The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-19
FOOTBALL
GATES ARE NOT AJAR
Gopher Rooters Will Have Little
Chance to Get a Line Upon
81. the Teams Work.
Minnesota Has One Advantage in
Having Had Her Nerve Tested
Many Times.

40oAJ AAA4Oos
From now until Thanksgiving Day. with
the exception of Saturday afternoon, when
the regular and second varsity teams line
up in a match game on Northrop field, the
rooters will have no chance to get line
on the development OF their team. Sc
cret practice is still the rule at Northrop
field. and will be the rule until the. team
leaves for Michigan to meet the wolverine
eleven Thanksgiving Day.
Just what lines DR.. Williams is follow
Ing in the coaching, therefore, and what
his plan of attack against Michigan will
be, must remain a secret for the next
eleven days, and the dope manufacturers
will have plenty Of chances to exercise
their imaginattons. viii Minnesota use
heavy. or light backs? VIII she try line
bucking with Van Valkenburg and Thorpe
or diversified play with Davies and Irs-
field? Or will she combine one heavy
half and one light one, using Irsfield or
O'Brien against Michigan's weaker end.
and Van Valkenburg to smash the tackles?
These some of the questions that will
agitate the football public until the two
teams line up at Detroit or Ann Arbor.
With light backs Minnesota would be
able to use a greater variety of plays,
without cutting out line smashes alto
gether, since Schacht, Warren. Flynn and
Smith are all plungers of ability. The fact
that DR.. Williams started with this style
of play last Saturday. In spite of the
heavy field, indicates that he believes Da-
vies and Irsfield the strongest all-around
combination. On the other hand, Van
Valkenburg and Thorpe unquestionably
add much to the force Of the gopher line
plunges. Such irresistible smashes as
those Of Van Valkenburs against the
badger line Saturday have seldom been
wait until Thanksgiving Day to learn DR..
Williams decision upon this question, just
as Minnesota must wait until the game
begins to- see what style Of play Yost will
elect against the gophers.
One Advantage for Gophers.
Minnesota must be conceded one ad-
vantage over Michigan. The gopher elev-
en- has been defeated once this season, and
has met several other teams which have
pushed it hard enough in the earlier part
of the game to test the Minnesota nerve
severely. Illinois several times got the
ball within what is commonly termed
striking distance of the gopher goal line.
Wisconsin had this chance once. When
eleven has shown it's ability to make
a stand under the shadow of its own goal
posts. against team nearly Its equal,
it may be set down as a certainty that
nerve will not be lacking at the proper
luIo Ill luluIS COutSSlS.
That Michigan has this nerve is so far
merely a theory. It was expected that
Wisconsin would give the wolverines a
chance to show their mettle in a pinch,
but Michigan had literal walkover' with
the badgers. 1t was thought that Chi
cago might test the courage of Yost' S
men, but she did not.
Now, if Minnesota: can push the wOlv-
crimes hard. it is just possible that the
Michiganders will weaken. A team ac-
customed to running over opponents at
will is quite likely to go up in the air
when things go against them. Michigan
may have as easy time with Minnesota
AS she had with Wisconsin and Chicago.
but there Is more than a. possibility that
Minnesota will make Yosts pupils show
every bit Of skill, strength and nerve
they possess.
Praise From Enemy's Camp.
The Milwaukee Sentinel is the last paper
to get on the band wagon and concede
Minnesota a chance against Michigan.
After giving the gophers credit for a fair
and square victory, and admitting that
the condition of the field had little to do
with the result, the Sentinel says:
Minnesota has steadily improved and has Sue
ceeded In combining enough speed with the over
:whelm1ng beef of the aggregation to make a
stronger team than In 1901. Van Valkenburg re-
Peated his work OF 1900. when he was the
W1sconsin's defense down to the first defeat that
the gophers had been able to infict on a Wiscon-
sin eleven since 1895. No more terrific line
bucking has often been on a western grid
iron than this 200-pcunder showed throughout
the game. -
Should Minnesota continue to improve In the
next ten days, as seems NOW likely, there will
be many to support the gophers when they face
Iosts team OH Thanksgiving Day.
Michigan. is not likely to improve. The ques-
Ntion Is, has Minnesota the potential strength to
attain M1chigan's form in the remaining time ?
At this distance it looks like Michigan, by q
slight margin. based the superior speed of
the Michigan machine, the great finish and ver-
satility of the team and the personal equation
in the leadership of BOSS Weekes. Minnesota
il, has tremendous power, but it is battering ram
power as compared with the modern artillery
directed by Captain Weekes. 1t may be too
strong for the resistance of the Michiganders.
who are only human after all, but being forced
to choose between such powerful opponents one
would be inclned- to choose the more finished
team. Fitzpatrick states that Michigan has not
yet attained the maximum of it's development
hut this is questionable. Should the foxy trainer
''cf the maize and blue be wrong in this opinion
and Michigan be started though slightly
. on the down grade THANKSGIVING Day, Minnesota
may Edo the rest in manner that will never
be forgotten at Ann Arhor.