Show T 1 r t- t tr r s. s r. r W Backs Backseat a P D Driving riving I 6 By FRANK K K SAKER BAKER T Telegram Sports Editor i J Unless the Utes improve the their r blocking s against Den r ver ver t university t Saturday a number of current regulars re are t i apt to f find nd themselves on on n the bench a a a. good d s share a a th of-th the e time from here on out 4 The shakeup following last weeks week's 7 P loss Joss to Utah Aggie gies s F is mild to what the Redskins will face if it they dont don't carry out 11 their blocking assignments with more vigor and enthusiasm this week t At least half a dozen of the so called regulars found themselves themE themselves them them- E selves facing second or third team berths at tl the e start of this thi week The shakeup appeared to be paying dividends as th the q t team am passed its midweek drills and began final inal preparation preparations for Saturdays Saturday's ys y's game and Coach Ike watched the re ref re- re fr f hewed ewed snap and fire of his charges with some show of enN en en- N Ike has never been inclined to o publicly criticise his i charges and he hasn't denounced their blocking eff efforts I even now But it is plain to any observer who has watched I i Z Utah's campaign thus far this season or been permitted d to see some ome of their practice sessions that he s satisfied 1 v with the type of interference he is getting I I It simply isn't comparable to to the efficient blocking I t which has marked Armstrong teams of the past or wh which J t has made them so consistently successful There have bee been n I r t flashes of good blocking but these fla flashes hes have been s sep p I by ragged almost indifferent bits of interference The team blocked perfectly when Izzy ran ran 80 80 t I yards through the Santa Clara team for a touchdown and it itt t f surrounded Gay Adelt with a whole curtain of protectors when he be ran odd 30 yards in that game for another touchdown 1 a Against B B. Y U U. however the Utes were missing about asi as i many of their blocking as assignments as they made In somI some som e I cases ases they missed contact altogether as the e Cougars got coma completely com- com a out of the toe way or fooled the Utes into making making F i ess l lunges at them i S r Even though they beat Arizona the Utes were mopping up J with their blocking And nd the inspired were taking Utah's I g L blockers out of the play more frequently frequent y than not last week LL i L Successful football demands good sharp blo blocking king by byK K t men who can go out there an and cut the defense to shreds It was this kind of efficiency that ma made e Ray Price one of Utah's most brilliant dec decade de this performers performer a ago It was s. s l I. kind of rugged interference that made made- ade- ade Danny Di so lw valuable to the Utes six years years' ago All And it w was s' s this hi willingness willingness will- will bigness to clear dear the path for som somebody body else that made Frank Frankk FrankI I k w Christensen one of the states state's football immortals k v When these stars blocked an opponent he was usual usually Y completely out of the play And it is this tendency to r play the game right up to the hilt bl blocking king and tackling with a 1 vigor which will let your opposition know you mean business that stamped Colorados Colorado's superiority over over the rest of the Big Seven Severi last year Players have to be bei bet t i Uste steamed ed up up a and d bu bubbling li g over with enthusiasm for their sport to to play with this kind of fury but no matter what it takes to acquire that kind of football its it's the kind of oi of game game J that enabled an an inferior Aggie team to whip the listless Utes last week M T There er has been beena a n noticeable lack of this fire and snap to the Ute The performance this se season son As a result several players arc are i pt to wake wak up some morning g and discover they arent aren't nearly 4 as s indispensable to the team teams team's as s they believe Two weeks ago I heard beard several of th the pl players counting n s their conference all candidates Well its it's my candid opinion opinion that not many of them justify such rank yet and that they'd better C quit i thinking a about n t mythical laurels and all star all tar awards t e i and spend some of that zeal on football fundamentals if of th they y h dont don't want to be kicked around by a lot of rivals who arent aren't counting the stars in in their crown t Whether the Utes r realize a ize it or not they stand at the crossroads crossl cross- cross f t roads of their 1940 campaign Tight right the l 1 now on eve of this game I with ith Denver C Continued lethargy leth now will dissipate a brilliant i i c array array rray of physical talent and p project the team on one of the f worst losin losing g str streaks aks ever s suffered d by an Armstrong team It has been a mighty time long since Utah lost two conference con- con 1 ference e games in a row Six years to be exact since Colorado Color Colo- Colo r do rado do and Colorado State handed the Redskins two beatings f t on successive Saturdays After having already lost to the last week the Redskins are in grave danger of dropping three straight if they dont don't quit fooling around and go io to work because they must go to Boulder next week 4 i to to play the touted champions And they haven't beaten Colorado in iii six six ix years years What's more they cant can't hope to do doi i t it this time with indifferent blocking and a picnic attitude 50 Sometimes et mes adversity like this club a spurs to greatness great- great r ness ness An And fr frequently y it helps unea unearth th a lot of brilli brilliant nt t talent l. l t. t For e example it itI I seemed like a tough blow Elow when I Carlos Soffe the Soffe the e senI senior r end with came up a Charley Horse fc three we weeks ago go yet Sophomore LeGrande nde Gregory st stepped fc Into into nto the picture and 1 d established himself in a single after after- moon as as one one of the ablest on the squad Simi Simi- J Jarly the club lost its most experienced qt quarterback arterb ck when when- j Bob Johnston injured an ankle against Santa Clara but but Dale more than filled the breach with his pinch pinch- pinch pinch- hitting itt g The zeal for the game Kame has brought Woody Peterson into the I limelight and there is a chance that hell he'll get cone coni con- con i ble e opportunity to do the hep punting Mac Speedie was wa's doing and and a a lot bot of the line plunging previously delegated to Chuck C uck Turner 1 urner Z s Murray Likewise Chick Hansen the former M Murray rray star is pressing press press- t ing some of the guards ifo a starting nod No one not even t Captain Captain Rex Geary has a cinch on their posts in in view of recent performances and it is high time they realize it Only by do doing dong do- do ing ng so right now do they have chance a of beating the opposition opposition 1 tion ion ahead |