A CAUTIOUS CONFIDENCE

This is the spot reserved for the football soothsayer; the guy who has the intestinal fortitude to predict the future in a sport that's as predictable as the bounce of that oval skin-of-apig it was named after. And that statement holds doubly true for Eastern. On paper, it looks pretty simple. But between the lines, there are several question marks. Three of them go something like this:

- How do you replace Aaron Marsh, an All-American and third round draft choice of the Boston Patriots?

- Where do you find a defensive end to match the exploits of Chuck Seimon, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers?

- Where do you look for a leader like Harry Lenz, allconference safety, tri-captain, and the closest thing to a coachon-the-field Roy Kidd has eve r seen?

These are three of the most obvious question marks . But there are others. In fact, six other prominent players won't be back. They include tailbacks Jack McCoy and Ted Holcomb and punting specialist Bob Plotts.

The optimism leaks out in the form of 33 returning lettermen from a team that finished 8-1-2, won the Ohio Valley Conference, the Grantland Rice Bowl (27-13 over Ball State) and the 10-state NCAA Mideast Region, finishing fifth in the final Associated Press College division poll. Included in this group are such names as Jim Guice, Fr ed Troike , Ron Reed, Bill Brewer, Teddy Ta y lor, John Tazel, Mill er Arritt and Bob Beck.

All told, there is a collective return on the d efe nsive line, save Seimon, which allowed only 70 points in ten regular season games . That was bested by only one team in the country. Lenz is the lone absentee in the def e nsiv e backfield.

Offensively, Marsh represents the only void on the starting line, but that's a very large void. The backfield ha s Guice and Tim Speaks at quarterback, Beck at fullback and Tazel at wingback . The other position is wide open.

But let's take a closer look. Let's ask Roy Kidd:

Q: What appears to be the biggest probl em for Ecistern this year?

Kidd: "Well, frankly, it looks like our opponents will be our toughest hurdle . The conference is extremely well-balanced. I've always felt it was the strongest college division league in the country and this year is no exception. There are at least four teams capable of winning it . The balance is all at the top. And our non-conference schedule is one of the strongest w e've ever had."

Q: What about a br eak -down on the team? Taking the offense first, what can we expect?

Kidd: "We have Guice back, and that means a lot. But the important thing is that we have a lot of experienced personnel up front. The same men who protected him so well la s t year. And, of course, we have Tim Sp eaks. I've always sa id Tim could start for most college teams. He's very reliable. Tazel will probably take over for Marsh as the prime pass target. He's got good hands and good moves. A lot will depend on him this season. Dick Dunkle and Don Minor are back to a fight for that center spot . Troike is easily one of the finest blockers in Ea stern history and Don Wig g inton is returning at the other g uard . Bill Brewer , Don Evan s and Ron House give us experience and depth at tackle. Don Buehler and Duk e Baker will be pushing for Marsh 's spot . Beck gave us a tremendous spr ing at fullback. H e's a fine blocker. Our tailback wi ll probabl y come from either William Wright or J ack Armstrong, two non- sc h olars hip fre shme n, or we could find some h e lp from our in-coming freshmen."

Q: What about defense?

Kidd : "Ro.n Reed and J immy Mob erl y will be starting as a line-backing team for the third st raight year. Paul Ha mpton al so will see plenty (O f action. Tackle s Miller Arritt and Ji m Demler are being pushed by Phil Knauer. All three are excell e nt football p l ayers. Tom Sh e tler shou ld have one side of the defensive lin e . W e've converted Sidney Yeldell from nose guard to fill the h ole l eft by Seimon ' s absence and he had a great spring. Of course, Teddy Tay l or is hard to beat at nose guard. The defensiv e backfie l d has three returning, but all po s ition s are up for grabs. Don Moore, Bob Webb, Ted Green and Pet e Compassi have plenty of experience back there but Clint Arnold and Ra y Gardner showed us a l ot in the s pring."

Q : I n the final analysi s , what can be expected?

Kidd: T h at's a loaded question . And it 's almost impo ss ible to answer. It should be a mo s t in terest in g season. The road will be tougher, there's no question about that. But we're capable of going all t h e way. This i s football and there are a l ot of "ifs. " W e've got a great deal of confidence in our personnel , but we've also got a great deal of respect for o ur opponents . It's definitely going to be in teresting."

Nuff s ed .

