European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 16, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday september 16,1977 the stars and stripes Page 25 stronger than i be Ever seen them chargers Protho raiders favored to repeat in acc East race Oakland a i want the Oakland raiders to be the most feared team in football says Al Davis the architect of the team that no longer has to Settle former High respect. Coach John Madden employing the personnel sup plied by owner general manager Davis steered the raiders to the National football league championship last season bringing Home the super bowl trophy and ending years of frustration. The raiders look stronger than i be Ever seen them san Diego chargers coach Tommy Prothro said after a preseason look at this year s Oakland team heavily favored to win its 10th american conference West title in 11 years. Unlike last year when Early injuries forced Oakland to use a three Man defensive line the raiders have been virtually injury free this summer. If we win the super bowl with the 3-4 defense you can bet Well stick to it linebacker Phil Villapiano said As Oakland headed into last Winter s playoffs after finishing the regular season 13-1. He was right. It took a while for the raiders to adapt to the align ment. But with two players who were acquired As free agents end John Matuszak and linebacker Willie Hall playing key roles the defense became a formidable one. The offence in the hands of Ken Stabler who tossed a league leading 27 touchdown passes despite missing two games continued to be one of the most explosive in the nil As shown in the 32-14 super bowl Victory Over Minnesota. Denver the acc West runner up at 9-5 last year also uses a 3-4 defense and allowed Only 206 Points last year second lowest total by an acc team. New coach red Miller is concerned mostly with the offence which has newcomer Craig Morton at quarterback and several new men including top draft pick Steve Schindler of Boston College in the line corps. The Kansas City chiefs and san Diego the other established division members Are coming off losing sea sons and Don t appear to be strengthened appreciably on defense. The Seattle sea Hawks join the acc West their second nil season after going 2-12 in the pfc last year. The chargers May be one of the nil s most interest ing offensive clubs with new Talent that includes quarterback James Harris and receivers Johnny Rodgers and Bob Klein. Harris and Klein worked together at los Angeles. Harris was the top ranked National conference passer last year but still lost his starting Job to Pat Hayden and where Klein caught 20 passes As the rams no. 1 tight end. Rodgers played four years in the Canadian football league after winning the Heisman trophy at Nebraska. He and Charlie Joiner a pro bowl selection last year should be the starting wide receivers and Rodg ers also will be used on kick returns along with former Oklahoma All America Joe Washington. Most of the chargers defensive starters have been in the league three years or less. If All had progressed As Well As end Fred Dean a Strong pass rusher Prothro would have a lot less to worry about. The chiefs offence will again feature Mike living Ston at quarterback and veterans Macarthur Lane and de Podolak among the running backs. Coach Paul Wiggin counts on several youngsters in his defensive rebuilding. Two holdovers from the old. Winning Days of the Hank Stram coached teams remain very important to Kansas City s Hopes too. When you have two kickers like Jan Stenerud and Jerrel Wilson you have a hell of a Start toward Good special teams Wiggin says of his placekicker an punter. Seattle coach Jack Patera has Only a handful of play ers remaining from those the sea Hawks received in the 1976 expansion draft. Linebacker Mike Curtis was one of the most recent to leave. Quarterback Jim Zorn was the most important find in last year s crop of Young prospects passing for 2,507 Yards highest total Ever for an nil Rookie despite playing with an expansion team. This year s rookies include highly regarded offensive lineman Steve August whose Start was delayed by an injury defensive lineman Dennis Boyd and running Back Al Hunter. Dates announced for series american National playoffs new York up the starting time for baseball s american and National league championship series have been announced by baseball commissioner Bowie world series schedule Calls for night games during the week and Day con tests on saturday and sunday with