University of Virginia Library

Troup, Sullivan Shine

Wahoos Up In Stats

By John Markon
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Official Atlantic Coast
Conference figures, complete
through games of last week, place
the University of Virginia among
the top four in every offensive and
defensive category.

While the Cavaliers do not lead
in any department as yet the
improvement, especially in the
defensive rankings, has been
striking. Wahoos have risen to
second place in total defense and
are the toughest team in the
conference, percentage-wise, to
complete a pass against. They rank
second only to South Carolina in
fewest passing yards allowed per
game.

Offensively the Cavs have also
been closing the gap on the leaders.
They presently are fourth in total
offense, behind Duke and the two
Carolinas, and are outstripped only
by USC and Duke in passing. Only
Leo Hart and Tommy Suggs, among
ACC quarterbacks, lead Virginia's
Bill Troup in total offense per
game.

The rise by Virginia gives them
the lead in every department except
scoring defense over North Carolina
State, their opponent Saturday.
The Wolfpack rank seventh or
eighth in all offensive categories.

Other Wahoo individuals beside
Troup who are presently ranked
include running backs Gary Helman
and Jim Lacey, sixth and seventh
respectively in rushing offense, and
ends Dave Sullivan and Bob Bischoff
third and sixth in pass receiving.
Punter Hal Trentham is sixth with a
38.6 yards per kick average and
placekicker Jim Carrington's 24
points place him sixth among
kicking specialists.

Sullivan and Bob McGrail rank
among the top ten punt returners
and Troup ranks fourth in total
passing yardage. The Cavaliers are
unfortunately, unrepresented
among the scoring elite.

The statistics seem to indicate
what almost everyone has found
out by now, that Virginia is a team
capable of moving the ball and
defending against the best teams in
the conference. Their miserable 0-4
league record can only be
attributed to their seeming
insistence on making key mistakes
at inopportune moments. They do,
for instance, rank eighth in kickoff
returns. This is due not so much to
out returners' lack of speed afoot as
it is to their occasional reluctance
to hold on to the football.

There is, however, much in this
week's stats that is encouraging and
the Wahoos will prepare to put the
old axiom "Statistics don't lie" to a
test on Saturday in Raleigh.