New-York tribune., 1901-10-07
ON THE GRIDIRON.
ruy THE BIG COLLEGES ARE BEING
SCORED AGAINST fALEs HARD
EIGHT WITH AMHERST-PROS-
pEcrs OF PENNSYLVANIA.


prrTs OF PENNSYLVANIA.
,os+ noteworthy thing about the football
made last week the extraordinarily
ms ,osaing the eevens Of the smaller colleges
~ .ta -eau1s Of the big four Never be-
so : far as this writer is aware, have three
-adlv much inferior elevens scored on the
~s'f ~ aov on Harvard, Yale and Pennsylvania
sa a. was not so long ago that the coaches
.,e big teams regarded such an occurrence
o. @ IN ineffable disgrace and visited summary
a. assrI;ne 11pon the heads of the players whom
olsoIPaoneidered primarily responsible for this
nst III blot on the teams record. The coaches
.he smaller teams, on the other hand were
Sv 20 die happy provided only they could
feAu.h u..hair -unls score on some of the big ones.
SEC Sc is bur one inference TO be drawn from
Gaurday's games. The science OF footban is
lancer q monopoly. The teams of the small
10 nuas Io and the large ones are getting nearer
sooefber every year in point of playing ability.
No+ only were three of the "big four scored
aa;nst on Saturday, but Wednesday Am
80 mt I'D as plucky and skilful fight
AGAINST Yale as ever made by smaller
,oraee team at this time of the season. Not
onlv was Yale able to make only one touch
aown but il required sill the energy and science
80 ber command 10 escape a draw: 1t is violat-
;ne no confidence to say that the Yale coaches
we're wellnigh panic stricken as a result of the
and the result OF the ONeInanl-
ing they gave their charges after that game
ves apparent in Saturdays game with Tufts.
The entire team played with 100 per cent more
snap and but for a tumble by Morris, who sue
caefed De Saulles at quarter for the second
half Tufts would not have scored her touch
down.
Aside from the general Improvement in vigor,
tbe feature of the Amherst game was the quite
exceptional performances of the two freshmen,
Glass and Hogan. Each one of them was a
tower Of strength, and they will surely help the
coaches to build up line OF exceptional weight,
activity and ceverness. Unless Yale has
extraorI mary run of hard luck her line will
be a hard one TO beat. In the back field, how
ever. there is going TO be trouble. De Saulles
will DOUBTLESS prove satisfactory at quarter, but
neither hart, Vanderpool nor Fox has as yet
shown sufficient dash to make up for their COM
bined light weight 1t may be that Olcott will
yet be sent TO fullback TO help out in this direc
fion But the season is only old enough to have
outlined for the coaches their principal prob
lens The solution is yet 10 come.
Although scored on by the Pennsylvania State
College on Saturday, Pennsylvania's game
showed marked Improvement over the argu-
ment put up against Franklin and Marshall
Wednesday. The men seemed to have more
snap and energy and played faster ball, getting
into every play promptly and together and
showing that the work of the head COACH Wood
ruff had not been thrown away. The tackles.
which seemed in Wednesdays game to be the
weakest point in the Philadelphia team. appear
TO have been appreciably strengthened, while
the temperance of Teas in his old place at
right guard bolstered up the centre section of
the forwards in substantial style 1t is interest
ing to note that the old guards back forrna-
tion which did not prove extremely successful
last year, employed with good results in
Saturdays game. This is, 1 think a form of
offensive play likely to prove exceedingly effec-
tive against second third rate teams who do
not thoroughly understand 1t. Experience has
shown. however, that against players of the first
ability who have had the advantage of skilful
coaching guards back" can seldom be relied
upon. II is not difficult for Skilful tackles and
ends TO break this formation up. Furthermore,
guards back takes too much out of the line.
1t iisrupts the backbone of the team, and the
slightest failure in execution nullifies the whole
play. Football strategists' have been many in
the last ten years. but have not heard of their
winning many games. Football is not chess and
the team that wins will be, in the future as in
the past, the team that combines to the highest
degree the elements of skill, agility, team work
and weight And the coach who is able to secure
the incest adjustment Of these indispensable
elements will be the most successful football in
structor.
Princeton's only two games have been played
against teams unable to force her to exert her
self, and therefore TO detailed criticism of her
game is yet possible. 1t is questionable how
far matches with opponents far inferior
calculated to do good. Certain 1t is that the
time would be spent to just good advantage In
practice game with the scrub eleven. There
are few things settled about the composition of
the Tigers team this year, but s. McClave and
McCord seem pretty sure to be seen at half
again, and De Witt will doubtless be at right
tackle, with Pell at the opposite tackle. Centre
appears 10 be at the merry Of Butkiewicz. but
about everything else is still open. There is
deal Of fumbling among the backs as yet but
the butter finger" stage is common in the de-
velopment Of every team
Great was the rejoicing at Columbia over the
removal Of the faculty's ban on Weekes, proba-
by the best halfback that ever played for the
New-York institution. That the estimate Of his
ability not too high he proved in Saturdays
game with Williams. The Massachusetts, college
has seldom played better football, but Columbia
beat her largely by means Of Weekes's and
Morleys clever work. Behind the line Columbia
is strong-strong enough to bear comparison
with the best But the line will not do Will
iams had little trouble in getting through it for
good gains that would have meant touchdowns
except for repeated fumbling. Coach Sanford
VIII have 10 do wonders with the line before it
can be pronounced good
Harvard did not escape the general fate on
Saturday. Bates scored against her owing to re-
peated and inexcusable fumbling But for this
Bates would not have scored and Harvard s
score would have been larger. Ristine made his
first appearance at haIfback in a game, and ap-
pears TO have found his element He had speed,
ana is good ground gamer 1t will be surpris-
ing II he does not play in the big games. The
tendency TO tumble win doubtless be overcome in
due time. II is needless to say that 1t must be
IL Harvard is TO win any games Of importance.
THE UMPIRE.
PENNS PLAYERS BEING CHOSEN.
CALLY SELEcTED-CHOICE OF
CAPTAIN
LRY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIRrNE.1