the evening games to Start at 8 15 ., Edt and the Day games at 1 Edt. As previously announced the series begins on oct. 11, with two night games at the Al champions Park that tuesday and wednesday continues at the no site with a Friday night game followed by a Day Gameon saturday and if necessary sunday. The series then shifts Back to the Al on tuesday and wednesday nights if the final two games Are needed. Grid Odds Reno Nev. Up weekend National football league and College Odds As posted by Harrah s Reno race Book National football league Oakland Pittsburgh los Angeles Cincinnati Philadelphia Washington Miami new England chicag new Orleans Houston Minnesota Denver Baltimore California Stanford use Ucol Oregon Michigan stat Michigan Penn state notre Dame Alabam Ohio state Yale Georgia Harvard Dartmouth us Maryland North Carolina Texas am Missouri Iowa state Texas Tennessee Miami Fla Wake Forest Arkansas Florida stat Arizona state is1j 14 12 13 san Diego san Francisco Atlanta Cleveland Tampa Bay 5 new York giants 3 13 5 7 7 1 4 14 College football 19 19 24 15 7 4 30 6 14 6 17 7 10 5 14 9 11 St 2 12 3 3 31 6 1 5 e 6 17 Buffalo Kansas City Detroit Green Bay new York Jet Dallas St. Louis Seattle air Force Tulane Oregon state Kansas thu Washington Duke Houston Mississippi Nebraska Minnesota brow Clemson Columbia Princeton Indiana West Virginia Syracuse Virginia tech Illinois Iowa Virginia Boston College Georgia tech Vanderbilt Oklahoma state Kansas stat Northwestern the Al championship begins in the Al East champions Park at 3 15 Wed., oct. 5, followed by an 8 15 Game on thursday. The series then switches to the Al West on Fri. Oct. 7 at 8 15 ., with games 4 and 5, if necessary on saturday at 1 15 p. M. And sunday at 8 15 p. M. The no series begins in the no West with two 8 15 Games tuesday oct. 4 and wednesday oct. 5, with the rest of the series at the no East. Game 3 starts at 3 15 Friday and games 4 and 5, if necessary begin on saturday at 8 15 And sunday at 5 By schedules Japan games Provo Utah a Brigham Young University s football team will play two games in Japan during december follow ing conclusion of the regular season school president Dallin h. Oaks announced officials of by 1976 Western athletic conference co Champion earlier this year said the school would not play in the fiesta bowl this season if it won the wac title be cause the Christmas Day game Falls on a sunday. Officials of the mormon Church owned school cited religious reasons for the decision. The trip to Japan sponsored by the american football association of Japan will include a game dec. 17 in Olympia stadium in Tokyo against the japanese East Ern All stars and a dec. 24 game in Nagoya against the country s Western All stars Oaks said. He said the school had negotiated with japanese officials since last Spring. We Are very pleased to have our foot Ball team travel to Japan where we have Over 30,000 members of our sponsoring Church and Many professional and cultural ties Oaks said. Canucks hire Brown Vancouver . A the Van Couver canucks hired their first assistant coach National hockey league Veteran Arnie Brown. Brown will handle the team Sadefe semen in 1977-78. Now i can see what s going on Miami dolphins quarterback Bob Griese dons glasses Lor the preseason game with the new York giants last sunday. Griese who experienced Eye trouble in earlier games seemed to adjust very Well throwing an eight Yard to pass in the final period to give the dolphins a 27-21 Triumph. Up1 Utah state will join pc a los Angeles up the Pacific coast athletic association announced Here that Utah state an Independent which has been repeatedly thwarted in bids to get into the Western athletic conference will become the pc a s sixth football school next season. The aggie from Logan Utah will join Long Beach state san Jose state Cal state Fullerton Pacific and Fresno state. Us Santa Barbara and us Irvine Don t play football but Are pc a members in other sports. This is a major move for us said Utah state president Glen Taggart. This con Ference Competition will open Utah state up to even greater visibility and exposure in most of the big population centers of California where we have Many alumni and added pc a commissioner Jess Hill this is a Milestone for the Ladell Andersen the aggie athletic director said Utah state planned to main Tain its traditional rivalries with Utah Brigham Young. Weber state and other in Ter Mountain looks like we will be Able to enjoy the Best of both worlds he stated
