Rise of the Seven Dwarfs

The first few victories could have been flukes. On opening day, Missouri beat Southern Methodist, Nebraska beat Texas, and Kansas beat Texas Christian. But as the season went on, the upstart teams simply got better. Kansas scared the daylights out of then-undefeated Syracuse before losing, 14-7. Missouri trounced Penn State and the Air Force, soared to fifth in the national standings. Nebraska even beat Army. By last week the unlikely events had settled into a pattern that ranked at the top of 1960's football news: after years of fumbling, the Big Eight was playing big-league football.

In past seasons, the Big Eight was the private pasture of Oklahoma. Knocking over conference patsies like so many blocking dummies, Oklahoma was undefeated in all of its league games for twelve full seasons. Sportswriters took to sniggering about Oklahoma and "the seven dwarfs." This season Oklahoma is only a notch below its usual standard, but the seven dwarfs have put on so much muscle that the old champion is only one of several teams chasing the conference title. Last week Colorado defeated Oklahoma, 7-0, to stay tied for the conference lead with Missouri, which brushed past Nebraska, 28-0.

Stomping Success. Behind the rise of the seven dwarfs was the bitter yearning to get revenge on Oklahoma and canny Coach Bud Wilkinson, who annually rolled up the score on the hapless likes of Kansas State and Iowa State to boost his team's claim on a national championship. "If any of us gets Bud down," said one Big Eight coach, "I sure hope he stomps him good."

To match Wilkinson, the Big Eight has signed on some of the brightest young coaches in the game, including Nebraska's Bill Jennings, 42, who was a Wilkinson aide for seven years, and Kansas' Jack Mitchell, 35, who still wears cowboy boots from his days at Oklahoma, where he was an All-America quarterback.

Oklahoma is further badgered by the unpleasant fact that Texas boys, who once were eager to play for Wilkinson, are thinking twice about leaving home since Oklahoma started Negro Prentice Gautt at fullback in 1958 and 1959. What is more, the N.C.A.A. put Oklahoma on probation for an indefinite period this year for recruiting irregularities. But Oklahoma has not sinned alone in the eyes of the N.C.A.A. Last week Kansas was slapped with a year's probation after three players had mysteriously quit Texas colleges and showed up on the campus at Lawrence.

Raiding the Nursery. Looking to the future, Kansas and rival Big Eight schools are cranking up high-powered recruiting machines to capture prime high school prospects. "College football is 10% coaching and 90% recruiting, selling and advertising," admits Kansas' Mitchell. A Kansas boy himself, Mitchell concentrates on landing home-state players, is fast developing the fierce local pride necessary to support a winner. When Kansas only tied Oklahoma this season, 13-13, frustrated Jayhawk fans booed Mitchell --to his vast delight. Mitchell's ready explanation: "It's the first time Kansans have cared enough to gripe."

Other Big Eight coaches roam farther afield for material. Every winter Missouri's Coach Dan Devine kisses goodbye his wife, six daughters and a son and spends 90% of his time barnstorming around the Midwest. Iowa State has lured no fewer than 23 players out of the fertile football towns of Ohio, traditionally the Big Ten's nursery. In its recruiting competition with the Big Eight, the Big Ten operates under one severe handicap: its prospects must go through the indignity of proving financial need before they can get a full scholarship.

Big Three. Out of this flurry of activity the Big Eight this season has produced at least three players who can butt heads with any in the nation: CJ For Iowa State, Tom Watkins is a lightweight Negro fullback (6 ft., 182 Ibs.) who can run the 100 in 9.8 and fill in at tailback in his team's oldfashioned, single-wing attack. The Cleveland Browns are so impressed with Watkins that they drafted him last year as a junior for future delivery. Says Iowa State's Coach Clay Stapleton: "He can play anywhere."

P: For undefeated Missouri, rugged End Danny LaRose (6ft. 4 in., 220 Ibs.) crashes into the enemy backfield like a runaway tank: "I like to rack the punter. If the fullback tries to block you by going for your legs, run over him the first time. He'll shy away after that." Following an impressive sophomore year, LaRose had a bad season as a junior ("The publicity went to my head"), has rallied this season to become a prime prospect for the pros. In Missouri's 21-8 victory over Penn State, LaRose recovered two fumbles, batted down key passes, did his team's kicking, caught a touchdown pass and deflected a punt.

P: For Kansas, Quarterback John Hadl may be the best player in the Big Eight. Says Kansas Coach Mitchell: "Hadl does all of our kicking, all our passing and a good bit of our running. You could say he was pretty important." Swift and sturdy (6 ft., 205 Ibs.), Hadl grew up seven blocks away from his college's stadium in Lawrence, as a boy watched in admiration while Oklahoma rolled over K.U. Says Quarterback Hadl: "Liking Oklahoma was the craze in those days. It ain't any more."

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