WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1961
Engle to Start Hall Satur •ay
* * *
Halftime
After the rumble over Penn State's 10-6 loss to Army
died down and people began discussing the few heartening
performances of that pallid game, (Jay Huffman's continued
brillance at center, Joe Blasenstein's savage tackles and
Harrison Rosdahi's all-around line play), the talk got around
to Roger Kochman.
Kochman, if you don't already know, is the halfback who
almost ruined Syracuse's bid for a national championship two years
ago with a 17-yard touchdown burst on a delayed handoff and a
fabulous 100-yard scoring jaunt through most of the Orange team.
The Lions lost that game. 20-18, but local fans will always
remember that State came from two touchdowns back to almost
upset the eventual No. 1 team in the nation.
It goes without saying that Syracuse won't soon that game
either, and especially the way a -
sophomore halfback almost single
handedly
ruined their undefeated
season.
When the Orange come to
town again Saturday they'll get
another• look at that elusive back
with the powerful legs, the twink
ling blue eyes and the lean look
of stunning speed.
But even off his performance
against Army Saturday, it's hard
to say that Kochman is the same
unleashed fury that rambled 100
yards against the Orange.
In fact, until just yesterday,
Kochman was running on the sec
ond team, a fact that Syracuse
fans would find hard to believe.
But a lot has happened since
that brilliant November Saturday
two years ago, and the whole 100-YARD ROCKET SHOT
story can be summed up in one word injuries.
A week after the Syracuse game Roger was walked to the
sidelines with a knee injury in the first quarter against Holy
Cross.
Despite his limited appearances in 1959, Kochman was touted
as a possible All-A merican until a summertime baseball
LION TRAINER CHUCK MEDLAR
HELPS INJURED KOCHMAN TO SIDELINES
injury sidelined him for the 1960 season and almost ended his foot
ball career.
With an entire year away from football and a wobbly knee
to boot, Engle was afraid le even hope that Kechman would re
gain the form he showed against Syracuse in '59.
But in spring practice Kochman walked away from pileup after
pileup, although his knee was still giving him trouble.
When he came out for football this fall, he could cut without
pain and he showed flashes of his former speed.
But minor injuries kept him from practicing much and even
though he gained 60 yards against Navy in State's first game of
the season, something seemed to be missing.
The following two games were uneventful, then against Army
Saturday Roger picked up 54 yards in 12 carries, which made him
the top ground gainer on both squads.
This fact in itself is not spectacular, but the way Kochman got
that yardage—those ripping, driving cutbacks into a massed Army
secondary that was unhampered by any downfield blocking—was at
least a good sign.
Now Engle has made his wholesale lineup switch, which includes
moving Kochman up to first team in place of Al Gursky.
And the Ripper, remembering a brilliant November day in 1959
when he saw the greatest clutch run of the year, is keeping his
fingers crossed that Syracuse's return to the Nittany Valley will
prompt Kochman into performing his magical feats once again.
Will Lightning
Strike Twice?
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN, UNIVERSITY PARK. PENNSYLVANIA
* * *
By JIM KARL
Sports Editor
Sieminski,
Smith, Jonas
On 2nd Team
(Continued from page one)
two games with a bruised shoul
der.
Eng)e said that Hall will play
only on offense against Syracuse
and that Pete Liske, who played
with the first unit the past two
games, will take over for Hall on
defense.
In a similar maneuver Engle
said that Koehman would be used
exclusively on offense and that
Gursky would play only on de
fense.
All in all, Engle made six per
sonnel changes on State's first
two teams, but he emphasized
that the starting lineup Satur
day may be entirely different.
"As of now, these are the
changes we've made." he said,
- But I didn't name the starting
team for Syracuse."
Before the season started State
was acclaimed throughout the na
tion as one of football's top
powers. But iniuries to three
first-stringers—Hall, Hart and
Robinson plus costly mistakes
and a lack of scoring punch, have
reduced the Lions to a .500 ball
club.
The latest Lambert Trophy
ratings, which rank the top
football teams in the East, list
State sixth, and put such teams
as Villanova and Rutgers ahead
of the Lions.
Engle called off practice Mon
day and instead had a closed
meeting with the coaching staff
and the team.
At the meeting Engle went over
the game movies with the nlaycrs
and "corrected their mistakes."
Then yesterday morning the
coaching staff had a meeting
of its own, after which Engle
announced the lineup changes,
"Some of the fellows we moved
up deserved the promotion," he
said, "and others we simply mov
ed up by default. Certain boys
aren't doing the job and we just
had to make some changes," he
said.
Engle said that the switches
weren't made in haste or panic
and that "all we're trying to do
is get a little more concentration,
a little better performance, on the
field. I think we can play better
football than we've been play-
Mg."
After the meeting Monday,
Engle said that "the boys rea
lize their mistakes now and I
know they'll try hard to remedy
them."
Engle was particularly dis
pleased with the LionS' downfield
blocking and loose tackling
against Army. Several times Ca
det halfbacks broke away for
valuable yardage after seemingly
being stopped by State defenders.
But with State' facing perhaps
its toughest game of the season
Saturday. Engle isn't worrying
about State's past performances.
"Army is water over the dam,
now," Engle said. "We have to
start thinking about Syracuse."
The Orangemen are 3-1 so far
this year and Lion coach Frank
Patrick rates them on par with
the 1959 Syracuse team which
won the national championship.
"They're every bit as good this
year," he said. "They have the
material and this year they have
the determination to go along
with it."
"Syracuse has arrived." Engle
said, "but we still have a long
way to go. They have a big hack
(Ernie Davis) who is a break
away threat, and we certainly
aren't going to outman them in
the line."
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