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Page 12
The Red and Black Wednesday. Oct
Rebounds
Frank Malloy Sporti rdi»or
SEC football bottoms out
For years, the Southeastern Conference has been
considered one of the more prestigious football groupings
in the country
People such as Francis Tarkenton, Heisman Trophy
winner Billy Cannon. Joe Namath. and Kenny Stabler
among others, have gone forth from the SKC and
achieved stardom in the ranks of professional football
The list of men who have been head coaches of SEC
schools reads like a Who’s Who ot college football Men
such as Wally Butts. Shug Jordan. Paul Bear Bryant.
Vince Dooley. Charley McClendon, and Johnny Majors all
have received national acclaim for their coaching
exploits
Alabama is always considered among the nation s top
teams, while virtually every other conterence membei
with the exception of Vanderbilt and Mississippi Stale ha>
taken its turn in the national spotlight during the past 15
years
But. judging by the performance ot the SEC this
football season, the conference's football prestige is
fading faster than a Tim Mazzctti field goal
Forty-two times in 1979. Southeastern Conference
members have ventured outside the league to take on out
of conference toes, and on only 18 occasions has the SK>'
school emerged victorious as opposed to losses and on*
tie
Against the Atlantic Coast Conference, a league w lich
supposedly excels only in basketball, the SKC has won
only four times in ten tries with three <.f those victories
and the one tie coming against the ACC’s newest member
Georgia Tech, a school suffering through another dismal
football season
Only Alabama, cruising along with a perfect 8-0 log. can
be considered to be having anything approaching a good
season LSI' is 5-3. but the Tigers have lost to the only
three decent teams they have faced all season, and the
combined record of the five teams they have beaten is a
pitiful 5-32-1
Auburn has chalked up six victories in eight attempts
but only a win over North Carolina State could l>e
considered impressive Four of Auburn's wins have come
against such powerhouses as Kansas State. Vrndy.
Georgia Tech and Florida
Among the other seven SEC schools, only Tennessee
has managed to record more wins than losses
At the bottom end ot the conference standings are such
notables as Florida sporting a perfect 0-6-1 mark. Vandy
with one win to its credit, and Ole Miss boasting a 2 6 log
Even our beloved Georgia Bulldogs have seemed
overmatched outside the friendly confines of the SEC The
Dogs have lost all four times they have ventured outside
the SEC including the most recent 31-0 shellacking at the
hands of Virginia, the ACC’s sixth place team
And at the moment, Georgia stands as a likely
candidate to represent the conference in the Sugar Bowl.
My how the ACC would laugh if the Bulldogs do make an
appearance in New Orleans on New Year s Day
The best indication of how far the SEC's football
fortunes have fallen came last Saturday when the Dogs
were being humbled at home h\ Virginia while Tennessee
was experiencing a similar home field setback at the
hands of Rutger Rutgers ’
Yes. the same Rutgers »eam that has been ridiculed as
an Eastern footbal patsy, and a team Penn State
schedules yearly to make its record look good
Other nationai powers who have picked up wins against
SEC foes include the Citadel which took a 27-14 verdict
over Vandy. Miami Ohio . a 15-14 victor o\er Kentucky,
and Tulsa, which spoiled Florida's homecoming by
winning in Gainesville
While the SEC is undoubtedly being hurt by the poor
performances of its members on the field, the conference
may also find itself being hurt financially come howl
time
SEC members, like a number of other conferences, are
required to divide all monies received for playing in a
bowl game equally among the ten conference members
At the present time, however, only Alabama appears as a
likely candidate for post season play unless Georgia
should defeat both Florida and Auburn
What can the SEC do to halt its downward slide"
Recruit better players’ Hire better coaches 0 Schedule
easier opponents 0 Perhaps u combination of all three
might produce the desired results "
Whatever the solution!si might he one thing is
apparent It took time for the conference to reach the
level it presently occupies, and it will take time to build
itself hack up to a position of football prominence
And until that incurs, the honor of being SEC champion
will be as hollow as being champion of th** National
Wrestling Alliance
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Pat Collins succeeds in spite of adversity
By MACK BROWNING
Pai Collins, l lic* name is not
svnonymoux with lake Scoit.
Bill Sianfill. or Ricky McBride
Pal ( ollins is one of two seniors
currently starting on defense for
the Georgia Bulldogs “Cur
renlly" applies because the
status of many players this year
has been questionable due to
injuries, and Pat Collins is well
aware of injuries.
Coming to Georgia out of
North Augusta. S.C.. Collins
was to begin a career at about
the same time the famed
Junk\urd Dog era was to begin.
Bui in a I9 7 5 junior varsity-
game against Florida. Collins
broke his leg. The injury was so
severe doctors felt it would be
best tor him not to play any
more football. Collins was red-
shined m 1976. which made him
eligible for his “fifth vear" ibis
season.
I hen there w ere eompliea
lions Ihe broken hone m Ins
right leg did not heal proper I \.
Ihe result was the bone bowed
out and his right leg became
slightl\ shorter than the other.
Yet. he did not give up ‘Coach
John Kasay worked out with me
weightlifting." said Collins.
"He made me do a lot of things I
didn't want to do."
In 1977 he was back. In 1978
lie goi his first siari at rover. He
shared playing time with Chris
Welton at that position last year
and assumed the duties this
year with the untimely injurs to
Welton.
Pat Collins has a jo* to do and
he's out there to do it. With the
rclatixe inexperience of the
Georgia team. Collins docs not
really envision himself a team
leader. I try to set an example
b> playing hard." said Collins.
