After running a pattern that left him virtually alone in the end zone, Biletnikoff fields the pass that put Florida State ahead for good .

A polysyllabic pair-Tensi to Biletnikoff-and some unlucky surprises combine to defeat the SoonersIf 1965 continues at the same un-happy pace for OU football, it mightbe wise to put a roof on Owen Fieldandmake it a classroom. The first sun-rise of the new year brought to lightthe fact that four Sooner players hadsigned professional football contractsbefore their college eligibility had ex-pired . The reverberations from thisdisclosure have been felt across thecountry, and in all likelihood will leadto a new relationship between the col-leges and the pros . Coach Gomer Jonesdrew praise and admiration from allcorners for his prompt and forthrightaction in immediately dismissing thefour from the team and sending themhome .

January 2 was no better . The GatorBowl became a snakepit as a mouthfulof a passing combination (Tensi toBiletnikoff,-the poor announcer hadto say it 13 times) was more than ahandful for the Sooners. The splendidSteve Tensi (23 for 36 for 303 yards)never hit the turf . For all the Soonerfans know, his uniform may not havehad to be cleaned all season (bad news

22

BOWLED OVER BY A MOUTHFUL

for Cheer detergent) . Fred Biletnikoff,the All-America flanker back, caughta touchdown pass for every syllable inhis tongue-twister of a name and bad13 catches for 192 yards all day.

Except for the football game andthe unpleasantness about professionalcontracts, the Gator Bowl was an un-qualified success for Oklahoma . Whichis a way of saying that the food, theweather and the scenery were justdandy.

Jacksonville is a city of just over200,000 situated in northern Florida15 miles from the Atlantic . America'soldest city, St . Augustine, is 30 milesto the south, palm trees grow alongmain thoroughfares, the temperaturestays generally in the 70's during earlyJanuary and the sea food is abundantand delicious .

First on the scene were the team,coaches, athletic department officials,players' wives and the press, who flewto Jacksonville Dec . 26 . Betweenpractices and strategy meetings, GatorBowl hosts provided the customaryjaunts and diversions which are part

of the post-season game ritual . Therewere visits to the dog races and ahocky game, a private screening of ayet-to-be-released motion picture andafter the bowl a deep-sea fishing ex-pedition (final : no fish caught, sever-al sea-sick) and a trip to Marineland .

Sooner fans began pouring in, whichis an accurate expression, on NewYear's Eve. The biggest problem fac-ing most was whether to order lobster,shrimp or crabs for dinner that night.The next day there was somethingelse to worry about. By midmorningthe OU supporters were busy con-vincing each other that clouds reallydo have silver linings and at theSooner breakfast on the day of thegame, spirit was typically high .And to those not emotionally in-

volved with the Sooners, the game wasexciting and highly entertaining . Oneof the best analyses of the bowl wasgiven by Norman Transcript sportseditor Jim Weeks. Jim's examinationof OU's rocky 1965 start follows :

Perhaps the reason for Florida State'svictory was best summed up by the Sooner

player who said, "It was just a pro offenseagainst a college defense ." Anytime the out-come of a game is summed up in one state-ment, it's being oversimplified . But thatremark comes as close as any to describingwhat happened . The Florida team amassed.303 yards passing, more than the Soonersgained rushing (71) and passing (209)combined . . .Some statistics that coaches normally

think mean something in analyzing a gamewere amazingly even. Each team got theball 13 times with the opportunity to startan offensive series. However, Florida Stateturned one of these into a one-play touch-down when defensive back Howard Elderreturned a pass interception 69 yards for thefirst score of the game . Including punts, theSeminoles had the ball 73 plays from scrim-mage and the Sooners 70-no significant dif-ference . . .

Florida State discovered what it neededto know when it marched 90 yards in 12plays to go ahead to stay, 12-7, in the secondquarter . It was the first drive of any lengththat the Seminoles had and it gave them achance to analyze the OU defense . Theylearned that the Sooners were going to playa coverage-type defense instead of a strongrush against the Seminoles' primary weapon,the passing attack . This meant that theSooners were using seven players-the threedeep backs, two ends and both linebackers-to cover potential receivers and rushingthe passer with only four linemen . TheSeminoles changed their passing strategy totake advantage of this defense on the nexttwo series . The change worked. They scoredtwo more touchdowns and had a 24-7 half-time lead that the Sooners were never ableto overcome .They fortified their protection for Tensi

by sending only three receivers downfield,leaving five linemen and two other backsto fight off the four outmanned Soonerrushers . They sent the tight end, Bill Daw-son, only about five yards across the middleto hold the OU linebackers and safety inposition and gave flankerback Biletnikoffand split ends Don Floyd and Doug Blank-enship a chance to maneuver in the territoryguarded by the OU ends and halfbacks oneither side . Since Tensi was assured moretime to throw, the potential receivers alsohad more time to get in the clear .

