Baylor coach Grant Tiiaff is concerned about Penn State's many offen
sive formations. If ihe Bears are as ground-vulnerable as statistics
indicate, take a good look at the photo—you won't see anything like it
'till next year
Gym
squad'
looking
sharp
early
By TIM PANACCIO
Assistant Sports Editor
Penn State gymnastic
coach Gene Wettstdne
summed up yesterday's in
„ trasquad meet this way:
"There's a lot of hidden tali'nt
there. It should be a kin
year."
Indeed it may. It's viTy
early in the season but )17e
team looked sharp in its first
- Competition" of the y'ear.
Wettstone Split the team
into two squads and played
them off on each other. For
sake of convenience, if is
easier to comment on the
team as a whole. •
There isn't a fan in Rec 13a11
who doesn't appreciate the
skill involved, floor fi xer z
rise. Yesterday, the ap-,
predation value went up
some. Ira Stoizer, frustrated
by a year of missing the
extremely difficult dOuble
back sommersault, it
perfectly. He also stW!l( a
planche, a great- stri ngth
move.
"I just said to mvself,
'Come on Ira, show thost ...',"
said Stoizer.
"Once you hit it, you get the
routine beat."
Remember what wal, said
about the pommel horse being
a troublesome area ft r the
gym team this year'? You
wouldn't believe that hi:d you
seen Jim Hunsinger anti Pete
Vastola.
"I think they are gonna
replace- (Billy) Murphy and
Roy) Stahl nicely," com
mented Wettstone. • ,
Both had very smpoth
performances working all
parts of the horse. The unit as
a whole looks sound with
Wayne Chandler and Gary
Ross.
There were three fine
routines on the rings from
Bob Desiderio, freshman
Andy Forman, and veteran
Paul Fagan. Desiderio made
a recovery of his handstand
press, after shooting too
early, went ,into a cross and
finished" with a double sum
mersault dismount.
Forman tucked both a cross
and 1-cross while Fagan did
the same, then ended his
routine with a full double
twist dismount.
In the vault, Joe Diliberto,
Jay Cooper and Stolzer each
hit vaulti worth 9 points
(minimum) in meet
acom
petition.
The Lions excelled on the
parallel bars as well. Steve
Bizal used a side mount which
you don't see that often and
Wayne Chandler pulled a
Diamidov which you rarely,
see. A Diamidov best defined
is a twisting swing it, a
handstand. on one hand. It's
hard to explain but easy to
see.
Both Howard Sharf and
Doug Arnold looked good and
that's encouraging.
The high bar was Penn
State's best event last year.
The potential is there once
again this season.
Kent Nasveschuk struggled
a little and missed his
dismount, something he's
never done on the bar in high
school. Bizal was smooth and
threw a double back pike
dismount, new this season.
Larry Butler, a high bar
specialist, looked good and so
did those vault catches.
Wayne Chandler topped his
routine with a hecht
dismount.
"They're all working
together nicely," said Wett
stone. "Now we have to see
how quickly they can use
their brains to clean up things
in their routines."
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il k ,
er .. 34 -- Pr43l - --Atl P :r o v . '
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•
1 4 4 100 4
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t..., ,',..' i
' . .
8 44 :1064. . ,
- ,
i,; , ,
Tom Donchez (371 hopes to find running room like this in Dallas
l ~~ : ~a
~= e
The end of
an Ara at
Notre Dame
Ara Parseghian finally bowed to the pressure and
turned away from the din of his supporters who never let
the weight of the National Championship, off his
shoulders. He stepped back from those who criticized the
servility of his offense. Monday; Ara Parseghian
resigned as head football coach at Notre Dame. The
decision shocked everyone but his team and his friends.
"It was a surprise, but not a shock," Notre Dame's
! freshman kicker Dave Reeve said yesterday. "I first
met Parseghian in February and at that time he seemed
so enthusiastic and energetic. But as the season wore on,
you could tell he started to run down. You could see it in
his eyes."
"lie seemed to be getting older more quickly," Reeve
continued. "As the season went on he dPas torn apart.
There was a lot of criticism about there not being a
strongsoffense. '
-
°lr.*
4 "7:
In a statement at the time his resignation was made
public, Parseghian Said, "After 25 years as head coach I
find myself physically exhausted and emotionally
drained...l just felt that I'should get away from coaching
for at least one year. I just need time to rejuvenate my
self emotionally and physically."
It was the pressure. The relentless National Cham
pionship pressure. The only thing that really matters—
at Notre 'Dame and Penn State—is the National
Championship.
