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U. Cal Quarterback Craig Morton Drawing Raves

Oct. 20, 1964 - California wonder boy Craig Morton (right with coach Ray Willsey) was the best passer in the AAWU last year, and he’s 50% better now.

That’s the ominous word straight from the Bears, who help USC open the conference chase Saturday at the L.A. Coliseum. They’re not just building him up, either.

Even Wayne Hardin, who is the coach of Navy’s Roger Staubach, was quoted after the Bears’ 27-13 win last Saturday as saying: “Morton is the best college passer I’ve ever seen.”

And Trojan headman John McKay commented, after watching films of Morton in action this year, “I’ve never seen a guy throw like he is now. I’m not taking anything away from Ray Willsey, but their offense looks like one of those ‘everybody out and I’ll find out.’ And Morton does. He gets hit, but he’s strong enough to still get the ball away.”

Perhaps the supreme compliment came — unintentionally — from Dick Butkus, Illinois’ All-American linebacker. After Morton completed 24 of 34 passes and came within a chalkline of beating the Rose Bowl champs, Butkus is supposed to have said Craig was tipping off his passes, and they knew who he was going to throw to.

In five games, the sharpshooter has connected on 81 of 124 tosses for 958 yards and seven touchdowns. Only three pitches have been intercepted, and the Bears say all three pickoffs were sort of freakish.

One of the reasons for the 6-4, 215-pound senior’s improvement doubtless is that this was the first year he took part in spring practice, having given up baseball.

“He’s matured, too,” reported publicist Bob Steiner. “And I mean mentally, not physically. His judgment is excellent.”

Craig has been throwing to end Jack Schraub ever since they were little kids, and his chum has caught 6 for 288 yards and one TD this year. But the gunner isn’t choosy — eight other Bears have been on the receiving end.

Flankers Jerry Mosher and Jerry Bradley, the latter a 146-pound sophomore, have hauled in three touchdowns tosses apiece. It was Bradley who caught the one against Illinois that didn’t count because he came down on the chalkline in the end zone.

Willsey has ordered Morton not to run if he can help it. But Craig scored on a quarterback sneak against Navy and once scrambled for an 18-yard gain. Maybe he just wanted to steal some of Staubach’s stuff.



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