Upsets Three

Even before last week's results were in, President Nixon personally presented the Longhorns with a plaque naming them the outstanding football team of 1969. The national pollsters agreed with the President--but a loud demurrer was filed by Penn State's Nittany Lions, who boasted the longest undefeated streak (29 games) in college football.

The Lions' pride was wounded again when bookies made them 3 1/2-point undercats in the Orange Bowl against the high-powered Missouri Tigers (9-1). That was all Penn State and the Lions' voluble ringmaster, Joe Paterno, needed. "We're No. 1 as far as I'm concerned," said Paterno, and his boys made a sound case for his claim. They intercepted Tiger Quarterback Terry McMillan five times. When Missouri Coach Dan Devine sent in another pitcher, Chuck Roper, the Penn State secondary responded by intercepting two more throws for a record total of seven. Penn State Quarterback Chuck Burkhart completed eleven passes for 187 yds. and a touchdown. Final score: Penn State 10, Missouri 3. Said Devine: "If I had to vote, I'd vote a tie between Penn State and Texas."

Artistic Brutality. What the other bowls lacked in national attention, they made up for in aerial artistry (Sugar: Mississippi v. Arkansas) and terrestrial brutality (Rose: Southern Cal v. Michigan). In New Orleans, Quarterbacks Archie Manning of Ole Miss (7-3) and Bill Montgomery of Arkansas (9-1) played superlatively. Manning dashed 18 yds. for a first-quarter touchdown to give the Rebels a 14-0 edge, later heaved a 30-yd. touchdown pass to Vernon Studdard. Montgomery completed 17 out of 32 passes for 340 yds. and two touchdowns. The margin of victory was provided by Safety Glenn Cannon, who intercepted a pass in the end zone and halted a fourth-quarter Arkansas drive by recovering a fumble as Ole Miss finally won 27-22.

In Pasadena, before the largest crowd ever to witness a college game (103,-878), Southern Cal (9-0-1) and Michigan (8-2) battered each other for 60 minutes. Although Michigan mounted its uncommonly rugged ground attack, Southern Cal's front five held in key situations. The lone touchdown came when Quarterback Jimmy Jones fired a strike to Bob Chandler, who shook off one tackier at the ten, sidestepped two other defenders and raced into the end zone to give U.S.C. a 10-3 victory.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.