Atlanta Daily World

By RIC ROBERTS
SNS Sports Editor

THE Clark University legend which boasts that no Florida eleven has ever even scored a touchdown on a Panther eleven, is in a nice spot for besmirchment as the Florida-Clark rivalry enters into its fifth installment this Saturday.

This writer started his first game for Clark at the inauguration of this rivalry 11 years ago. Leading the Clark team from the quarterback post that day I had Beck, Johnson and Hendon to help us choke Florida, 17 to 0.

As a participant in three of the four games engaged by the two schools I think I am in a fine spot to tell you of the rivalry that exists. In 1926 the late Juby Bragg fired a 57 yard dropkick (a record for this conference) that led us, 3-0, at half time. Sam Taylor slapped every man on the squad and after having Quarterback "Shag" Harris drop his pants, proceeded to blast the boy five vicious times with an improvised plank. The skin was blue and red with lacerations and whelps, visual testimony of Sam Taylor's wrath at Harris' use of "dumb" strategy. The Florida fans wanted to murder Sam for that.

We won, 13-3, because Beck ran wild in the third quarter.

In 1928 Clark defeated Florida at Jacksonville by a score of 7-0 after a gruelling struggle. A pass from Johnson to this writer and a 37 yard run did the trick . . . we had just defeated Tuskegee, Alabama and Morehouse and were over-confident.

Series Resumed
The series were resumed at Tallahassee last year when Florida . . . the team that tied tough Alabama and toppled champion Tuskegee . . . fell before under-dog Clark, 6-3.

This is information enough to incite speculation, for Florida, this week, faces a team that will be tougher defensively than Lane or Alabama. She will be up against a punter who can fire them back just about as far as Alonzo James can fire them.

Florida will have no considerable kicking edge although I think that James may be a bit more consistent and cagey than Wainwright; yet, on a good day, not even the great James may hope to outkick Wainwright and Wainwright should be "hot" Saturday.

Clark will more than match Florida defensively but the known gifts of "Shorty" Jones, Ingram James, Butler and Strachan award Bill Bell's boys an offensive margin. A good guess at this game would be Florida 3, Clark 6.

Maw and Hack, so I hear, have unusually good backfield material this time and you cannot tell what a new boy will do until he's in there, even though it is traditional for deb backs to do drab things.

If they have replaced Wellmaker, Vaughn and "Little" Staple, foote, Florida may be surprised no end. Clark can start Thomas, Curry, Bannerman, James, Holder Wainwright and Perrin of last year's spotty but 'tough when they wanted to be' team.

The game should be a beauty and many a moon will come and go before the superb booters like Wainwright and Alonzo James cavort against each other on the same lot. Both men are tremendous and time and again may rocket long, lazy, back-spiraled kicks that sail from 60 to 80 yards. The fact that Florida is a definite comer and that my old buddies are still a question mark, forces me to select Florida here, 3-0 or 9 to 6.