"Definitely there's a great deal of pressure," Reeve
said. "People expect so much. Like this year we're 9-2
and everybody thought it was a losing season. Most
colleges would give anything to be 9-2."
And it was the emotions. The emotions of a coach who
was often at his desk hours before his assistants arrived
and remained hours after they were gone. Parseghian
wouldn't accept excuses from his players, but once ran
into the endzone to congratulate one of his men after a
touchdown.
"You could see it building up inside him," Reeve said.
"Before each game he would pace back and forth in the
locker room. In his pep talks he gets so involved, so
intense."
The Irish hadn't had a winning team for five years
Will Lions eat Cotton Candy?
By TIM PANACCIO
Assistant Sports Editor
Now tell me junior, what's
your favorite candy when you.
go to the amusement park?
Right. Cotton candy. And
what does this candy taste
like. Wrong, son. It doesn't
taste like oranges. It's sweet
because it is made from
sugar.
Okay, tell me where they
make the greatest cotton
candy in the world, son.
That's right. Texas.
And on Jan. 1, 1975 Penn
-State will try and eat some
candy when it faces Baylor in
the Cotton Bowl (2:10 p.m.
EST, 1:10 p.m. Texas time).
The Bears have never
competed in the Cotton Bowl
classic and the Lions have
never met Baylor,' which
means this is' a game of
inaugural firsts.
Penn State has one pre
game edge already: it has
had national TV exposure
(Baylor hasn't) and it has had
bowl experience of recent
( '72, '73, - '74 ) date while
Baylor has had none.
Baylor wrapped up the
Southwest Conference title on
the last Saturday of college
football, with an 8-3 log (6-1
conference). Penn State (9-2)
wrapped up the Lambert
Rick Starr
Sports Writer
Photo by Ed Palsa
Trophy on its last TV ap- quarter team. The Bears
pearance against Pitt. outscored their opponents in
Many people are wondering the final period this season 74-
aloud if Baylor has any '56 with 21 of those points
legitimate rights to meet being racked up by
Penn State. Afterall, this was Oklahoma.
the same team that finished If you look at the entire
dead last in the SWC a year second half stats, Baylor
ago with a horrendous .2- I, Y..tabled 143 points and yielded
record.'but 82. The first quarter was
Yet the Bears have some its weakest with 38 points ih 11
impressive credentials and games.
some fine football players. This is truly an improved
Credentials include: football team.
—the best 1,000 yard-plus "All the writers could talk
runner in the SWC, Steve .4 about last year was that we
Beaird (t,104 yds.) who also had some kind of fumbling
holds the most carries mark problem," says Pat McNeil,
for one season with 244. the :5-10, 210-pound junior
—three other running backs
with a combined rushing total
of 867 yds. •
—a 3,500 plus total offense.
quarterback who
throws better than .500 (Neal
Jeffrey).
"We're a balanced team,"
says Baylor coach Grant
Teaff. "We use a multiple set,
I and split backfield. I'd say
we look like the Steelers of
fensively."
Funny how a Texas team
would emulate the Steelers
over the Dallas Cowboys isn't
it?
_Penn State as you are
aware of, is a second half
team. Baylor is a fourth
Three fish legends: Frank Leahy, Knute Rockne and Ara Parseghian
prior to Parseghian's arrival. Notre Dame was 2-7 the
year before his first.
In that first season Parseghian, a Presbyterian coach
at Catholic Notre Dame put out a 9-1 team. That was
1964.
Ten years later Notre Dame trustee Dr. Thomas P.
Carney recalled that turnabout. At. a dinner honoring
Parseghian in May, Carney said, "We had just come off
a'2-7 season and I jokingly told him w',had fans who
would be satisfied with a 9-1 record. I felt bad because
I'm not sure he knew I was kidding. I've often wondered
what would have happened if I had said 10-0."
Parseghian went on to take National Championships in
1966 and 1973. To insure the championship in '73, Par
seghian made one of the greatest successful gambles in
the history of the college gamp. He gave his quarterback
Tom Clements orders to pas* on a third and eight on his
own two yard line late in 'the, Sugar Bowl against
Alabama. The Irish had a one point lead at the time,
their eventual margin of victory.
Parseghian's record at Notre Dame now stands at 94-
17-4, but there is one game left to settle before his record
is set alongside Knute Rockne's and Frank Leahy's.
The Irish again will battle Alabama, this year in the
Orange Bowl.
But at Notre Dame this season the National Cham-
'Dallas
Cotton
By DAVE MORRIS
Assistant Sports Editor
Bagels and cream cheese. Spaghetti and meatballs. Beer
and pretzels. Three unbeatable combinations, just like New
Year's Day and'Bowl games.