“I get pretty emotional, but I’m
not a head slapper. I like to sit
by myself "
Collins points out that many
things have helped the Georgia
team overcome its 0-3 start.
“We’re in the thick of things
now." said (ollins. "Haris in
the season wc didn’t have the
breaks that wc had last year.
Now. we re getting more people
atound ihe hall and forcing the
mistakes. The theme of our
team is getting people around
llu hall."
( ollins is eagerly anticipating
llu two crucial contests with
Florida and Auburn that could
make or break the Georgia
season. “Florida’s not having
that good of a year, hut they’ve
got everything to gain and
we’ve got everything to lose.
Vuburn. well. Auburn always
has a tough team.” Collins
commented.
As for the growing controver
sy surrounding SEC representa
tives in the Sugar Bowl. Collins
doesn’t mind an expanded
conference schedule of eight or
nine games. “I wouldn't mind
playing Alabama." said Collins.
"After all. it would decide the
true champion."
Pa* (. ollins is one of many
reasons lor the Bulldogs’ rc-
suigcnce in 1979. The quiet
young man now has a promising
senior sear to look forward to
ah r struggling in the throes of
an 0 3 start. But he has some
sound advice lor the bumper
crop of young Bulldogs that w ill
be returning. "They can he as
good as they want to he. But you
just can't go into a season
thinking you’ll win by reading
the newspaper or watching
TV.”
Pat Collins has been a stalwart In the Geor pla secondary
Georgia opponents enjoy winning weekend
Bs NORM REILI.Y
Assistant sports editor
For only the second time this
season, the foes of the Georgia
Bulldogs came out above the
.500 mark, winning seven
games and losing three.
Georgia Tech won for only the
second time this sear by down
mg the Duke Blue Devils. 24-14.
The Jackets switched from the
“I" to a split-hack offense using
three wide receivers and quar
terback Mike Kelley took advan
tage of this as he completed lb
of 30 passes for 254 yards.
Kelley alv> ran for 7b yards
helping Tech beat Duke for the
first time in four years.
The Demon Deacons of Wake
Forest had their bubble hurst
Saturdav when the Clemson
Tigers held them to *0 yards
rushing. 119 passing and no
points while scoring 31 them
selves.
Wake quarterback Jay
Vcnuto. who has been deadly to
opposing secondaries this sear,
could hit only I" of 43 attempts
against Clemson. which has the
fifth best defense in the nation.
Tailback George Rogers
rushed for 217 sards on 30
carries to lead South Carolina to
a hard-fought 30-28 victory over
North Carolina State.
Rogers, who entered the
game as the country’s third
leading rusher, increased his
total for the season to 115b
sards a Gamecock singlc-
seasun record. When Wolfpack
coach Bo Rein was asked if he
thought Rogers was good
enough to win the Hcisnian
Trophy, he said. "I’d say he’s
good enough to w in w hatever he
wants to win."
I he Ole Miss Rebels jumped
out to a 17-0 second quarter lead
before LSU stormed back in the
second half to win its fifth game
ui the yemi. 28*24.
Down 24-14 in the final
period, the Tigers’ Steve
Fnsmingcr hooked up with
tailback Hokic Gajan for a
52-yard touchdown pass and
then with 2:29 left in the game.
Tracy Porter went over from the
four for the go-ahead TD.
Junior signal-caller Van
Heflin passed for a touchdown
and kicker Mike Woodard
booted two field goals to give
Vanderbilt a 13-3 homecoming
victory over Memphis State.
The win was the first of the
season for the Commodores,
who totalled 334 yards on
offense.
Trailing 7-6 in the third
quarter.
Kentuck
Thomas
Venable
broke l«
MIS
c for an
82-yard touchdow
II
run which
preceded
a 60-yan
i p
uni return
by Larry
Carter
to
give the
Wildcats
a 20 14
vii
itorv over
visiting
Boult
Green
Saturday
In a
game mat
Bulldogs'
next tw
npponents.
the Auburn D:
rs
used four
interceptions to d
etc
at Florida.
19-13. E\
■cn with
ih<
l‘ intercep-
lions, the
Tiger il,
•fet
isive batk
iVM. the worst in the SEC.
’>'• yards to Florida
through the air.
Auburn’s pair of brilliant
inring hacks James Brooks
am! Jot Cribbs. who are 1-2 in
tin- e« nfercncc. were held to 66
and 65 sards, respectively.
Ih» I igers upped their record
th me win while the
Gators will enter this week’s
neountcr with Georgia winless
at 0 6-1.
Basketball scrimmage on tap
The Georgia men’s basketball
team will hold a scrimage game
at " 30 tonight in the Coliseum
with all students and the
general public invited to attend.
Admission is free.
Coach Hugh Durham is be
ginning his second season at the
Bulldog helm after an ultra-
successful tenure as the head
man at Florida State. His first
Georgia edition posted a 14-14
record, the first Bulldog non
losing effort since the 1971-72
campaign.
This year's squad will tip-off
with a trio of returning starters
m center Lavon Mercer, forward
I rte Marbury. and guard Jimmy
Daughtry. The newcomers,
however, arc the Georgia play
ers that have received the
majority of pre-season ink. and
could rewrite the starting roster.
Durham has assembled a crop
of freshmen ranked b\ Street
and Smith as the second best
group in the country, runner-up
only to conference rival
Kentucky.
Leading the Bulldog first-
timers are forwards Terry Fair
and Dominquc Wilkins. Each
collected several high school
All-America mentions and is
given a good chance to im-
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mediately crack
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3
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