The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-09

flames.
Minnesota Is Conceded an Easy Vic
tory Over Illinois by Chicago
! Critics.
New York Sun Special Service.
! Chicago, Nov. 9.-Saturday was
slump day in western football. All the
big teams had contests with eleVens
much below them in class, and almost
without exception they took advantage
Of the opportunity to loaf or play list
lessly.
The preceding Saturday all the
teams had been keyed up for hard
championship games. The natural re-
action from this condition, coupled
with the realization in the minds OF
the players that the last chance to
take it easy before the final great
games was at hand, produced the
| slump.
Chicago, Michigan and Minnesota
all showed a falling off in form over
| the games of the week before WIS
consin, judging from the score MADE
against Oshkosh normal, was the only
member of the big nine witch keps
to it's pace. But the Wisconsin team
undoubtedly had the weakest opponent
to face. This makes it harder to judge
whether the badgers really showed
Improvement or not. Doubtless they
would have rolled up much larger
score had they played straight foot
ball instead of resorting so
much to the kicking game. Wis
consin lost to Chicago largely thru
it's inability to cope with the maroons
in the kicking game. Since that game
the Wisconsin coaches have devoted
much time to training Captain Abbott
and other members of the team In
kicking. Abbott was no match for
Eckersall in the Chicago game. Evil
IDENTIFY Curtis does not wish his team
to be SO far outclassed in this i'm
portant department Of play when 1t
meets Michigan and Minnesota.
AbbOtt's kicking Saturday, while an
improvement over his work in the chi
cago game, was still far from first
class. With a good punter Wiscon-
sins chances against Michigan would
be much improved.
The Wisconsin line was by no means
invulnerable against the lighter normal
team. The Oshkosh team was able to
make its distance seven times If the
normal school could make seven first
downs, Michigan ought to be able to
make them with ease and regularity
Rather poor team work by the bad
that but six regulars were in the line
up. Curtis wished to minimize the
. chance for injuries just before the bat
tie with the wolverines.
Easy One for Minnesota.
I, The Wisconsin, Michigan game will
i be the great game Of the day next
Saturday. Minnesota plays Illinois
and the Northwestern plays Notre
Dame, but these should be compare.
lively easy for the gophers and th n.
purple. Illinois, three times defeated
has in a measure lost heart, and not
, even the most ardent admirer of the
Illin gives them a chance against the
famous Minnesota eleven.
; Wisconsin,, altho defeated by Chi
cago, was not outclassed, and must
; be conceded chance against Yost's
machine. Michigan looks to have ar
, advantage over Wisconsin in the line
l and advantage sufficient to give then
victory, even tho the teams should prove
equal otherwise. Wisconsin's attach
: is not much inferior to Michigan
The badgers have no one quite as gooC
as Heston and Maddox at carrying
: the ball, but the average gaining
. power of their back field is about a:
. good as Michigans. The wolverines
:, will be held strong favorites because
;, of their victory last year and thei1
!. record this season. but Wisconsin mel
,. | DSlleVe lley nave d StfOItSSI lcdIi
, than last year, while Michigan Is ad
!, mittedly somewhat weaker than las
:. year. Wisconsin has a good fghtinl
r. chance.
Il Michigans inability to score on Obi
!. in the second half was the largest sur
IF prise Of the day. The buckeyes too
$. great brace after the drubbing the
received in the first period of pla.
but even this should not account 70
10 Michigans failure to add to It's tota
IN Yost's teams have not had the slun
W habit. The slump Of Saturday ma
n be taken as further indication tha
e the Michiganders this year are nc
1e quite up to the standard of the las
a two years. But Yost is still snilin
III with old-time confidence and one ma
e. expect to see the machine improv
ne until it reaches nearest to perfectio
Id on Thanksgiving day. The way
e. which Ohio marched thru the Mich
gan line toward the end of the SCI
all ond half was very disspririting for til
ed Michigan students. But this pot
n work by the line on defense can
lie, set down to general and Temporal
e. slump. 1t is not likely that the sam
he weakness will develop in the more in
lie pOrtant games.
Minnesota showed well in compar
son with Chicago and Michigan
bracing UP and playing it's best gam
in the second half, after the pluck
e. Lawrence team had held the score
of II to in the first half. DR.. William
es hopes to even an old score on Thank
re giving Day and will not let his tea
al go back.
,re Fumbling Too Common.
T. The most noticeable feature of tt
ne general poor work of Saturday w;
the fumbling. Chicago was the wor
. offender, with Michigan a close Sc
ond, and Wisconsin not far benin
Minnesota seems to have escaped tn
fault The fumbling was so frequer
so inexcusable and unaccountable
to furnish cause for thoro discourag
ment. If the teams are going to kes
up this lamentable work the weel
of careful practice in new plays w
go for naught. In their game wi
the Indians the maroons funbled on
for every six plays they made.
sooner would they get we'll start.
on march toward the Indian go
than some one would tumble. A
ways one of the lynx-eyed, spec
Indians recovered the ball. Stagg sa
it was the worst exhibition of fur
bling a Chicago team had ever be-
guilty of. That is saying good de;
but Stage ought to know.
The maroons have their eastern tr
to look forward to this week. 4