The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-05
Teams Chan
ces Today.
HARVARD AND PENN.
Styles of Play the Rival
Elcvens Will Use.

Great are the expectations being built
up on tomorrow's game at Cambridge.
There on the big arena on Soldiers
field, surrounded by crowd that it is
estimated viii reach at least $4,000,
Harvard viii meet University of Penn
sylvania.
1t is the big game of the year for
Cambridge. But it is not the big game
of the year for Harvard Yale is the
natural opponent of the Crimson in
every branch of athletics, and today's
game important as il is, will in a way
be but preparatory in the Harvard sea
son cf training for the biggest game of
all to be played at New Haven two
weeks from today
Nevertheless. the game is of special
significance to both teams and especial
~ so to Harvard. On its outcome will
in a measure, depend the foot ball
championship of the season. For i'll
Pennsy should defeat Harvard, and
Harvard defeat Yale, two weeks hence
Pennsy could very properly lay claim TO
the championships Of 1898. This would
hold true, even though Princeton should
defeat Yale, unless by an overwhelming
score, as Pennsy's record to date is
some ways ahead of Princetons
Should Harvard win on Saturday and
A4ltii tiEAtdL 1alH, iGr IlIle 10 the cn3m-
pionship would be indisputable as beat !
ing two Of the big elevens is the highest
possi bic record for the season. and Har-
wards winning would preclude the pos
sihility of any other team duplicating
AarVard's performance as the schedule
rs now arranged If, on the other hand,
Harvard should win at Cambridge and
lose at Yale, and Princeton should de-
feat Yale, the three teams would in a I
sense be tied for the championship
each having the win of one big game to
It's credit. But the championship. prop
erly speaking, would under those con
dtions belong to Princeton
1t is because Of the knowledge of the
Yale Harvard game that is to come two
weeks hence, that not more interest is
being taken in the University of Penn
sylvania contest. Those who will go To
to6ays game go there more for the
sake of seeing good foot ball than to
see Harvard win. OF course the major
ltY OF these spectators would prefer to u
see Harvard come out on TOP. but at the
same time they would readily forego
The pleasure of a Harvard victory TO-
day, If they could be assured of success
for the Crimson on the nineteenth A
large number Of Worcester people will
go down, but no larger number. than
VIII leave the city for New Haven on
the day OF the foot bail struggle there
Ihe popular impression among those
VINO have impartlally watched the
work Of the two teams, to date. is that
University of Pennsylvania has the
better chance The betting odds Of 10
TO on Pennsy is but the reflection Of
this belief. Were it not for the fear
of mass plays in which Woodruff and
his band of Quakers have always been
SO proficient, the betting would UNI
doubtedly be at even figures. But with
the time the Harvard coaches have
had to work out defenses for these
plays and with CorneI's successful So
luton of PENIS guards back play.
Harvard men ought not to he so fear
ful of PENIS line onslaught on the
other hand, confidence is a big factor
in foot ball. Harvard has but little Of
i for todays game; Penn. for the first
time in three years, has come uD to the
supreme day of he match perfectly
confident in her ability to win.
One thing that ought to inspire hope
into the hearts Of Harvard followers
is the fine physical condition Of the
Harvard team. The men to play the
game will be on the field tomorrow. and
will be able to speed the play up to any
pltch, and still remain in the process
sion until the end. They will probably
play the last half better than the first
but SO win Pennsylvania, for that mat
ter. Cochrane is the only man about
whom there is any 5oubt. and there is
little question that he viii start in and
play foot ball as long a 8 he can There
is no denying the fact that IL Coch-
Iane is cut, Harvard VIII lose the best
player on her team, as his absence
would mean the loss of first-class
kicker as well as on end Haughton
is of course a good kicker but in
the evenness of bis work, docs not
compare favorabiy with Coehrane.
And now just word Of comparison
between the two teams on the morning
Of the game. Granting that both elev-
ems come upon the field in the pink
Of condition so far as endurance is
concerned few interesting deductions
can be made. Comparing man for
man. Harvard looks stronger in four
positions weaker in four and equal in
the other three, which makes it a
stand-oif mathemaIicaily speaking.
But team work and diversity of plays
must enter into the calculation. and
especially in the latter respect Penn
IS far enough ahead-at least on pa
per--to justify the odds
rem VIII pin her hopes to her centre
mo 10 her ends and to her powerful
attack, Penn looks for her gains
through her line. She will try heavy
mass plays to batter her way through
Inc crimson. Hare and McCracken
Wlll be increasingly estapulted against
Inc Harvard line. The guards hack
plays proved an utter failure in tn
ine first half of the game at Philadel-
phla last week with the University o.
Chicago, but Penn kept at it and won
our ~ the second half. Similar tactics
may be expected against Harvard. i
Pen3l can work the guards back sue
cessfully at the start then Harvard
loses beyond the shadow OF q doubt
il Penn fails to show much advantage
in the first ten minutes Of play shs
viii be by no means out of the game.
Harvard viii undoubtedly try to make
j light, open game. by virtue OF hav-
ing the quicker and superior backs
The runs viii be around PENIS ends
rather than through her line But the
willy Woodruff has anticipated this sort
Of play, and has prepared for it by es-
peciaIly fitting a new pair Of ends to
replace Folger and Hedges in case they
are tagged out. If Harvard can draky
the QualSers into a kicking game, she