And each bowl game has its own unbeatable trimmings. The
Rose Bowl has the parade and the pageantry, the Sugar Bowl
comes complete with carnival atmosphere and the nightlife of
New Orleans, and the Orange Bowl has the beaches and warm
breezes of Miami.
Oops ! Don't forget the Cotton , Bowl in Dallas. Well, at least
it's on television. Even the economy doesn't think much of
cotton. Oranges and roses certainly aren't a dime a dozen, and
everyone knows the price of sugar is soaring. But the price of
good old cotton balls is still down to earth.
However, the Cotton Bowl really isn't all that bad. At least
that's what Penn State fullback Tom Donchez thinks.
Donchez is the only member of the team who has played in a
Cotton Bowl. Way back in 1971 he backed up Franco Harris
and took part in the Cotton Bowl victory over Texas.
Donchez was redshirted the following season, which made
him eligible for this year's campaign and a second trip to
Dallas.
"Dallas isn't an exciting town," Donchez said. "But the
bowl is organized. For the Orange Bowl they just turn us
loose on the town. In Dallas they have several things planned
for the team."
The plans include a nightclub act, a trip to a dude ranch, and
dinner at an exclusive downtown club.
Donchez also contrasted Dallas and State Cokege
isn't exciting,' hut
pleases Donchez
fullback
"Coach Shealy (Jim, new
backfield coach) came in and
started doing something
about, t. He didn't dwell on it.
He int ntioned it one time...he
respet is us as individuals."
The _ attitude change
broug it about some happy
faces and the Bears running
attach rolled up 1,976 yards,
with McNeil garnering 459 of
that total.
Baylor's defensive line had
some problems this year,
allowing opponents to cash in
on 2,358 yards via the footsie
route.
Neil Jeffrey, passed for
pionship is already gone. Southern Cal stunned the
nation and the Irish three weeks ago by 'scoring seven
touchdowns in 17 minutes. Reeve said,the game had the
effect on Parseghian of almost making him stay on as
head coach in order to meet the Trojans again. But he
stuck by his decision.
"We all have a very deep respect for him," Reeve
said. "Every ball player will give out something extra
for him."
Parseghian's decision will also effect Reeve direct
ly, since he will now have to play three years for a coach
he did not come to Notre Dame to play for, Dan Devine.
Parseghian's successor.
"I don't mean any offense to DeVine, but in a way I'm
disappointed," Reeve said. "All the freshmen here came
to playpnder Parseghian, who we consider to be the best
college coach in ,the country."
Dievine.comes to South Bend from Green Bay, where
he had only a single year of success with the Packers,
and where irate fans once killed his dog and left it on his
door step to show their displeasure with his coaching
results.
But at South Bend most are still thinking about Par
seghian and the upcomipg game with the Crimson Tide.
"I'd like to see a legend go out as a winner," said
Drew Mahalic, a senior linebacker, "He deserves it that
way."
"Dallas isn't a college-type town like State College, where
the only thing going is Penn State sports. SMU (Southern
Methodist University) is the only school in Dallas and they
weren't having a good year the last time we'were there, so
they really enjoyed the Bowl. They're pretty high on the
Cowboys, too."
As for the game itself, which will be the last of his Penn
State career, Donchez has high hopes.
"It's my last game and it's in front of a big TV audience," he
said. "I'm going to try to play my best and turn in a
memorable performance. You always remember your last
game most."
Donchez had a pretty memorable performance the last time
he competed before a big TV audience—Thanksgiving night
against Pitt.
The workhorse fullback also compared the two Cotton Bowl
opponents he will have faced, and said there would be no
problems getting up for the contest.
"Baylor's a good team and everyone knows it. And there's
this song they have "The Baylor Bears Fight Song"—l'm•
listening to it right now—and just that is getting me up.
Of course Baylor, being the Southwestern Conference
Champion, will have a home field advantage of sorts and the
boost provided by noisy fans, but Donchez said the Lions won't;
be bothered.
"There's going to be lots of noise out there," he said, "and it.
will help both teams get the adrenalin flowing. You hear the
noise but you don't know who they're yelling for. We've played
on the road before and won, so it's really nothing new."
1,314 yards this season. Both
Alcy Jackson and Philip
Kent caught 20 or more
passes for more than 400
yards. All totaled, Baylor ha'
five men in double figures
when it comes to pass
receiving.
Grant Teaff and Joe
Paterno are looking forward
to this first meeting. Teaff is
somewhat concerned about
Lion offensrve formations.
"They have a lot of them,"
he says. "We have to be
careful of them—we gotta
know. who to block. That's
assuming we can actually
block them at all."