the Friday night crystalballers have been swinging to Pitt, but we'll stay with the Lions. In fact Rip Engle's team should win it by two touchdowns. Amen. Cheering fullbacks... 1 „.,.......„ ... • ~± '•:.:. . Ats, l osk . K,... - . 5 ; ,;;; . ..::... W:r -k• ' z,o• ' , ' 1. ,.„.„.... ...400. ~....—..,......... ••••••• ••••1•V5:::::'••••. •'"-• . . . ........... . By DICK McDOWELL Collegian Sports Editor THE DAILY calls for greenbacks! LEGIAN, STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA NCAA Run Looms As Toughest 'Test' Bluebooks and mid-term examinations may bring many moans from Penn \State stu dents, but the Nittany,cross-country team will be- up against an even stiffer type of "test". Monday in the national chainpionship race. Nittany Coach Chick Werner will use the same six harrieh who brought back a surprise fourth-place finish from Monday's IC4A title run at Van Cortlandt Park, N.Y. John Chillrud,' Jim Pastorius, Ted Garrett, Don Mowry, Don Woodrow, and Doug Moorhead are the half dozen runners who ;Will be running for the Lions in the most important race of the season. Although the harriers were defeated in four of five regular-season meets, their show ing in the NC4A's has brightened Werner's hopes for the national championship engagement. However, only the best teams in the nation will be represented at the 16th running of the Na tional Collegiate Athletic Associa tion event at East Lansing, Mith. Approximately 200 hill-and-dalers from some 40 teams are expected for the gruelling four-mild event. Werner has put the Lions through speed workouts this week because of , the flat course. on which they will be running. The Nittany mentor said...he felt his harriers needed speed practice more than distance exercises. Garrett, Chillrud, and Moorhead took part in last season's meet. Penn State won the NCAA' vic tory wreath in 1942 and. 1950. The Nittany harriers have placed fourth for the past three seasons. Oklahoma A&M, Manhattan, Mi ami of Ohio, and Pitt are four •of the leading contenders for the team title. Although Manhattan won the IC4A crown, Oklahoma A&M looms as the favorite. Pitt has run up a string of 'l7 straight regular-season victories, but Carl Olson's Panthers, who were slight favorites in the IC4A meet, fin ished second, far behind the Jas pers. . Four of the top five harriers on the Oklahoma A&M squad are Europeans; three are from Swe den and the other from Germany. IC4 A -- individual champion Geox'ge Terry of Boston Univer sity is one of the top threats to repeat his feat in the nationals. Terry, only a sdphomore, came up from the ranks of the un known to defeat George King of New York University, the pre meet choice. Manhattan's Bob Sbarra, who placed third in the'lC4A run for the roses, and Don Townsend of St. John's, who came in fourth, are other top threats for the-indi vidual laurels. Steve ' , Armstrong of Syracuse and Arnie Sowell of Pitt are also outstanding harriers. Wes Santee of Kansas won the individual crown last year with a 19:43.5 clocking. His title-winning time was just seven seconds off the record and set the stage for Kansas' team victory. , Indiana finished second, Syra cuse third, and Pitt fifth in last Iseason's NCAA run. Penn State's harriers have shown a great deal of improve ment, and, although the Lions "failed" four of five regular-sea son "tests," they appear to be set for the,all-important "final exam." Steeplechase Champ Horace Ashenfelter, winner of the 3000-meter steeplechase in the 1952 Olympic Games at Helsinki, Finland, is a graduate of the. Un iversity. By HERM WEISKOPF Kidnap Hoax Exposed . . Penn State 'Captives' Volunteered for Gag The Pittsburgh Press, the Sun-Telegraph, and the Associated' Press will probably haVe very red faces when the true' story about - the two Penn State hostages is told. Both papers, and the press association carried stories yesterday about two Penn' State men who 'were supposedly captured Monday night while painting State slogans on the Pitt campus According_ to the stories both men were as yet unidentified. They were supposedly captured by members of Pi Kappa Alpha frat ernity and are supposedly being held in large burlap bags until half-time of today's Pitt - Penn State game. The stories told of the atrocities supposedly committed by the Penn State pair. Alleged Damage "They chalked huge Penn State slogans across the campus grass, ran a black flag up the Pitt flag staff, and then splotched some red paint on what they thought were Panther statues in front of the Pittsburgh Athletic Association annex," said the front page story in yesterday's Pittsburgh Press. The story went on to say that the trip was a failure for the Penn State duo. "The 'panthers' they splotched were actually lions; Penn State's mascot and the raiders became hostages," the story said The True Tale But it ain't so. The Daily Col legian learned the true story yes terday. It happened this way: The Pitt Interfraternity Coun cil held a sing last week, at which Theodore Biddle, Pitt dean of men and himself a member of Pi Kap pa Alpha, spoke. He apparently fell for the gag and circulated a rumor that Penn State demanded the- return of the two students. He admitted it was a•bluff to talk his younger fraternity brothers into releasing the pair. Members of Pi Kappa Alpha ' immediately jumped up and de clared they were the ones who had made the haul. They also sold the story !look line-and-sinker to the Pittsburgh papers. Pressure piled up on the PiKa's to produce the hostages. And since they didn't have any, they had to get some in a hurry. A dozen members of Pi KaPpa Alpha drove to Penn State Thurs day and asked two members of GET 'EM BY TELEGRAM! Having a .big time at the big game - costs money. If you need financial reinforcements, flash home your fund appeal by telegram. Instead of a lecture on Economics, you'll get back coin of the realm as requested. It's just Basic Psychology. A tele gram is always something "special" —always gets attention—gets results. So use 'em for any purpose— invitations, greetings, reservations. Just call your Western Union office. itil s w_i w s fre P ESTERN • By DON SHOEMAKER 105 S. Allen St. Phone AD 8-6731 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2P, 195,4 Food Committee Posts To Be Filled by CM Students interested in serv ing in the All-University Food Committee may apply for in terviews with the Cabinet Per sonnel Interviewing Committee. Applicalioris are available at the Student Union desk in Old Main and must be returned to the desk by noon Wednesday, Donald Bell, CPIC chairman, said last night. • Robert Sturdevant is chair man of the foods committee. the PKA.' chapter here to volun teer to act as hostages. Edward Flemming, house presi; dent, and Anthony Lisanti, a bro ther, volunteered to go along with the gag. They drove back to Pitt Thursday night. They will either be released at a pep rally set for noon today, or during, half-time ceremonies at the game. The Pitt fraternity apparently did a good job of selling the story. Yesterday's paper told of raids by other fraternities on the Pi Kappa Alpha house in attempts to cap ture the two men for themselves. According to the stories the PiKa's have been shuttling the captives from one brothers house to another in an effort to keep them hidden. ALUMS! . Keep up with the Penn State News by subscribing to. THE DAILY COLLEGIAN Simply clip the cTupon and return to ihe the address given DO IT-NOW!! 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 The Daily Collegian Campus State College, Pa. Name Address City - ( )$3.00 per semester ( )$3.50 remainder of 1954-55 year 111111111111111111111i1111111111111111111111
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers