The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1897-11-06
GRlDIRON


game was most gratifying to the univer.
sity and to the public generally. After
the exhibition Of ball which had taken
place week previous with Wesleyan all
kinds Of dire scores and results were
predicted for the Nebraska team. The
hard work Of the week previous to the
game and the determination OF the team
themselves was what won. The players
were il doubt, and almost frightened.
one might say. at what was going to
happen. so they put in every minute TO
the best advantage.
The varsity eleven outweigbed the
Missouri Tigers and the heavy players
massed on the tackles and ends were
too much for the visitors. and the first
twenty minutes of the game discouraged
them. During this period the home
team played fast aud fierce ball and car
ried the. pig-skin along at ten, fifteen
and twenty yard gains. In six minutes
there was touch down and the students
aud spectators began to realize that
something unusual was going to happen.
To say that forty one 20 nothing was
beyond the most sanguine hope is put
ting it mild. At the end of the first half
the result showed that Missouri had had
the ball twice. but had failed to make
her downs and it had gone to the home
team at once,
After the first twenty minutes the
game and lay became slower, for the
varsity team began to evince signs OF
WEAKNESS. This was no doubt due to
playing on the offensive almost the en-
tire time: but this is not a satisfactory
reason. 1t is the place Of the team TO be
IN such condition that it can play upoE
offense both of the thirty five minute
halves IL necessary.
The same SLOW game was carried on in
the second half that had been played
during the latter ortion of the first half
Those on the bleachers thought that this
Was due TO the Missouri team taking q
brace" but this was not the fact. Ii
was caused by the home team playing
slow. easy game which means a losing
game il il is not at once remediei.
The score at the end o: the first half
was twenty three. while at the end Of
the second it was only eighteen, This
is only tCo clear an indication that the
players we're not in condition to main
tain the quick. snappy play with which
they began. This is the main critics.
OF the home team. Til .ir defense ap
peared better than ever before and they
scarcely ever failed to gain.
Nebraska got caught once or twice on
fake plays. This is due TO individual
carelessness and resulted, no doubt. from
the easy manner in which Nebraska had
previously broken Missouri's offensive
tactics. But the most deplorable exhibit
ion otindividual carelessness or weakness
or whatever it CHANGED to be. was ia the
miss ny of four points. No other cause
can be assigned to this than that the
catcher lost his nerve just at this point.
The fact that two or three players are
standing about the one who is TO catch
the ball. ready To tackle him hard, while
be stands looking straight up into II e
air. undefended. might take away any
ones nerve it may be supposed. But it
oh no = l.
more rapidly this way than any other,
and one essential in a team is to have a
man VINO can untiinchingl, catch kicks,
ank xho. if need De, is quick enough to
return the ball
The Way IN which Nebraska defeated