The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-10
ILLINI ARE STRONG
But the Gophers Easily Prove Their
Superiority Over the Men
From Champaign.
Heavy Backs and Linemen Smash
Through the Visiting Team
for Steady Gains.
SATURDAYS SCORES.

SATURDAY SCUhES.
WEST.
Minnesota H. Illinois 5.
Michigan 107, Iowa 0.
Wisconsin 52. Northwestern 0.
Chicago 80. Indiana 0.
Nebraska 16 Kansas O.
Purdue 70, Gear college 0.
Oberln 16, Western Reserve 0.
Case %. Ohio state H.
Ames 80. Coe college 0.
North Dakota Eagles" I, North Dakota o.
Redfield 49,. Huron 6.
Lawrence "a, Reloit 0.
EAST.
Harvard II. Pennsylvania 0.
Yale 80, Bucknell 5.
Cornell so. Washington and Jefferson o.
Brown IS, Columbia o.
Naval Cadets IL. Lafayette l.
West Point 90. Union 0.
Winning from Illinois by a score Of II
to Saturday afternoon Minnesota proved
her right to serious consideration in the
western championship race. The gophers
put up the best and fastest football they
have played this year, and at no time dur
ing the game did Illinois show superiority
over the Minnesota eleven, although dur
Ing tbs first half the visitors got near
enough to the maroon and gold goal line
to cause the rooters scare.
DR.. Williams decided to send in his
heaviest halfbacks, Van Valkenburg and
Thorpe, and these men, with knowlton
and one or more linemen, formed a batter
ing ram which pounded into the Illinois
line with telling effect. Mindful Of the
reputation of Captain Stahl, the gophers
confined their efforts mostly to the right
side of the line during the first half. They
smashed through and over Kaston until
he was forced to retire in very groggy
state and Bundy was shifted to right
tackle. Then Minnesota went after Bundy
and sent him to the side lines in short or
der Rothgeb, the right end, and Diener
and Pitts, the halfbacks, also had to quit
as the result of injuries sustained In at
tempting to stop the fierce plunges of the
gopher backs and tackles.
In this line bucking in the first half
Thorpe and Schacht were the stars.
"Sunshine's'' plunges Melted from three to
thirty yards, and Schacht was little be-
hind him. The stocky tackle, indeed,
played the game of his life, and was a
tower of strength on the offense both in
leading the interference and In carrying
the ball. More than once he made yards
with two or three men hanging to his
back.
In the second half Thorpe was pulled
out, probably to save him for next Satur-
day and the smashing continued. with
Van Valkenburg and Schacht as the ag
gressors. Isfeld also made good gains,
and Lafans. who replaced him later, did
we'll for the few minutes he was In the
game.
otfense Fast and Powerful.
Pc Nlinnesotas offense all through the game
was not only powerful, but quite fast.
The interference held together better than
in any game this year, and the runner
usually had two or three team mates
around him. pushing OF pulling him along
The strength of the Ofense was shown
Immediately after the first kick off. Har-
ris was downed on Minnesota's thirty
five yard line, and from that point the
gophers went straight up the field fol
hfty-fve yards, only to lose the oval on
a tumble on Illinois twentyyard line
Later, after Illinois had given the rooters
4 bad scare by keeping the ball In Mime
sote's territory for several minutes the
Kophers started at their own twelve-yarG
line. carrying the ball straight up the field
for nlnety-eight yards and showing i
across the line.
Outside of one thirty-yard run by
Thorpe. this distance was made by short
plunges of from three to six yards. Min
nesota's second touchdown was made
after carrying the ball seventy yards
without being held. In all Minnesota
made 377 yards in carrying the ball from
the scrimmages. and something like 1ot
more in returning punts and kickoffs
The gophers were held for downs si1
times and forced to kick three times
They lost the ball twice on fumbles ant
once for holding.
Defense Equal to Occasion.
The Defense while not so strong as tn.
offense, was good enough to keep Illinois
from scoring. The visitors gained onl,
1872 yards from the scrinmages, and o
this seventy yards were made on tw'
t. fake kicks. Fifty-odd yards was tn
most the 1llini could net in attacks OF
the gopher line. Illinois was held 70
downs three times. and forced to kic1
nine times. Three times they had tn
ball on Minnesota's 15yard line or near
er, but could not advance it. Once tn
gophers held for downs, and on the othe
two occasions they forced Illinois to tr
drop kicks: - %:
On the whole, however, the defense wa
not all that 1t should have been. Roger
and Gray were each fooled once by
fake kick. something especially surpris
Ing In a man of Rogers experience. TIL
gophers, moreover, showed weakness i
reaching runner In a broken field. Ono
when Harris punted out from a touch
back. Diener got back with the ball 70
thirty yards. and several times Illinoi
men ran back punts for long distances
In short, there seemed to be a dispositio
to think slowly, failure to grasp the sit
uation. at once. This is serious weak
ness, in view Of the approaching game
and the fact that Wisconsin excels
broken field work. and usually has quit
q number Of tricks up her sleeve.
Work Of the individuals.
Individually Schacht, Thorpe, Van Va
kenburg and Harris were the stars: tn
work of the first two has been mentione
before. Van showed up in his old tim
form and did good work on defense 8
well as in carrying the ball. Sig ran til
team with good judgment, although +
took. long chances more than once
running the ball instead of kicking q
the third down. Twice he won out b,
once the failure to kick gave Illinois tt
ball on Minnesota's 4O-yard line. an
later resulted In Cooks field goal.
In running back punts Sig shone. ono
getting thirty yards, while on the two OF
casions Minnesota had to run back kfcl
offs. Harris made twenty five and for,
yards respectively. On the latter occf
sion he was given magnificent tnterfe,
ence by his team mates, and got throne
the whole bunch, with only one Illino
man between him and the goal line.
Warrens work at tackle was secor
ony to that of Schacht, and the guart
and center played creditable gam
Strathern, although in poor physical CO,
dition, held his own against -.wilso
go Gray and Rogers at end put up a eof
game, barring their slips on fake kick
Gray still shows weakness in folIowir
s punts, but his tackling In the line was
g. high order. Illinois showed her resne
for Rogers by assigning two men to tai
care Of him. Knowlton's work in backir
up the line and in interference was up
his usual high standard
Stars for Illinois stsss