The Week

EAST

Joe Paterno made no excuses after Penn State's 7-6 loss to Navy at soggy Beaver Stadium. He didn't have to. Middie Coach George Welsh, his assistant the previous 10 years, did it for him.

Welsh talked about the Lions' seven fumbles (two of them inside the 15) and their four missed field goals (the last a 43-yarder in the final seconds). He said his Middies, outgained 375 yards to 171, were beaten "in everything but the score." Navy's 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in the first half "was all we had. We shot our wad on that one." His team "showed character, didn't collapse and hung in there," Welsh praised, but he admitted, "We were lucky."

Navy's score came on a four-yard fullback pass from Bob Jackson to Robin Ameen. "The ball almost slipped out of my hands," Jackson said. "It wasn't a good pass at all." Steve Dykes' extra point was the difference after the Lions failed on a two-point try following their only touchdown with 4:41 remaining. Tom Shuman posted the six with a five-yard pass to Jerry Jeram but his conversion attempt to Jim Eaise was knocked down.

"It has to be one of the biggest wins in Navy history," Welsh said. But many an old salt may disagree with his conclusion that "it's better than beating Army this year or any other year." Come the last week of November Welsh will likely be singing a different chanty.

Tulane pounded Army with two offensive units that rolled up 437 yards in a 31-14 victory. Quarterback Steve Foley threw one touchdown pass and his replacement, Terry Looney, tossed two.

West Virginia put the clamps on Sonny Collins to defeat Kentucky 16-3. Collins managed only 57 yards in 12 carries against a Mountaineer defense that recovered two fumbles, intercepted two passes and held the Wildcats three times after first downs at the five. The Mountaineers started the game backed up on the one-yard line, but a 75-yard run by Artie Owens set up their first touchdown.

Brown got the jump on the rest of the Ivy League, opening a week early against Holy Cross, but it was a leap into hot water. Crusader Safety John Provost intercepted four passes and returned two punts 59 and 85 yards for touchdowns as Holy Cross won 45-10. The Bruins scored first, on a 54-yard play from Pete Beatrice to Pete Chelovich, but they committed nine turnovers.

Rutgers edged Bucknell 16-14 on Bill Bradley's 21-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining. Bucknell seemed to have the game won after going ahead with 5½ minutes left and then intercepting a pass at 2:14. But a fumble gave Rutgers life and two penalties helped move the ball into field-goal position.

The first of two three-pointers by Dave Mancosh put Lehigh ahead to stay in its 33-12 victory over Colgate. The second kick was a 47-yarder that broke a 91-year-old school record.