University of Virginia Library

Entire Varsity Earns 'Player Of Week'

By Randy Wert
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Decades of football fans
have thrilled to the electricity
of come-from-behind victories,
but not often in these years
have Virginia rooters been able
to share the exhilaration. The
outstanding team effort in the
exciting dumping of Army
Saturday has earned the entire
Cavalier varsity recognition as
Player (s) of the Week.

Ideally balanced offense
matched with a stingy and consistently
destructive defense
brought the Wahoos back from
a 20-14 deficit in the second
appearance of the "new look"
Cavaliers featuring supersoph Bill
Troup, who completed more than
half of his passes for the second
straight week, good for 209 yards.
Redshirted fellow Pennsylvanian
Dave Sullivan, the flash flanker
with the good hands (when the ball
passes anyway) had a sensational
day, hauling in six of Troup's
aerials for well over 100 yards. He
even toted the pigskin a few times
(once on a neat first down scamper
with a handoff from the punter)
and also threw a pass. Bob Bischoff
nabbed three passes and had a
picture book catch disallowed.

At the other end of the Virginia
offense, which exhibited great and
welcome imagination, Gary Helman
(two touchdowns for the second
consecutive week) and Jimmy
Lacey continually burst through
the Army lines for good yardage
winding up with 76 and 62 yards
respectively. The offensive line of
Abby Sallenger, Tom Kennedy,
Danny Ryczek, Jim Shannon, Gary
Saft, and tight-end Joe Smith consistently
opened holes big enough
for the Corps of Cadets to march
through in platoon formation, not
to mention the fact that they gave
quarterback Troup from here to
eternity to unload the football.

Defense came in a sixty minute
bundle at Scott Stadium as the
Wahoos swarmed and hit all afternoon,
prompting Cadet coach Tom
Cahill to mumble something about
beating them at their own game. At
least three members of the front line
and linebacker corps of Ed Kihm,
Randy Lestyk, Paul Reid, Chuck
Blandford, rushed effectively on
every play. The defenders made life
especially miserable for Army signal
caller Bernie Wall who had a net
rushing yardage of 46 yards, and
was forced to eat the ball a half
dozen times. Only by unloading
quickly was the latter figure kept as
low as it was as good overall pass
protection gave the rushers ample
time to clobber Wall as he looked
for someone, anyone, to toss to.
Andy Minton, Russ Bauda, Bob
McGrail, and Robbie Gustafson deserve
the plaudits here.

Even the substitutes played an
inspired game as everyone seemed
to want to get in their licks. Dave
Bratt performed well in the backfield,
as did Chuck Mooser receiving,
and Kevin Michaels, Bob
Bressan, Rich McFarland, and
Dennis Scott on defense. And let's
not forget that Jim Carrington had
a perfect three-for-three day from
the placement tee.

Finally, congratulations to head
coach George Blackburn and assistants
Ken Campbell (offense) and
Don Lawrence (defense) on an outstanding,
and hopefully,
precedent-setting performance before
the fourth largest crowd in
Virginia football history.