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THE BATTALION
Wednesday, November 8, 1972 College Station, Texas Page 11
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Defensive End Was Larry Ellis’ First Love
By BILL HENRY
Battalion Sports Editor
If A&M’s Larry Ellis hadn’t
been at the wrong place at the
wrong time, the Aggies would
be in desperate need for a right
safety.
Ellis, 5-11, 172 lbs. from Troup,
decided in the spring of his soph
omore year that he’d look good
in the Maroon and White. The
only problem was that he wanted
his 160-pound frame at a defen
sive end position.
When practice started, Ellis
went with the wrong group, the
secondary, but there he found a
home.
It didn’t come right away as
Ellis spent most of 1971 on the
kickoff team except for the Wi
chita State game where he knock
ed down four passes.
“I got a lot of breaks last year
and ended up No. 1 in the spring
at right safety,” he said. “Then
during the summer I heard every
body saying that the secondary
was the weakest part of the de
fense. I know that inspired the
secondary to play hard this year.”
A&M’s secondary is the SWC’s
second best unit allowing only
118.3 per contest yielding seven
touchdown passes in seven games.
The group, which does not return
one starter, has picked off 12.
Seven touchdown passes may
seem like quite a few but six
came against Nebraska and LSU
early in the season. In SWC ac
tion, the secondary has given up
only one.
The under-rated A&M second
ary picked off six Joe Ferguson
passes last Saturday giving the
former Heisman Trophy candi
date his worst performance ever
as a Razorback.
“We’re playing together now,”
Ellis said. “We know where each
other will be on certain plays.
The whole unit is very intelligent
and coach Robertson’s enthusiasm
is contagious.”
The former All-East Texas per
former is tied for the team lead
in interceptions with All-SWC
Player of the Week, Robert Mur-
ski, each having three.
This week’s opponent will give
the Aggie secondary a little prob
lem with the third best passing
mark in the SWC averaging 149
yards per game, but having a
former 160-pound defensive end
back there, nothing is impossible.
jrm.
Larry Ellis
SMU Looks
To Bowl,
Not Aggies
By DENNE H. FREEMAN
Associated Press Sports Writer
DALLAS OTP)—Southern Meth
odist starts its “new” season Sat
urday and Coach Hayden Fry
hopes it propels the Mustangs
into a post-season bowl.
“We’ve got an exciting type
of club, a lot of colorful players,
and we’re a big play team,” Fry
said Tuesday. “That’s the type
of team the bowl committees look
for. Of course, we could lose our
next four games because the
conference is so easily balanced.”
The Mustangs meet Texas A&M
in the Cotton Bowl Saturday as
both clubs fight to salvage their
seasons. SMU is 4-3 and the
Aggies are 2-6.
“I believe we have a better
ball club than our record shows,”
Fry said. “We could still go to
a bowl. We’re calling it the ‘new
season’ and hoping we can turn
things around.”
Fry said the Mustangs came
out of Saturday’s 17-9 loss to
Texas with numerous bumps and
injuries.
“I believe we’ll be OK by game
time,” Fry said. “I can tell you
this—Texas is just as powerful
as they have ever been. They just
came right at us.
“When they got their passing
game going, look out. That will
add even a new dimension. I
watched Texas quarterback Alan
Lowry throw in the pregame
warmup and believe me, he can
hum the ball.”
Fry said''he wasn’t cdrtdfn' ’ f bf
the reason for the drop off in
production by tailback Alvin Max-
son.
“Alvin has fumbled five times
in the last two games and that’s
just not like him,” Fry said. “Of
course, he’s having to share time
with Wayne Morris at tailback
and playing fullback is a new en
vironment for him. He still doesn’t
look like the Maxson of old.”
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