The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-08
THE SPORTING WORLD


full consideration OF tho teams are ms
unlimited as the combination of signals
possible on any team. First there ia the
general system OF play adopted by each to
be- compared ana the merits and faults
Of each oiA TO be picked out There is
also the experience Of each team as "a
whole TO be considered The physical
condition OF the men has its weight. too.
The defense of each team as we'll as the
offensc must be taken into co nslderation,
also the relative kicking and taokling
merits The individual players have To TO
balanced off and judgment found. This
is no simple task as many elements go
into the makeup OF "A football player.
There is always the question: What effect
is tho coaching system going to have on
the mems endurance at the final test? A
most important matter Is that of general
ship. But the popular opinion of each
team is very largely formed from the
minor games played and their scores
This can be OF little real value as too
often policies control the scores, besides
Yale may play "a weak team against an
opponent and when Harvard plays the
same opponent she may have reasons for
putting in a strong team.
1t has been used in recent criticism
as an argument in favor Of Princeton
that she dc feated Pennsylvania state coll
lege 80 TO 0, while the University of
Pennsylvania only made "a points against
the state college. This Is not fair for
/ every Que knows that University OF
Pennsylvania was saving her men for
the following Saturday to get revenge on
Lafayette which sh, did 20 the tune of 46
10 D. Besides this u number OF La
fayette men were OH the field TO study
Pennsylvania's game so that Pennsyl
vania attempted TO use nothing but regu-
lar plays. There is no doubt that
Pennsylvania could have made 40 points
as easily as she did 81 if she had cared to
do so.
This is an illustration of the way poll
cies affect scores. Again it is said that
Yale was practically beaten by West
Point and SD she was, but not by the
same team that will play Harvard next
Saturday. Probably not over five or six
men who played i'm the West Point game
will be found in the line up against
Harvard This, too, shows the difficulty
in trying to MAKE comparisons OH games
played. But If such comparisons prove
little they are interesting. Yale ana Har-
ward have both played Brown. West Point,
Amherst, Williams and Newton. In
these i've games Harvard has not been
scored against. though she undoubtedly
would have had two touchdowns against
her in the Brown game. but for slight
accidents. and Yale has had 90 points
made against her. Harvard in thess
games has scored 10 points and Yale So
Harvard in 10 games has made total of
1913 to 3, Yale in games has total OF l64
to 81 This would seem to give Harvard
the preference and it is difficult TO find
anything tangible to turn the balance in
favor of Yale.
Still no one will be surprised to see
Yale win. ana if she does it will be one
OF her greatest victories. IL Harvard
wins people will say IL is because she
ought to. The Harvard lire is one Of
veterans, while the Yale line is tho best
that could be made of green men. Har-
ward ; backs are about on par with
Yale's, but with the help they get from
the limo should be able 70 do better work.
While Harvard's work das had its faults
II has been more consistent yhan Yale's.
Still Yale is dark horse and no one can
really estimate her strength
In the last II years Harvard has won
but one game from Yale, and the Yale
prestige will count for some
thing. II Harvard can make the first
touchdown it will mean much for her.
In geperalship Harvard is no doubt SUI
perior to Yale and this may prove vital
All in all fate seems to favor Harvard.