University of Virginia Library

Cavaliers March On Navy;
Midshipmen Seek First Win

Following Saturday's game with
the Cavaliers, Navy has the unenviable
task of facing Notre Dame,
mi, and Syracuse on successive
weekends. Realistically then, one
might venture that the 0-5 Middles'
last grasp for victory before the
Army game will come at the
expense of the Wahoos.

One seer of the gridiron has seen
fit to pick the Naval Academy as
the winner. Will Grimsley, intrepid
AP journalist, tacks a 21-19 upset
on the Virginia team. Last year the
Cavaliers bumped the Sailors 24-0.

Coach Blackburn and his staff
are indeed worried about upset
possibilities. Tom Fletcher, chief
scout, related, "Our biggest problem
is the fact that we have to get
mentally and emotionally prepared."

Middle mentor Rick Forzano is
faced with a similar problem of
morale: "We've regressed as a
football team." Injuries have riddled
the Navy gridders this fall, and
Coach Forzano has had to make
last minute adjustments to cope
with his depth problems. Out of
action as a result of the Rutgers
contest last week are Tom Sher and
Ron Lanning. Sher suffered a
broken arm, while Lanning pulled a
hamstring. "We've had so many
injuries," lamented Mr. Forzano,
"We're starting from scratch all the
time."

The Wahoos are "disgustingly
healthy" admits Coach Blackburn.
End Bill Davis is the only doubtful
performer, sidelined with a sprained
elbow. Bob Bischoff will be back at
his tight end position, recovering
from a hip pointer. Virginia should
be in the best overall physical shape
since the Duke contest.

The Middles pose a formidable
passing threat, and banking on the
idea that the Navy rush will not
overwhelm the Wahoo line, quarterback
Mike McNallen will be
throwing and throwing. The 6-2,
179-pound signal caller has tossed
196 passes thus far on the season,
averaging close to 40 aerials a
Saturday. Against Pitt the senior
quarterback completed an impressive
24 launches; against Rutgers,
his first 18 passes fell incomplete.
Coach Forzano claims that
ten of those were dropped and gives
McNallen credit for being a fine
passer, "He can't throw the
ball and
catch it too."

The running attack in Annapolis
has not extracted the desired
results. The Middles have two fine
backs in Co-captain Dan Pike and
Ron Marchetti, but the Academy
has mustered only 291 yards on the
ground. Marchetti is pacing the rush
with a 4.0 average while Pike gains
2.9 yards a carry. The weakness on
offense appears to be with the
interior line. Injuries have forced
the coaching staff to move Wallace
Winslow, a defensive tackle, to the
offense.

Navy has given up some 188
points in five games, and the
Annapolis people are a bit concerned
about Gary Helman and
Jimmy Lacy. In the words of
Coach Forzano, "They fly." Helman,
Lacy, and Dave Wyncopp
seek a little more running room this

Saturday after last week's sparse
offensive punch.

Coach Fletcher described the
Navy defense as "scrambling." "It's
hard to pick up defensive designs,"
explained the scout. Last year the
Bill Elias coached Midshipmen confused
the Cavaliers for about a half
with eight or nine players on the
defensive line positioned to halt the
Quayle-Anderson machinery.