We doubt if any college ever closed a football season featuring – whether willfully or otherwise – as many newsworthy events as Kansas University did this past weekend.
Normally Homecoming, and its myriad of activities, as well as the K.U.-Missouri football game are enough to keep everyone occupied to the hilt. But this past Saturday added the resignation of grid coach Jules Sikes, a rash of reaction to that move after six years of tutorship and also a riot during the heated clash between the Bengals and the Jays.
Matter of fact, we wonder if any school ever has had a football season that produced as many emotional peaks and nulls to jangle the nerves of even the most callused observers, as did the one just past on Mt. Oread. Thinking things over, we doubt it.
In retrospect, you can’t help feeling gald it’s all over. Usually there are pangs of pain when King Football is dethroned at K.U. But that’s so in extremely few cases this year, we’ll guess.
And you know if you feel that way about this litter-packed pigskin drama how the principals – coach Sikes, his staff, his devoted wife, K.U. athletic officials and, most important, the boys who did the playing – must welcome the end.
But that end wasn’t nearly so bitter as it might have been had not the gallant Jayhawkers given such a splendid final 1953 account of themselves in their 10-6 loss to Missouri.
The game itself was of secondary importance for a number of newsmen here Saturday. They had come to cover nothing but the story of Sikes’ official resignation. And that came off just as it had been scripted for about two weeks.
Most of these visitors expected the talented Missouri to roll with ease over Kansas. But they had reckoned without considering the intense rivalry that spans 62 contest. What they got, instead, was a valiant effort by a down-and-out team against a really fine opponent. That K.U. display of that intangible something called heart reflected great credit both on the team and its departing coach and his aides. And it fully justified the faith many had expressed in the club-despite its five-game losing streak. Thus many of the newsmen who had come to bury Sikes had to devote more than just a few paragraphs to the praise of him and his determined club.
Many would tell you the game was dull, that there was little in the way of spectacular, ordinary fan-pleasing play, that it was too conservative. These, however, were following nothing but the football. And, in truth, you didn’t see much sensational if that’s the only place you looked. Defense held sway-crunching, grinding, shearing defense-most of the way. It was a throwback to some of those titanic struggles of 30 years back.
But those who forgot the pigskin now and then and watched the tension on the benches, in the stands and, of course, in the line realized they were witnessing no dull, drab, when-in-doubt-punt contest. They were watching a passionate, heart-rending display of gumption and determination by the players and backers of both clubs. Everyone had a special reason why he wanted his team to win. Some bridled those emotions, letting them, instead, churn inside. Others didn’t try to check-rein their feelings. Drab game? Nuts!
For those who must have fireworks, of course, there was something made to order-the field.
