Guess Again

Both squads were fresh and stimulated by upset victories. Both were evenly balanced and dangerous. When the University of North Carolina met the University of Miami at the Orange Bowl last week, the central question was: Which coach would outguess the other? "Miami runs like hell, and they may pass, too. I don't know what to do," moaned North Carolina Coach Jim Tatum. Big Jim even telephoned to Georgia Tech's clever coach. Bobby Dodd, for some last-minute advice. "Tighten up the middle if you want to stop Miami's power," Dodd warned him. Concluded Tatum: "I guess I'll just contain 'em any way I can."

Down in Florida, Miami Coach Andy Gustafson was doing some brainwork too. "Tatum knows we have a good ground attack, with a lot of power to the outside. I'm guessing he'll try to stunt his defense and concentrate on stopping us outside. My logical move, then, is to try to run inside against his big boys."

As things turned out, guessing right got Gustafson nowhere--or at least not far enough. His small Miami linemen out-charged their opponents, opened big holes in the middle of the line, and his Hurricanes blew the Tarheels all over the, field. But time and again they failed to score. It took Sophomore Quarterback Fran Curci most of the game to realize that when running plays are reeling off yardage, calling for second-down passes is silly.

North Carolina's Tatum, working behind the safety of a first-period touchdown, sent his ends deep, while his backs held onto the ball as if they never meant to pass. When Miami's defenders finally decided that those ends were merely a decoy, they moved up close to the line, and the Tarheel trap sprang shut. A pair of running passes set up North Carolina's second touchdown, and the Tarheels were out front for keeps.

Miami came back in the second half with two neatly planned scores, but the Tarheels scored another too, and the game ended, North Carolina 20, Miami 13. "We guessed pretty well tonight," said sad Andy Gustafson. "But we didn't have it when we needed it. We won everything but the ball game."

Satisfied that the final score is the only statistic that counts, Big Jim Tatum groaned with relief: "I'm so plumb tuckered out I feel like I played myself. I don't mind sayin', I guessed my guts out."

Statistics took a licking in Philadelphia too, when Army, after running in front of Notre Dame all afternoon, played fast and loose with a one-point, last-quarter lead, lost the ball on an intercepted pass and looked up forlornly to watch a 32-yd. Notre Dame field goal give the Irish the game, 23-21.

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