University of Virginia Library

Explosive Duke Threatens Wahoos

Leo Hart comes pitching and
slinging his way into Scott Stadium
Saturday afternoon as the Duke
Blue Devils seek to reverse last
year's 20-50 humbling at the hands
of the Wahoos.

There will be many ACC title
hopes riding on this Homecoming
contest. Duke dropped a close one
to a High-powered South Carolina
team 27-20 last weekend, and
Coach Tom Harp needs this one if
his Blue Devils are to live up to
pre-season expectations.

The Wahoos are down one as
well thanks to Fred Howard's
Tigers and this ACC game is a must
for the Virginians. The Cavaliers ran
and passed around, up and through
a porous Duke defense last year
toward a 50-20 licking. The faithful
have to file back to the dusty pages
of the Wahoo annals of 1958 to
find when the Cavaliers last defeated
Duke in Charlottesville, Virginia
nipped the Devils 15-12 before
hibernating for 28 losses during the
ensuing three years.

The Duke Blue Devils have any
of the better, if not the best,
offenses in the conference, and
Coach Blackburn is cognizant to
the Hart-led attack; "Duke is a very
versatile football team. Their power
lies in passing but they have better
than average running backs and
consequently it will be difficult to
defend them. Leo Hart is one of the
best passers in collegiate football
and his receivers are fast and
sure-handed."

Last Saturday against South
Carolina, Hart completed 20 of 34
passes totaling 194 yards through
the air. Just a Junior, the Devil's
ace bombed 11 touchdown connections
last season and collected
2,238 yards on 162 completions.

With Hart in the backfield will
be fullback Phil Asack, a 6-3
215-pounder who picked up 690
yards last fall. Running from the
tailback slot will be Don Baglien. A
6-0, 210 pound senior, Baglien
carried 55 times for a better than
five-yard average in 1968.

Hart will have a fine corps of
receivers to choose from. Marcel
Courtillet, a 6-0, 198 pound flanker,
is a leading pass grabber, but
one who saw limited action last
year due to a knee injury.

Wes Chesson fills the wing-end
position at 6-2 and 190 pounds,
while big Jim Dearth reaches up for
the aerials at 6-1 and 200 pounds.

At the tackles are 6-5, 250
pound Guy Johnson and senior Ken
Bombard, standing 6-1, 230
pounds, and making the adjustment
from guard. Johnson saw only
limited action last season, while
Bombard is a top bet to go All-ACC
from his tackle spot.

The Blue Devils mix a little age
and youth at the guards. 6-2, 207
pound John Dull hits the lineup as
a sophomore; Mike Garner spreads
his 6-2, 230 pound frame at the
opposite guard as a senior. The
center position is manned by Bob
Morris. Morris, a 6-4, 220 pound
senior, is a two-year letterman.

The Duke defense of last year
was weak, and Coach Tom Harp has
been anxious to make the proper
adjustments. The Blue Devils surrendered
some 287 points last year,
and the defensive alignment has, as
a result, been reset into a 4-3-4
defense, as opposed to the 5-4
setup of last season.

Coach Harp's crucial three-man
linebacking team is led by Dick
Biddle, an All-ACC squad member
at 6-0 and 215 pounds.

Duke will throw up three
sophomores and a senior in the

defensive secondary. Mike Davies
and Ernie Jackson share the corners,
and Rich Searl and Dave Trice
handle the deep safety responsibilities.

So the Blue Devils come to
Charlottesville with a sling shot
named Hart and fleeting memories
of a 20-50 count a year ago. The
Wahoos patch up an injury-riddled
offense, rev up a devastating defense,
and pin their ACC hopes on
this one.