The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 28, 1975, Section C, Image 41
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 1975 Sectioni
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Bowl D
By Sports Editor Billy I
Jim Carlen lives in a world of
reality. He is not a windbag of
cliches recalling yesterday's
conquests; nor is he an egotist. He
explains very simply, "I'm just a
head football coach."
Well, for the grand old sum of
more than $40,000 a year Jim
Carlen has become the 25th coach
at an institution some have
referred to as the "graveyard of
college football coaches." Jim
Carlen accepted the challenges of
rebuilding programs at West
Virginia (1966-1969) and Texas
Tech (1970-74) and put tl.use
schools into the nation's "Top
Twenty" before departing for
greater challenges. His record
was 25-13-4 with .the Mountaineers
and 37-18-1 at Texas Tech.
"Before I say anything else let
me remind you that the team I
coach belongs to the students,"
Carlen said. "I wanted to become
a head coach because I wanted to
work with young people.
USC begins the season against (
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reams.,
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"I feel like young people have the
answers to many of our problems,"
Carlen said recently at his
beautiful office at USC's Round
house. "Machines certainly can't
solve all our problems. If you have
a chance to influence young people
I think you should try."
Jim Carlen has never been
impressed.with an athletic director
telling him what to do. He
discovered a long time ago that
they couldn't help him win football
games.
"You can't analyze why people
do thing9," Carlen said. "I had the
opportunity to run a football
program by coaching here and I
didn't want to pass up the op
portunity.
"Let me say that I'm not
politically minded," Carlen said.
"I didn't apply for the job here;
they came after me."
Twenty four of USC's 27 recruits
for the fall played defense in high
school. Carlen is quick to remind
a. Tech on Sept. 13 In Columbia.
SC hegins then.
w Era,Begi
one that USC's defense gave up an
average of 344 yards per game
during last year's 4-7 campaign.
"You have to fill the voids," said
Carlen. "Defense is a big part of
college football."
Carlen has claimed that USC has
basically eight really blue chip
athletes on the team. He claims it
takes at least 20 to make cham
pionship teams.
"I've never seen Jeff Grantz
play a game before," said Carlen.
"I hope he is as good as people say.
He is not playing summer baseball.
As a matter of fact, I think he is
around campus working his legs
into shape."
Carlen said Ron Bass was in
jured most of the spring so neither
quarterback seems to have an
advantage over the other. Grantz
missed spring drills because of
baseball commitments with Bobby
Richardson's number two ranked
club.
Carlen is quoted in a recent issue
Spirited
Tough F
BY BILLY BAKER
Sports Editor
For the first time in almost a
decade a new man with new ideas
will accept the challenge of USC's
football schedule.
Jim Carlen, a man of reality, is
not predicting great success in his
first year at Carolina. He said that
his team has only eight blue chip
athletes. "It takes 20 to compete
for NCAA titles," Carlen has said.
The Gamecocks will continue
using the Triple option offense,
with both the "I" and split back
fields, but on defense the
Gamecocks will switch to a five
man-front--"Fifty" defense.
The season begins Sept. 13 in
Columbia against Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets, coached by
Pepper Rodgers, return 18 of
fensive lettermen and 22 defensive
lettermen. There rZtential stars
are: halfback David Sims,
linebacker Lucious Sanford,
defensive tackle Rick Gibney and
center Leo Tierney.
Tech finished 6-5-0 last season in
Rodgers' first year at his alma
mater.
Duke--Sept. 20--Durham
The Blue Devils upset USC in
Columbia last season. The game
was so embarrassing that it forced
Paul Dietzel to announce his
resignation effective at the end of
the season.
Coached by Mike McGee the
Devils are predicted by most
publications to finish no worse than
third in the ACC this fall. They
have a good base returning in split
end Troy Slade and center Billy
Bryan. Thirty-five lettermen
return to enhance Duke's chances
of capturing the ACC title which
has eluded them for several years.
Duke finished 6-5-0 last season
and defeated UISC 20-14.
ins With Ji
of Southern Football as saying:
"We don't know how many games
we'll win, but we'll just work as
hard as we can and accept the
results. We'll strive to create a
winning attitude with our players
and I guarantee you they won't
lack enthusiasm."
Jim Carlen played under the
legendary Bobby Dodd at Georgia
Tech in the years 1951-54 as a
linebacker and punter. During
these years Tech recorded an
impressive 40-5-3 record and won
all four of its post season bowl
appearqnces. Carlen was raised in
a winning atmosphere.
"Bobby Dodd taught me to be
interested in the football player as
a human being," Carlen said. "I'm
a personal kind of man."
"I hire my men to coach,"
Carlen said. "We are associates
and we make decisions together. I
am not on an ego trip. When we
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Cocks Chi
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Georgia--Sept. 27--Columbia
USC has defeated Georgia four
times in 29 games, and it appears
that the Dogs will be just as tough
in 1975. Forty-two lettermen
return with hopes of improving last
year's record of 6-6 and a trip to the
Tangerine Bowl.
Quarterback Matt Robinson and
running back Glynn Harrison give
Georgia two potential all-stars. One
defense linebacker Sylvester Boler
returns to challenge the Jeff
Grantz' of college football.
Baylor--Oct. 4--Columbia
Jim Carlen may have thought he
was ridding himself of the South
west conference when he accepted
the job at USC last winter, but the
potential conference champion,
Baylor, invades Williams Brice
Stadium Oct. 4 for a real bear fight.
The green and gold of Baylor
returns 39 lettermen and last
year's National Coach of the Year
Grant Teaff has said, "We have
some people who are talented. For
the first time since I've been here
we have depth and we could come
up with another fine football
team."
Virginia--Oct. 1--Columbia
Only 11 lettermen return for the
Cavaliers on defense but the of
fense is capable of producing the
points to keep any game close.
Nine starters return on offense
headed by quarterback Scott
Gardner and offensive guard Tom
Glassic. Coach Sonny Randle has a
reputation for building strong
programs and in his second year at
his alma mater his club could pull
off an upset.
Former Gamecock coach Oree
Banks has joined the Virginia staff
and could turn in a good scouting
rennrt on USC.
m Carlen
Jim Carlen
illeng e
edule
Ole Miss--Oct. 18--Jackson, Miss.
Mississippian's barely allowed
USC's team out of their state after
the Gamecocks defeated them 10-7
at their homecoming in front of the
state's governor last year.
Head Coach Ken Cooper knows
his head is on the chopping block
after last year's terrible 3-8 finish.
The days of Johnny Vaught may
not be gone, just on temporary
leave.
The Rebels return 40 lettermen
equally divided on offense and
defense. Eight offensive starters
return and seven defensive star
ters are back in this "revenge
year" of college football.
Ben Williams is one of the best at
defensive tackle.
LSU--Oct. 25--Baton Rouge, La.
The Fighting Tigers are lean on
offense, losing 12 lettermen on that
side of the game, and nine
defensive lettermen have
graduated. Panic button time?
No! Because Charlie Y. Mc
Clendon is a head coach full of
surprises. He won't ever forget the
Gamecocks bid for a shocking
upset two years ago when his club
escaped Williams Brice Stadium
with a 33-29 win.
LSU does return 3 starters on
offense and six on defense, and
recruiting was considered ex
cellent. The Tigers won't win a
Southeastern Conference title in
1975, but they will be all the
Gamecocks can handle come Oct.
25.
N.C. St ate--Nov. I--Raleigh
Lou Holtz turned down a Wells
Fargo Truck full of money to
remain at N.C. State so he must
have his reasons for thinking the