Terrifying Tigers
On defense, Memphis State's burly linemen (average weight: 222 Ibs.) gang-tackled viciously: every pile-up seemed to be covered by flocks of blue-and-grey jerseys. On offense, Memphis State was far from peak form, but still had more than enough power to brush aside sturdy Abilene Christian whenever it counted. Coach Billy Jack Murphy cleared his 38-player bench in a merciful attempt to keep the score down, but even that tactic failed: the unbeaten Tigers rolled up 379 yds. and romped to an easy 35-0 victory.
Too Good. When the slaughter finally ended, outclassed Abilene Christian could take some comfort in the fact that it might have been worse. Memphis State's No. 1 quarterback, James Earl Wright, 22, key man in the Tigers' wide-open attack and the most dangerous back in the South, had been given an afternoon off. A sturdy six-footer, Wright is the ideal split-T quarterback. He runs the bread-and-butter option play with swift precision, can throw a pass accurately while on the dead run to either his left or his right. Says Coach Frank Camp, whose tough University of Louisville team was whipped, 28-13, by Memphis State: "Wright killed us with those roll-out passes to his left." Fortnight ago, while the Tigers clawed previously unbeaten Mississippi Southern, 21-7, Wright put on a sparkling one-man show. He personally directed all three scoring drives, bucked for one touchdown himself, and gained an average of 5.8 yds. every time he carried the ball. By last week, Quarterback Wright had run up a total of 787 yds. rushing and passing, led the nation in total offense. Said Coach Murphy, himself a onetime All-Southeast Conference tailback: "If they come any better than James Earl. I'd like to see them."
When he entered Memphis State, Wright looked like a better candidate for water boy than for All-America. Puny (148 Ibs.) and injury-prone, he was an erratic passer. But Wright put on 43 Ibs. by stuffing himself with food and lifting weights, practiced passing until he could hit a fast-moving receiver on the helmet at 50 yds. The effort paid off' as a junior last year. Quarterback Wright was drafted by two pro teams--the National Football League's Champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Boston Patriots of the American League. "We originally figured Wright for defense," says Philadelphia Scout Frank Kilroy, "because of his great speed. But how many kids can throw as well as he can?" Few can. So far this season, Wright has completed 29 of 51 passes, had only one intercepted. Says Alabama Coach Paul ("Bear") Bryant handsomely: "Wright is too good to be coached by anyone but me."
No Disgrace. Without Wright, Memphis State would still be a good team. Left End Don Coffey (6 ft. 3 in., 190 Ibs.) has been drafted by the San Francisco Forty-Niners and the San Diego Chargers; Right End Dennis Biodrowski (6 ft. 2 in., 225 Ibs.) has been scouted closely by the Baltimore Colts.
With Wright running the attack Memphis State might be a match on any given Saturday for any team in the U.S. So far this season, the aroused Tigers have casually mowed down such opponents as Tulsa (48-12), The Citadel (40-0) and Hardin-Simmons (56-0). But nobody-knows just how strong Memphis State really is; few big-time football schools will risk their carefully built reputations to find out. For next year, though, Coach Murphy already has scheduled top-ranked Mississippi, and he is optimistic about Memphis State's chances of crashing the big time. "It's no longer a disgrace," says he, "to be beaten by Memphis State."
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