University of Virginia Library

Wahoos Pray For Happy Ending At Wake

By DOUG DOUGHTY

This fall's football season for
the Cavaliers could either go
out in a blaze of glory or in the
shadows of frustration as
Virginia takes on Wake Forest
Saturday at Winston-Salem's
Groves Stadium.

Challenged only by Clemson
as the two worst teams in the
conference, the Deacons (2-7)
and the Wahoos (3-7) come
into this game with similar
records and with similar
motives for victory.

Last week, after only eight
games at the helm of the
Deacs, new Wake Forest head
coach Tom Harper received the
boot from athletic director Dr.
Gene Hooks, effective
September 1973.

Having won only one game
up to that point, an opening
triumph over Davidson, the
Deacons responded to Dr.
Hooks' announcement by
going out and reversing
2 point odds to stun ACC
championship contender Duke,
9-7.

As "up" for Duke as the
Deacons were, Virginia might
surpass Wake in its desire to
win its final game.

Amid speculation by
students and alumni in
Charlottesville that this might
be Don Lawrence's last season,
the Virginia players are ready
to salvage their coach's job
with a win Saturday.
Universally respected and liked
by his players, Lawrence's
future at the University might
hinge on a win Saturday:

Much of the responsibility
for the Wahoos Saturday will
fall on the shoulders of young
Scott Gardner, who has carried
the brunt of the
quarterbacking duties the past
three weeks, fighting off
contenders sometimes-injured
Harrison Davis, George Allen
and Joe Schaeffer.

Gardner's season, a mixture
of failure and success, has been
rather bright statistically.
Gardner's per-game completion
average and total yardage per
game average lead the league,
but the 6-3 first-year man has
not played in enough games to
challenge for the official league
lead.

Joining Gardner in the
backfield will be tailback John
Rainey, fullback Greg
Dickerhoof and slotback
Chuck Belic. Rainey has once
again the huge chore of
filling the of Kent
Merritt. Belic and Dickerhoof
have added incentive for
Saturday's play; they are two
of eight Cavalier fourth-year
men playing their last game for
Virginia.

In addition, to Belic and
Dickerhoof, other last-timers
for the 'Hoos include starters
Dave Sullivan, Billy Farrell,
Tom Kennedy, Mike McGugan
(he still has another year of
eligibility), Billy Williams and
Kevin Michaels.

Wake runs its vaunted veer
offense, with which Larry
Russell performed miracles last
year but which has proved
puzzling for this season's
signal caller Andy Carlton. But
Carlton has expert assistance in
power runners Frank Harsh
and Ken Garrett.

oh, Cavalier defensive
coach, has stressed that tackle
Dick Ambrose, team leader in
ts this season, must
approach 100 per cent
effectiveness for the 'Hoos to
have a chance of stopping the
veer, and thus of solving the
Wake attack.