HOUSTON, Tex.Rice was a thoroughly beaten football team Saturday, and it showed in the dressing room.
“They were the best team I’ve seen all year,” tackle George Karam said as he buttoned up his collar.
“Oh, heck yes, they’re better than Texas. I’ve said the Texas line wasn’t so hot all along.” added Karam.
“Our linebackers and our mistakes hurt us,” he said. Reminded what the Kansas players said about Roland Jackson, Karam said I’m not talking about him.”
Karam looked over at coach Dell Morgan. “I was just telling Mr. Morgan about those two tackles of their. Man, they’re good.”
Morgan said “He’s talking about the Number 25 (Mike Fisher) and 73 (Stan Kirshman).”
Sighed coach Jess Neely: “We just got whipped. It’s hard to understand why we didn’t play better in the second half.”
“Kansas,” added halfback Jerry Candler, “impressed me, I’ll guarantee you that. I was hit harder today than I’ve been hit all season.
“They aren’t especially big, but they’re fast, and they hit hard.”
Rice’s scholar-athlete, Robert Johnston, strolled out of the dressing room with Jim Myers, the deposed Texas A and M coach leading interference for him.
“That tackle who played opposite me was terrific,” he said, “the best I’ve played against all season.
“They’re as good a team as we’ve played,” said Johnston, who returned from New Orleans on an all-night train ride Saturday morning.
“I don’t know,” Johnston added, after a bit of though, “they might’ve been the best team we’ve played.”
Johnston, a candidate for Marshall and Rhodes scholarships was in New Orleans for the Rhodes examination Friday. The New Orleans airport was weathered ??? and he was forced to take an overnight train instead of flying. Drafted by the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Cowboys, Johnston said he’d pass up the pros if he got a scholarship.
The Owls showered quickly and the dressing room was almost barren 20 minutes after the game.
Except for a few stragglers, only Randy Kerbow was left. Even in defeat Kerbow was still very much in demand. The small fry had him cornered, and he was passing out autographs right and left.
