University of Virginia Library

Yearlings Stalemate

By Dick Roberts

In their season's opener Friday
afternoon, Virginia's first-year
football team played to a scoreless
tie with the Gobblets of V .Neither
team was able to sustain a consistent
offensive attack long enough
to cross the opponent's goal line in
what was a lackluster game until
the fourth quarter.

Virginia won
the toss and elected to receive.
First-year man Fred Kaspick of
Tyrone, Pa., returned the kick
to Virginia's 35 yard line,
on the first play from scrimmage
tore through the VPI defense for 11
yards and a first down. The
Freshmen were stalled on the next
series of downs, and punter Bob
Goss kicked the ball away to
Tech. The Gobblets, however,
could not do much better.

After Tailback John
Dobbins and Quarterback Don
Sprouse each picked up a first
down on the ground, the Cavalier
defenders held for three downs on
the VPI 49 yard line.
Tech punter Andy Hronyak kicked
the ball to Wahoo o safety Billy
League, who called for a fair catch
at the 14-yard line.

The script for the first three
quarters was set. Virginia and
VPI each punted five times in the
first half. The only threat the
Wahoos could mount came with
3:45 left in the first quarter when
Quarterback Bill Troup of Bethel
Park, Pa. clicked on three passes in
a row to Rick Duffalo , Fred
Kaspick, and Mike McGugan, only
to be intercepted by Tech's Steve
Herl in the end zone. It was the
first of three interceptions Troup
was to throw that afternoon.
Except for a very few
lapses, the Cavayearling defensive
unit played excellent football. The
Wahoo's forced the Gobblets' starting
quarterback Sprouse out of the
game at 4:20 of the first quarter.
Tackle Gary Arbeznik and Linebacker
Dennis Scott then set up
camp in the VPI backfield and
hounded Sprouse's replacement,
Larry Hartman, most of the afternoon.
Jim Roberts and Billy
League were standouts in the
defensive secondary.

In the last four minutes of the
final quarter, Tech fullback Jim
Polito completed an option pass to
End Steve Herl which Brought VPI
to Virginia's 37 yard line. A
field goal attempt was wide.

The Cavayearling offense could
not move the ball, however, and
Goss was called upon to punt for
the tenth time. With just 31
seconds remaining, Wahoo safety
Jim Roberts intercepted a Hartman
pass to give possession back to
Virginia on its 8 yard line.

Time ran out just as the Wahoo
offense was beginning to move the
ball successfully.

Unofficial statistics show Troup
was 6 for eighteen in the passing
department with 118 yards gained.
Perhaps the brightest spot on the
first-year offense was the consistent
running of tailback Fred Kaspick,
who got tough yardage when the
Wahoos needed it most.