Bowls

On almost any Saturday during the season U. S. football fans can see a game as exciting as the Rose Bowl game. But California boosters have built Pasadena's Tournament of Roses sideshow into the country's No. 1 sport extravaganza. From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day the majority of U. S. citizens, from Polish mill hands to Park Avenue dandies, babble Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl. This year's babble was noisier than usual. For this year's game was one that U. S. fans have been waiting for for over a year.

Year ago Tennessee had the smoothest-clicking football team in the U. S. It won every game on its ten-game schedule. But Southern California, the West's best, preferred to tackle Duke rather than Tennessee in its post-season Rose Bowl game. This year Coach Howard Jones's Trojans, twice tied, proved the West's best once more. Coach Bob Neyland's Tennessee Volunteers once more bowled over their ten opponents--this time letting no one cross their goal line. Southern California had to face the music--or face another ribbing from U. S. sportswriters. It invited terrible Tennessee to meet them in the Rose Bowl.

To witness this setup, 90,000 fans squeezed into Pasadena's famed saucer last week and millions more the world over listened at their radios. Tennessee lacked Southern California's bonecrushing manpower. It had no giants like Smith and Sohn (2201b. guards), but its boys were fast, cagey and tough. Neyland, a hardbitten perfectionist, had made them the best-drilled blockers in the land.

Thus the precise drillmaster came to grips with the wielder of superlative power. Tennessee's brilliant George Cafego. though he played for a while, had an ailing knee. and the Volunteer backfield was sparked mainly by sly-hipped Johnny Butler. The Big Man in the U. S. C. backfield was Ambrose Schindler.

Tennessee got off to a bad start when Cafego, trying to pass, was nailed far behind his line, and the Trojan powerhouse got going with three first downs in succession. For a while Butler's elegant quick kicks--one went over eleven U. S. C. heads for 62 yds.--kept the Trojans at bay, Then Coach Jones's big boys crunched down to Tennessee's 12-yard line, whence, aided by a heart-breaking Tennessee penalty, they crunched over for a touchdown.

In the second half U. S. C. put Tennessee on the spot again by kicking out of bounds at the one-yard line. Tennessee's Butler, standing behind his goal line, gambled desperately on a pass, made it good, and the Volunteers got out to their 19. They came suddenly to life and their backs pitched arrowy passes--to the U. S. C. 33, to the 26, to the 19. There Tennessee fumbled. The U. S. C. powerhouse got going again, put over another touchdown. Score: Southern California 14, Tennessee 0. Power had upset precision.

Other Bowl games:

Orange Bowl: After flashy Paul Christman's passing arm had spotted Missouri a touchdown, Georgia Tech began cutting its elusive ball-carriers loose, ran away with the game, 21-to-7.

Sugar Bowl: Sparked by "Jarrin' John" Kimbrough, Texas A. & M. came from behind to nose out Tulane, 14-10-13.

Cotton Bowl: Boston College's Alex Lukachik kicked a field goal but his team was stopped short of a touchdown in the closing minutes, and Clemson won, 6-to-3.

Sun Bowl: Catholic University of Washington could not score against Tempe (Ariz.) State Teachers, and vice versa, 0-to-0.

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