The Midwest

TULSA

The head coaching job at Tulsa is a family affair, and after Bobby Dobbs moved on to the Canadian pros, it looked like it could produce a family squabble. Most of the 1960 Tulsans had graduated, and Brother Glenn, in taking over, was faced with a grim first year. He moved quickly though, gathered in nine junior college players and 11 transfers from Denver, which last year gave up football. Among them was bullet-passing Quarterback Ramiro Escandon, the country's 12th ranked passer. As might be expected with so many new faces, the Hurricane lineups will switch from week to week. The pro T offense should make use of fast-faking Halfback Bob McGoffin and last year's leading ground-gainer, Fullback Dave White, and Passer Escandon will have End Jim Furlong, the team's leading receiver, to throw to.

CONCLUSION: Denver's football demise proved Glenn Dobbs's good fortune. He should improve on Brother Bobby's record.

WESTERN MICHIGAN

Except for one man, Western Michigan will be no place for ambitious sophomores this fall. Indeed, Coach Merle Schlosser has lively expectations of winning his first Mid-American title, and the reasons are two: a defensive team and an offensive team. The one sophomore, Tackle Jim DePoy, will be able to insinuate his huge (6 feet 4, 255 pounds) frame into the lineup. A craggy line, averaging 220 pounds, will be led by All-America Tackle John Lomakoski to give the Broncos a near perfect defense against rushing plays, while the strong middle line of Guards Ken Reasor (220 pounds), Pat Emerick (235) and Center Mike Snodgrass (210) should easily clear a path for power Backs Bob White and Alex Forge. For long-gaining plays in the T offense, the Broncos look to strong-arm Quarterback Ed Chlebek.

CONCLUSION: Mid-American competition is fierce but the hard-hitting Broncos have as good a chance as any to break out on top.

WICHITA

Hank Foldberg set a dangerous precedent in his first year as head coach of Wichita. He won the Missouri Valley Conference title, the first time a Shocker team has managed this feat in six years. But Foldberg has no dynastic illusions. He is minus 16 lettermen from last year's squad, six of them starters who were the sum and substance of his success. Now he will play a makeshift lineup as he sorts out his sophomores. Defensively, the flanks, handled by Jim Maddox and Ron Turner, seem in good hands. So are the tackles, played by Jerry Crain and Bill Seigle. The slow middle, however, is worrisome. Better is the backfield, quarterbacked by Alex Zyskowski and flavored by the handy ways of Halfback Bill Stangarone, who caught 14 passes in 1960, completed two for two, punted for a 51.5 average and scored 26 points. CONCLUSION: The Shockers should live up to their name, particularly if they reach the second half of their moderate schedule healthy.

WISCONSIN

It is rumored that Coach Milt Bruhn has gotten the message. He took a heavy, frighteningly large team to the Rose Bowl two years ago, and its slaughter by slighter, lighter and faster Washington was pitiable. Now Bruhn has speed in the persons of three fine sophomore halfbacks, Bill Smith (160 pounds), Jim Nettles (165) and Lou Holland (177)—obviously all recruited after the Bowl defeat. The entire offensive thinking has broadened; where once the pass was used only to open up the running, it is now the big tactic. Last year, with Quarterback Ron Miller completing 97 of 188 passes and 6-foot-6 End Pat Richter catching 25 passes in six games, Wisconsin gained almost twice as many yards passing as running. The line is smaller now, but there is still some of the old-fashioned bulk in 231-pound Brian Moore.