Offense - Pr o -s et Defense - 5-4

Strength - Depth in offensive and defensive lines and qu a rterback.

Weaknesses - No experience at tailback, and la ck of a l eader in the seco ndar y.

Lettermen Lost

E nds - Chuck Siemon, Aaron Marsh, Charle s M etzger

Ta ilba cks - Ja ck McCoy , Ted Holc omb

Safeties - H arry L enz, Lynn Ray

Kicking Sp ecia li st - B ob Plotts

Lettermen Returning OFFENSE-18

Ends - Don Buehler, Duke B aker, J o hn Tazel

Tackles - Bill Br ewer, R on H o u se , Tom Swartz, D on Evans

Guards - Fred Troike, Don Wi ggi nt on Centers - Dick Dunkle, Don Minor

Flan kers - Bob Luman, Jam es Kell y

Quarterbacks - Jim Guic e, Tim Sp eaks

Kicking Specialist- Walt Murphy

Fullba cks - Bob B eck, Butch Evan s DEFENSE-15

End s -Tom Shetler, Sidn ey Yeldell

Tackles - Ed Kuehne, Phil Knauer, Jim Demler , Miller Arritt

Li neba ckers - Pa u l Ham pton, Ron Reed, Jim Mob er l y, Rick Dryden

Middle Guard - Teddy Taylor

Cornerbacks - Ted Gr een, Don Mo ore

Safeties - Bob W ebb , Pete Compassi

Profile of an All-American

It's not too often that a player receives a full page in a football brochure . Especially after he h a s already graduated . But Aaron Marsh deserves special recognition. It was his deft hands, deceptive speed and maneuvers and meandering on the field that helped vault Eastern into national prominence . After the sixth game last season , every pass he caught and every yard he covered with the football became new records . He was a 2nd team All-America choice by The Associated Press, a third round draft choice of the AFL's Boston Patriots, and a starter in the Coaches' All-America game in Atlanta, Ga . Only two other college division players earned that last honor. The excitement which Marsh provided during four years at Eastern will be an obvious void this year. But his contribution to the football program will carry on indefinitely.

Quarterback

6-1, 195

Three Letters

Miami, Florida

Jim Guice's initiation i!l(O': college football was auspicious to say the least. He entered ·· astern - Austin Peay game in the fourth quarter with the el down 21-7. He proceeded to fire three touchdown pa ~$€ . . route to a 35-30 Eastern victory. What Guice has d gp ci' s i nce the l'l. would provide a brochure in itself to explain. Am ci12g f\ ther tl1ings, he hold s every school passing record but one, was 1th e Mo.st Valuable Player in the NCAA's Grantland Rice BowlJ: and . h~s been honorable mention All - Am e rica t w o s traight ye ars . B,ut .:Guice' s value as a quarterback cannot be mea s ured in . stati stics alone . His abilit y to analyze opposing defenses and c'ow~e ?11p with the perfect counterattack ha s b e en th e driving fo i:ce;•behind the Colonels' vault into nation9.l prominence . Kidd c alls him "without doubt, th e finest college divi s ion qua ~te f b~,c k in the nation. " Here ' s a clo s er look: ' ...,:,

Fred Troike

Offensive Guard 6-1, 215

Two Letters

Miami, Florida

Eastern's offensive team is"'kµown as the Ren e gades. The defense is called the Head Hun,,t!;f~ - Fred Troike might best be described as a head-hunting ff ertegade. A vicious blocker, he's at his best. when carr ~ in•g o ut .a. p; -: offehsive assignment on the line and then pulling i to .search 'for adother victim. He's the fastest lineman on Ui¢~ t fam and utili ~es his speed to great advantage when l eaditt g i th fde pla'ys . Troike played high school ball with Guic ' at' i, Fla., Southwest. Strong and agile, he has been a ~firsh.tea JTI :Al1LOhio Valle y Conference choice for two straiglfj; sea~orts. leadership ability is evidenced by his selectid'n t as ; co-'Cii _ of the 1968 Colonels by his teammat e s . Troike is: tqnsie e ne of the best offensive linem e n in Eastern hisfc:>ry ~ Hil,e . €f e, he's an exce ll ent pro prospect. Aside from opening .ga p jng holes in the opposing defensiv e line, Troike /is equaUy e f fective at providing Guice with sufficient time to ;teleasti: his a ~ rials. He's at his best when Eastern is threatening ,. · ·• 1~n o ' ponent's territory .