The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-07
FOOTBALL
STILL IN THE DARK
Football Men Can Clean Little In.
formation From Scores Made
+ During Last Week.
Cases Score Against Michigan Indi-
Gates Weakness in Defense
of the Wolverine Eleven.

Little information CLEANED from last Sat-
,urday's football games in the west. True the
two fayorites for championship honors. Michigan
and Wisconsin, scored by third-rate
teams, but Michigan showed her usual speed In
scoring, while Wisconsin demonstrated that her
team had made material advance in offensive
work. ...
In both the made against these
teams SEEM to have been the result Of careless
ness, and In neither instance Of any fundamental
weakness evnced. 1t often happens that the
strongest teams are scored upon by their weakest
opponents and the cause is generally a tumble
of which the opposing eleven takes quick ad-
vantage or possibly a tackle missed by the back
who guards the goal The latter was the case
at Ann Arbor Saturday. Davidson. Case schools
speedy halfback. managed to sneak around Nich-
Ran's end. and Hernstein, who was playing back,
failed to stop the runner.
Such scores as those Of Case and Hyde Park
are trivial affairs, although they the cause
of more or less chagrin to the team scored on,
on account of the natural sentimental desire of
every eleven to keep Its goal line sacred. These
luke touchdowns usually cannot be taken I'm
plying material weakness, and only indicate
trthing fault easily corrected by the coaches
, In the case of Michigan, however, this reason
Ing does not entirely apply. There is an indi-
cation that the defense of the Michigan team is
not as strong as its offense Last year Michi
gan met no team which really taxed It's strength.
nor has 1t up to date this year. Cases score
arouses the suspicion that Michigan's principal
strength has been in her rapid-fre attack, which
mas kept the opposing teams so busy protecting
their own goals that they have had time to
think of making scores for themselves Opposed
to team of their class, which can stop
the rushes of the wolverines and gain ground
with some consistency against the Michigan line,
YOst's men may not prove quite so hard prOpO-
sition has been supposed. Still all this Is
very hypothetical, and Michigan must still be
considered in better form than any Of the other
western teams.
WISCONSIN STILL IN POOR FORM.
was scored on pure fuke, played somewhat
listless game and in one two departments
had the worst of it. On bunting, the school.
the badgers for downs twice in the first half,
and narrowly escaped making second touch
down. their quarterback breaking away for a
The past records of the seven veterans on the
badger team. and the prestige of Phil King,
however indicate that the lifeless play of the
WISCONSIN team only the usual early season
son lack Of form. King has always been de-
liberate about bringing his teams to an edge,
and. undoubtedly, this year. in the past, the
badgers will be found In the best condition when
the really hard games are and hand.
-. NEBRASKA STILL A DARK HORSE.
Minnesota takes more immediate interest in
the Nebraska team than in any other, since the
gophers meet the corn huskers just eleven days
from today. Booths men have not yet dis
played their form. Colorado university Is an
unknown quantity. rarely playing any of the
middle western elevens, and, consequently, little
can be- cleaned from 'Nebraska's score of ten
points Saturday. So far. nothing has TRANSFERRED
to contradict he theory that Nebraska has fully
strong team us last year.
Illinois scored thirty-three points against Mon
mouth, but only very general idea of the
strength of the from Champaign can be
gathered from this result. Against ateam such
Monmouth, difference Of ten or oven twenty
points in the score counts for little.
Chicago showed q surprising weakness wher
she barely ESCAPED defeat at the hands Of the
Knox eleven. One foot al that separated
Knox from u touchdown, which would have al
least tied the score. Saturday Chicago meets
Purdue. and the latter teams showing against
De PAW Saturday indicates that Purdue has
at least an even chance to win. The two teams
tied last year, and both have improved. Which
one has improved more Is the question
Northwestern showed quite reversal Of form,
in her game with Lake Forest. but her team
cnnot yet be considered anywhere near the front
rank.
IMPORTANT GAMES THIS WEEK.
This weeks games will give better idea OF
tie strength of many of the elevens. Michigan
meets Indiana. and should be the boosters by 8
good score, but the game will be as good a try
out the wolverines will get before the game
with Wisconsin Nov. l.. Iowa will meet Drake
university, and one of the Ames players state
Saturday that he expected both Drake and Ames
ia beat s. U. l. Drake is admitted to have
stronger team than usual, and 1owa's showins
will demonstrate whether the hawkeye team
has advanced gone back since last season.
Minnesota does not expect to find Beloit 81
hard a proposition was Ames last Saturday
The little badger college has usually been at thu
Top of the secondrate elevens, and last year tiet
both Northwestern and Chicago. This year, how
ever. the Merrls. the backbone of the elver
are lost. and Beloit's one touchdown against thu
Chicago dents Saturday does not indicate grea
strength.
Ames has evidently been underestimate b.
the Chicago writers. The Iowa eleven wOul
rank favorably with almost any of the second
raters this year, and would stand pretty goo
chance of tieing or beating Chicago the ma
rooms present form. 1t is hardly probable tina
Beloit will show I'D wei.