College Football: Duke's Day

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

There is something about the name Emmett Augustus Carlisle III that conjures up visions of double-breasted blazers and yachting caps, and maybe a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. But this Emmett Augustus Carlisle III, 21, is a broad-shouldered blond from Athens, Tex., who is more comfortable in hip pads than flannels. Around the University of Texas campus, folks are so proud of him that they sometimes call the seniors "Carlisle's Crowd," and anybody who breathes "Duke" Carlisle's given names is alookin' for trouble, pardner. If Duke can't handle the trouble himself, he can always call on his buddies on the Texas football team. After the way Carlisle and cronies walloped No. 2-ranked Navy in last week's Cotton Bowl, Lord help the loudmouth.

Bored to Death. It was a game full of surprises—and Duke Carlisle was the biggest. In any other season, on any other team, Quarterback Carlisle might long ago have caught the fancy of sportswriters with his nifty short passes (33 completions in 79 attempts) and nimble rollout runs. But this was the Year of the Quarterback; compared to such wizardrous performers as Navy's Heisman Trophy Winner Roger Staubach, Carlisle was a face in the crowd. At that, No. 1-ranked Texas was hardly the showcase for a quarterback. Grinding over ten straight opponents by a score of 215 to 65, Coach Darrell Royal's Longhorns stuck to the ground so doggedly that wags cracked "They don't beat you; they just bore you to death." Carlisle threw one touchdown pass all season. But he did not complain when halfbacks hogged the points. And he even managed an elegant shrug when newsmen asked how it felt to play in the shadow of a star like Staubach. Said Carlisle: "To each his own."

Last week, Carlisle came into his own—and it was Navy Coach Wayne Hardin who unwittingly gave him the chance. To stop Texas's chew-'em-up ground attack, Hardin ordered the Middies into a 5-3-3 defense, with the linebackers and corner backs stacked up so tightly that the deep secondary was left practically unguarded. Navy creamed three out of Texas's first four running plays. But then, on third down, with the ball on his own 42, Carlisle dropped back and did the one thing the Middies never expected: he threw the bomb. On the Navy 40, Wingback Phil Harris—who had caught only five passes all season—daintily sidestepped Navy's Pat Donnelly and reached up. Down came the pass, spiraling prettily into his hands. No one touched Harris as he scampered all the way to the end zone. Stocking-footed Tony Crosby booted the extra point, and Texas led 7-0.