Winless Gophers Start To Stir

WINLESS GOPHERS START TO STIR
By Wayne DeNeff

It isn’t often a winless football team will enter a midseason game as the favorite.
But that’s just about the situation for Minnesota which will be driving for its first triumph against Michigan at Minneapolis on Saturday.
The Gophers have lost to Arizona State (48-6), Nebraska (42-14), Indiana (1707) and Ohio State (34-7) while tying Ohio University (35-35).
It’s not a good record at all, but Minnesota apparently is an awakening giant and will present a rugged test for all its foes in the last half of the season.
There are two important things to remember:
1) Minnesota is a notorious slow starter.
2) Its passing attack is functioning again as a result of the return of the injured Phil Hagen.
Minnesota played Arizona State in the opener and still was trying to find itself against a fine Ohio University team. Then Hagen was out of the Nebraska and Indiana games before returning against Ohio State to lead his team to 443 yards total offense to 429 for the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Despite the absence of Hagen, Minnesota showed signs of great progress in the tussle with Indiana.
A sudden plus was a vastly improved defense.
For three periods, the Gophers shut off the vaunted Hoosier attack only to fall victim to a pair of fumbles, one deep in the Minnesota zone which set up Indiana’s winning score.
Against Ohio State, the Gophers were moving well.
Hagen threw 47 passes and completed 26 for 304 yards and had just one interception.
Meanwhile, the one-two running punch of halfback Barry Mayer and fullback Jim Carter was able to pick up 139 yards on the ground. Mayer, who has gained 390 yards rushing this season, has been averaging 4.2 while Carter, who has 370 yards, has been averaging 4.9.
The Buckeyes, like Indiana, were helped by five recoveries of Minnesota fumbles.
Ohio State five times stopped the Gophers inside the 20-yard line and set up its first two touchdowns by taking advantage of a couple of weak Minnesota punts.
The Buckeyes later marched 87 yards to go ahead 20-0 at the half.
“Minnesota is steadily improving,” says Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler.
“They have a diversified attack. And their defense is getting better. They have a real good offense.”
While the Gophers are 0-4-1 for the year and 0-2 in the Big Ten, Michigan stands 3-2 for the season and 1-1 in the league with hopes still alive for a trip to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl game.
One intangible going for the Gophers is that they have not lost to Michigan at home since 1959—a story of one frustration after another as far as the Wolverines are concerned.
They lost the 1961 game, 23-20, on a fumble in the last couple of minutes, lost the 1963 game, 6-0, by getting stopped twice within the Minnesota 10-yard line, lost the 1965 contest, 14-13, when a try for two extra points went awry, and dropped the 1967 game, 20-15, despite a great effort in an underdog’s role.

BOX TEXT: Michigan Loses Phil Seymour: Michigan defensive end Phil Seymour is lost for the remainder of the season.
The 205-pound senior end from Berkley will undergo knee surgery soon. There is every reason to expect the conference will grant the All-Big Ten performer another year of competition. Injured in pre-season drills, Seymour had missed the first four games before appearing against Michigan State last Saturday.