The Minneapolis journal., 1903-10-20
FOOTBALL
HER STOCK RISING
Local Football Enthusiasts Have
Great Faith in the Speedy
Minnesota Eleven.
Gophers Are Conceded an Excellent
Fighting Chance to Win
From Michigan. -

ErOu MlCulSdu.
The next ten days will be a period
of strenuous activity for the Minne-
sofa football coaches and players, a
time of anxious waiting for the stu
dents and other rooters. The Belolt
game Saturday promises to be the
easiest kind of q practice affair, and
the Michigan game Oct. 81, Is the
one topic of conversation on the uni
versity campus.
Manager Barnard last night an
nounced the officials for the big
game. Lieutenant Henry Kelly OF
Fort Sheridan will referee, and Henry
Clark, Jr.. the old Chicago player
will umpire.f No linesman has yet
been selected. Clarke has officiated
In several important games here dur
ing the last two years, and is quite
acceptable to Minnesota. Kelly is
we'll known football man, and is re-
garded as a good official, tho he has
never refereed any games here.
Local football enthusiasts are in
clined more and more to the opinion
that Minnesota has an excellent
fighting chance to win from Michigan.
1t is conceded by every one that Min
nesota has a great team. "Yost must
lose sometime, and it looks as if the
gophers are the team to turn the
trick, is the sentiment expressed by
men who have lunches that Min
nesota will win.
Whether Michigan or Minnesota
gets the big end of the score Oct. 81,
however, it is conceded on all sides
that the team which wins will capture
the western championship. This be-
lief has stimulated public interest in
"a remarkable degree, and the crowd
at the big game promises to break all
records. The present seating capac-
ity of Northrop field is about 10000,
but extra bleachers will be erected,
and the management will be ready to
take care of $4,000 persons week
from Saturday.
Wolverines Respect Minnesota.
From the tenor of the dispatches
from Ann Arbor and Detroit, and
from the remarks made by Coach
Yost of the Wolverine team it is evil
dent that Michigan entertains a
wholesome respect for the strength
of the goDhers. One Detroit paper
Sunday expressed the belief that Min
nesota would have beaten Michigan
Fumbles and mistakes in signals were
frequent in the Michigan-Indiana
game, and the way in which the
hoosiers once or twice tore up Mich
igan's line proves that the wolverines
are not invincible. Yost stopped off
in Chicago Sunday, and in an inter-
view praised Minnesota's work highly.
DIR: Williams certainly has a fast
team,' said Yost. They simply ran
over those Iowa fellows, and how they
did go. The Minnesota men lined up
in their positions fast, were always
quick to start and certainly played
wonderful football. The team is made
up almost entirely Of veteran players.
1t looks much stronger than the team
CT last year and it is surely a lot
faster. They are all big fellows, too.
Captain Rogers, the old Carlisle play
er, should say is the Iightest man on
the team.
They are looking for Michigan this
year. Minneapolis, st. Paul and all
that part of the country seem football
crazy, and I would not be surprised
to see as high as 10000 people there
Tor the Michigan game if they can
handle that many people. The new
Northrop field is certainly a beauty,
too, and they are we'll equipped to
take care of a big crowd. 1t will GER
talnly be great game-one Of the
greatest the west has ever seen"
Yost was reticent in making any
predictions about the probable result
of the game, but said:
Il am glad that we have two more
weeks to prepare for it. Minnesota
mad several weeks the start of us, and
as all of the men up there are play
ers Of experience the team is already
we'll advanced. Of course we don't
expect to lose. Michigan never does.
but there will be some hard practice
In Ann Arbor and lots of it during the
next two Weeks-that is certain. We
Will have a hard game on our hands,
but will try to give as good as we
get
Asked about his own team, Yost
said: I'VE have but five veterans, and
several of the men on our team are
freshmen. They are all working hard
and I believe will show improvement
as the season advances, and I believe
all over this fall"
Nothing Doing This Week.
Little information can be obtained
in regard to the comparative strength
OF the TWO leading western teams until
they actually line up on Northrop field
eleven days from to-day. The Mime
sota-Beloit game Saturday will prove
little, Tor Beloit is badly battered after
her games with Michigan and Wiscon-
sin. If the gophers try to run up
big score, they will undoubtedly sur
pass Wisconsin's total, but out of COM
passion for the crippled condition of
the little badgers, DR.. Williams may
shorten the nalVeS, or instruct his men
to take it easy. In any case only a.
very vague idea Of Michigan's strength
can be obtained.
,Michigan's contest with Drake will
not be much more valuable as a basis
for a comparison between the gophers
and wolverines. Michigan will run up
big score and as comparative scores
at any time are poor dope material,