Sunrise in the West

The West Coast was on a rampage again, and football's experts were tearing up their form charts. On successive Saturdays, Southern California trampled Duke, Southern Methodist and Iowa. Washington tied cocky Purdue and crushed Illinois. Upstart Stanford, which has not had a winning season for four years, slipped past Tulane and then beat mighty Michigan State. Still smarting from its 21-3 Rose Bowl defeat last New Year's Day, U.C.L.A. got ample revenge by toppling Ohio State from its lofty perch atop the nation's college ratings. When the dust settled last week, the underrated Westerners found themselves with three teams ranked among the nation's top ten. The University of Southern California was No. 3, Washington No. 5, U.C.L.A. No. 10.

The resurgence was even sweeter because it was so long overdue. When Daddy drove a flivver and raccoon coats were all the rage, West Coast football took a rumble seat to none. But after World War II, the once proud West suffered painful indignities. Only three times in 15 years did a Western team win in the Rose Bowl; of 114 games with the Big Ten, the West won only 38, But last week all that was changed, and the best in the West were a match for any in the U.S. The best:

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (3-0): California's exploding population produces such good young football players that Coach Johnny McKay's defensive unit is largely composed of sophomores. He professes to be worried. But the stubborn Trojans limited Duke to just 55 yds. and held Iowa scoreless for the first time in ten years. On offense McKay can take his pick of three hard-throwing quarterbacks, has one of the nation's top ends in Junior Hal Bedsole, a converted quarterback who has already caught three touchdown passes this year. U.S.C.'s offense will be even better when 230-lb. Fullback Ben Wilson, now recovering from knee surgery, returns to the lineup. "If there's a better power runner in America," says McKay, "I've missed him."

WASHINGTON (3-0-1): In 1960 and 1961, Washington went to the Rose Bowl, did its bit to bolster West Coast prestige by trouncing Wisconsin (44-8) and Minnesota (17-7). Last year was a "building" year; Washington lost four games, all by seven points or less, while Coach Jim Owens taught a new crew his brand of fanatic football. He lashes his Huskies through practice sessions on the dead run, stages man-to-man duels between competing linemen, expects injured players to get off the field under their own power. "When the going gets tough," says Owens, "the tough get going." This year Owens has a lean, agile line that averages 6 ft. 2 in., 208 Ibs. per man, and 22 returning lettermen, including Center Ray Mansfield and All-Coast Halfback Charley Mitchell, who set up the crucial touchdown against Purdue with a dazzling 24-yd. run. Owens sheds no crocodile tears over his team. "We'll win our share," he) says.

U.C.L.A. (2-0): Most football experts gave U.C.L.A. little chance of returning to the Rose Bowl next January. The Bruins' murderous schedule pitted them against top-ranked Ohio State in their opening game, and Coach Billy Barnes, knuckling under to alumni pressure, was replacing his familiar single-wing with a wide-open split-T. But Barnes had two aces up his sleeve: spring-footed Halfback Kermit Alexander, who raced 45 yds. for a touchdown against the Buckeyes on U.C.L.A.'s first play from scrimmage, and Quarterback Larry Zeno, who kicked the winning field goal with 1 min. 35 sec. to play. The Uclan defense? It stopped Ohio State three times on the 1-yd. line. "One of the guttiest performances I've ever seen," gloated Barnes.

The West's golden bubble might burst on some chilly fall weekend to come, but keyed-up fans are making the most of it while it lasts. "Who's No. 1?--We're No. 1," chanted the U.C.L.A. cheering section with pardonable delirium. Southern Cal alumni happily compared their 1962 squad to the great Trojan teams of the '40s. And up in Seattle, Husky Stadium rocked to the fervent strains of Heaven Help the Foes of Washington. "I've never seen anything like it," said a Purdue official just before the Boilermakers took the field against Washington. "These people are actually feeling sorry for us."

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