Sport: The Two-Point Conversion

Football's first big Saturday of 1958 put to a test the game's first scoring change in 46 years. After a touchdown, teams now have the option of using the time-honored place kick for one point, or the run or pass for two. The rule was designed to cut down tie games, give leading teams a chance to exert extra pressure and trailing teams a better chance to catch up. Most teams settled for the safer kick (chances of success: about 65%) rather than risk the run or pass (chances: about 35%), especially if they scored first. But in five major games the new rule was decisive:

¶ Yale's Coach Jordan Olivar, who earlier criticized the rule ("I'm disgusted. It's an unimportant change"), found out just how important it was. Yale scored first, ran for two points for an 8-0 lead, forced Connecticut to go for two late in the game. Connecticut missed, and Yale had a hair-thin 8-6 victory. ¶ Ohio State's Frank Kremblas succeeded on two pass conversions, found that they made the difference in a 23-20 victory over Southern Methodist, which could complete only one pass in three after touchdowns.

¶The Big Ten's Northwestern, winless all last year, kicked its first three conversions, made two points by passing on its last try to build a crucial edge, pulled off a 29-28 upset over highly rated Washington State.

¶Underdog Lehigh scored after trailing Delaware 7-0, faced the crucial choice: kick for the tie, or run or pass for the victory. Lehigh gambled and won 8-7. ¶ Southern California made two last-quarter touchdowns to come within a point of favored Michigan. Like Lehigh, Southern Cal went for the win, wound up 20-19 losers when the pass play for two points was stopped short of the end zone.

Clearly the new rule would make the game more exciting for spectators, but many margins will still be too big for the new rule to make a difference. Last week, the whole thing was academic to Oklahoma, which toyed with all combinations made three of five kicks, ran once for two points, failed to pass for two more, in smothering West Virginia 47-14 to stake a claim to the nation's No. 1 rating.