The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-24
FOOTBALL
WAS NO SURPRISE
Yale's Victory Over Harvard Had
Been Predicted by Nearly All
Football Critics.
Strength of Yale. Line the Chief Fac
tor in the Result-One-
sided Game.

While the defeat Of Harvard by Yale
Saturday predicted by most football
enthusiasts. the decisive way in which the
Ellis trounced the crimson eleven was a
surprise to nearly ALL 1t was hardly ex
pected that Yale would show such Of
fcnsivc strength as she did, nor was it
expected that Yale would be able to hold
the swift and heavy crimson backs SO
effectively.
Only once during the game was Yale's
goal in danger Harvard forced the oval
from the Yale forty-yard line to the eight
yard mark, but a tumble by Herman en-
abled Yale to make q successful stand,
and get the ball on downs. On the Sec
ond half Harvard got to- Yale's 22-yard
line, but could push no farther. During
all the rest Of the game Harvard was Oc-
cupied chiefly in trying to stop Yale's
heavy mass plays.
Three Of Yale's scores were made by
masses and wedges directed chiefly at the
center Of the line. Glass, Goss and Holt,
the giants who make up Yale's center
trio. opened up, big holes in the crimson
rush line. and Yale's tackles and backs
plunged through for big gains. The only
open play Of notes was Metcalfs run Of
73 yards for d touchdown. The little half.
back slipped through the crimson for
wards In much the same manner as Chad
wick got through Princeton the week be-
fore. Superb interference protected Met
calf until he passed every Harvard man
except Mills, whom he eluded by clever
lodging.
Harvard started the game with the ap-
parent intention Of putting Glass out Of
business by directing heavy mass plays
over his position. The big guard, how
ever, proved equal to the occasion. He
stopped the plunges, and Harvard tried
hurdlins, but Glass was too TALL
Yale Gained at VIII.
A summary of the play shows that Yale
rushed the ball 165 yards in the first half
and 212 in the second. Harvard gained
70 yards in the first half and Is in the
second, the totals standing SIT for Yale
and SO for Harvard. This clearly shows
the all-around superiority for the Yale
eleven.
Saturdays game was victory for those
who believe a strong line, with backs of
fair ability, a stronger combination than
powerful backs and a mediocre line. Yale
put on the field a set Of forwards which
probably equals in strength any line ever
seen in this country. Harvard, on the
other hand had a heavy. fast set of backs.
With the exception, Of Blackwell at quar-
ter the crimson backs eXcelled Yale's
men. But the crimson line could not fur
nsh enough protection to the backs, nor
could it open up holes among the Yale
forwards. Yale'S backs, on the other
hand, while performers Of fair class, are
not to be classed with Hale, Butterworth.
Thorne, Bliss McClung or other men who
have made Yale's name famous.
Close Games Out Ct Fashion.
Close games between Harvard and Yale
have gone out Of fashion. For the last six
years, including this year, there has not
been a game in which both sides have
scored. Of the six games. two were MOTH
ing to nothing ties. and the rest one
sided. Instead of finding the teams even
ly matched when the final game comes.
one OF the two is in q class by ITSELF
Year before last it was Yale, last year
Harvard this year it is Yale. a few years
back the complaint was that the de-
fensive side of football had made more
progress than the offensive, and that the
problem was to develop methods Of at
tack that could copo with the defense.
That problem seems to have been effectu-
ally solved in the last few years by some
one team. however, a much greater pro-
portion than by any other teams. Har
ward and Yale between them have been
alternatively developing an offense that
the others have been utterly unable to
withstand.
1t is a serious question whether the
nature Of these offensive tactics, with
their back of the line battering rams and
catapult formations, calculated to leave a
trail of sprawling men behind them. make
for the best interests Of football. Ten
years ago, when seven forwards played
in the line on the offense much was heard
Of interference and it's beauties. It was
dominating feature of games. Now more
is heard Of destructive tandems and
wedges on tackle for advancement.
Yale Clearly Champion.
One thing is clear as result of the
fast expiring gridiron season and that
Yale is the champion. But to rank the
other teams is not easy. Instead, the
subject presents a confusing tang1e. One
of the first questions to arise is whether
Harvard or Princeton is the stronger.
There IS considerable difference In the
scores. Taking the figures into consider
alton Princeton is harder for Yale than
Harvard. Harvard could not stop Yale
inside Of the five-yard line but Princeton
could and did. On the other hand, Har-
wards attack jeopardized Yale's goal line
far more than Princeton's. and Yale was
together better and conducted a more
furious assault against Harvard than
against Princeton. Harvard being the
last game Of the year, there was nothing
to hold back for. The Princeton team
was the steadier In the face of a superior
LIE