University of Virginia Library

Wahoos Face Weak Wake Forest
In Battle To Stay Out Of Cellar

By FLETCHER THOMPSON

For the first time in what
seems like several years, the
crumbling Cavaliers will find a
team of underdogs on the
other side of the field come
kickoff time next Saturday.

Except for an
uncharacteristic display of
competence in last week's 9-7
shocker over Duke and an
opening victory over impotent
Davidson, football in
Winston-Salem has been on the
downswing.

Besides losing seven of their
nine games the Deacons will be
without a coach as of
November 25 as the Wake
big-wigs told first-year mentor
Tom Harper not to show up
for the start of next season.

It isn't hard to understand
their dismay. The Deacons
don't seem to have done much
of anything other than pass the
time in 540 minutes of playing
time. Opponents have
outgained them by more than a
2-1 margin while amassing 280
points to the Deacs' paltry 67.
It is a small wonder that the
Cavs have been installed as
10-point favorites in their
battle to escape sole
partnership of the ACC cellar.

The quarterbacking duties
for Wake's rumor of an offense
have been divided between
three frustrated signal-callers,
who seem to have been equally
ineffective. Overall the trio of
frosh Andy Carlton, junior
Chuck Ramsey and sophomore
Kit Basler, who started against
Duke, has combined for 559
yards and a 34 per cent
completion rate. Of this bunch,
Carlton seems to be the big
man with 24 hook-ups in 68
attempts.

Wake Forest's backfield has
been somewhat more
productive, churning out over
100 yards a game. The
spark plug of this
not-too-ferocious attack has
been freshman fullback Frank
Harsh, who has accounted for
402 yards in 109 efforts.

A host of Deacons has rung
up the remainder of the Wake
output, chief among them Ken
Garrett, who scored the
winning touchdown against
Duke.

The Deacs' receiving corps is
another area which is not likely
to produce any ACC
nominations as the leading pass
grabber has gotten hands on
only seven tosses for the
season.

The only category in which
the Deacons have shown any
extraordinary proficiency is in
fumbling, something they have
done 31 time although losing
only 13 of the bobbles.

This vision of ineptitude is
unspoiled by the defense,
which complements the
offense perfectly. The Demon
Preachers have proven
particularly vulnerable to
ground attacks, allowing a
whipping 2,576 yards via that
route for a five-yard average
per try.

The pass defense has been
slightly less woeful, perhaps
because nobody bothers to
throw with the porous Wake
line to run through.