Tensi faded to pass 36 times . He neverwas forced to run with the ball or hang onto it and accept a loss . Florida State provedthat if he had enough time, a receiver canget into the clear even when he is guardedby more than one defender .Only an ostrich with his head stuck in the

ground could believe that the loss of threeveteran senior players on the offensive teamdidn't hurt OU's chances of winning thegame . When tackle Ralph Neely, fullbackJim Grisham, halfback Lance Rentzel andreserve end Wes Skidgel signed those un-dated professional contracts nearly a monthago they gambled on the integrity of menwho broke the rules to enlist them . Unfor-tunately, they also gambled with somethingthat wasn't theirs alone to risk . They riskedtheir own reputations but worst of all theirbonus checks cost their teammates and loyalfans a higher price . Their actions reflected

on every "name" college football player inthe country . . .

It was obvious that the OU ground at-tack which was to be relied on so heavilysuffered with one of the team's best block-ing linemen and two top running backs outof the game . The Sooners made only fivefirst downs and 71 yards rushing . They hada net loss of eight yards rushing in the sec-ond half . To keep the ball away from Flor-ida State, OU had to establish a time-con-suming running attack . It did on its firsttouchdown drive in the first quarter but wasunable to make the ground game go afterthat . In fact, the Sooners had to abandon therunning attack in the second half to movethe ball at all . It's also unrealistic to thinkthe ineligible players would have made adifference in the final outcome, but perhapsthe game would have been closer . The sign-ing incident merely brings an unfortunatesituation to the public's attention .

There's nothing wrong with a professionalfootball career or the benefits of a good jobafter the playing career has ended . However,these things must be kept in the proper per-spective by both the professional teams andthe college players .The four Sooner players admitted before

leaving Jacksonville that what they haddone was wrong . Actually they probablydid no more than some other players in otherbowl games . It's unlikely that among all theplayers being sought by the pros, that onlyfour on one team would sign before com-peting in their final college game . Theysimply got caught.

"It was our own stupidity," said Rentzelbut it was not the Sooners' "stupidity" orthe fact that they got caught or that OU lostthe football game that is the real point .

Warm weather and palm trees lend properatmosphere as Sooners leave for practice .

The point is that these four players hadlost their sense of values . Whether realizingit or not they put their personal gain aboveeverything else .

Perhaps guard Ed McQuarters, who didnot have an outstanding season and wasnot highly sought but was drafted by St .Louis, gave the only answer that will remedythe situation . When asked why he hadn'tsigned, McQuarters answered with a ques-tion : "Do you think I would do that toGomer Jones after all he's done for me?"

Gator Bowl hosts provided the Sooners with a visit to the dog races, Ben Hart (left)and Ron Fletcher (center), who later teamed on a 95-yard score, watch with Eugene Ross .

2 3

Mrs. Larry Shields (left) and Mrs. Vernon Burkett VernonBurkett are equipped with the correct tour-ist paraphernelia as they record their visitto the ancient city of St . Augustine, Florida .

What's Assistant Coach Jay O'Neal doingwith checkers when he should be thinkingabout football, you ask. Well, if it's anyhelp, there are twenty-two of those checkers .

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An ii excursiontoournation I nation's oldest citycity,only 30 miles from Jacksonville, providesplayers' wives with an entertaining day ofsightseeing and, yes, souvenir-buying, too .

On New Year's Day the story of the procontracts breaks in the newspapers . Public-ity director Harold Keith is a picture ofstoic calm as he sifts through the bad news .

It's halftime at the sun-drenched GatorBowl as the Pride of Oklahoma performs in7s-degree weather before a crowd whichhas set the all-time Gator attendance record .

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PHOTOS BY NED HOCKMAN

Dr. Cross, flanked by emcee Boyd Gunningat left and Alumni Association presidentDr. Harold Tisdal at right, speaks to theAssociation's pregame breakfast for fans .