The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-17

The real football season opens to-
day after the skirmishes that have
taken place in the past few weeks in
which the relative strength of the
teams has been shown.
This season gives promise of becom-
ing one of sensations in the football
world. Coaches were surprised at Har
wards defeat by Amherst. In fact, so
was every one, and it is extremely
dbutYful IL any of the writers will
come out with 81 told you So criti
cisms, for no one dreamed that Am
herst had a chance to lower the Grim
son colors.
When the mighty fall there are ever
plenty of stanch supporters ready to
come forward with excuses, relating
hard luck stories. ETC., Saturdays game
being no exception. The chief bit of
hard luck began with an acknowledged
bad ruling by the umpire, followed by
Hanleys tumble and a poor pass by
Carrick. resulting in LeMoyne's kick
being blocked.
The defeat of Harvard is unique, in
that it marks the first defeat of ,Har-
ward since there has been a Big
-Four" by an eleven not. in that class,
and also the first defeat of the Grim
son eleven on Soldiers Field. Tff-ffai4y
respects Harvard played good football,
married occasionally by furnbles, but
these, in a measure, were excusable,
as the game was played in driving
rain. In actual yards gained the Grim
son easily led Amherst, but there was
always something bound to come up to
prevent a score.
The game was rough, unnecessarily
So two players on each side being sent
to the side lines during the struggle.
If Harvard was handicapped through
a tendency to tumble she suffered
more through weak attempts to punt
1t was about the poorest exhibition
of kicking seen on the gridiron this
fall. Unless there is a big improve
ment in this branch of play the out
look for Harvard will be dark in
deed.
Minor EIevens Gain in Strength.
There are instances where other noted
elevens in their day have suffered de-
feat at the hands of minor elevehs.
It will be remembered that on one
occasion Princeton lowered her colors
TO Pennsylvania and later to Cornell,
while Columbia once Unexpectedly beat
Yale
The tendency of late years has been
toward a more general evening up of
the teams, so to speak Experienced
coaches are more numerous each sea-
son, and the demand for their serv-
Ices increase every year. Occasionally
a college like Amherst is fortunate
enough to have an especially promts-
ing lot of strong, husky players, which,
When coached properly, are bound to
cause trouble in any company.
Harvard Misses Capt. MashalI.
Much of Harvards poor showing in
football of late. no doubt, has been due
70 the absence of Capt. Marshall from
the games. Marshalls generalship in
selecting plays, the increase of conf
dence due to his presence and the
quickening of the play with him in
the game would mean speedier and bet
ter work all around. 1t is impossible
10 look over the material Harvard has
and come to the conclusion that her
cause is hopeless. Had Marshall been
IN last Saturdays game to insist on
the Waiving of the penalty when an
Amherst man got off side as Harvard
was carrying the ball to the goal line
then Harvard probably would have
Deen credited with the touchdown, to
winch. from all accounts of the play,
she was justly entitled. The note to
Euie % covers just such points as that
winch arose at Cambridge. Suppose one
team had the ball on the other team s
goal line with only a minute to play.
Wlthout the rule providing for the de-
chnIng of the penalty by the non-of-
leHalng side the team on the defensive
could get off side in every scrimmage
untl time was up and the attacking
team, receiving only half distance each
une would be unable to cross the
Nhe. Umpire Holton says ''the matter
should be taken up at the next meet
ng OF the Rules Committee" The
matter of providing for such contin-
gencies as that which Umpire Holton
nad to do with has been taken up by
we committee, as the note to Rule %
SHOWS, and the wording of the note is
pretty clear. =
frincetOn Has Unusual Strength
The game of last Saturday indicates
Slhong other things, a very stanch de-
use on Princeton's part, and an Of
tense more telling than the Jerseymen
I've mad in several years. From the
Iequency with which the Tigers are
topping a tackle back it may be that
NY are going in more for 4 line
.laShlng game, with not so much de-
Iellce on Kicking and the shower
Tess dependable dashes in the open
40 Tor Yale, her game last Sat
L|'y against a strong and heavy
Team indicates a need for Tightening ur
st,e uetense. which is not dong as con-
aeeht work as at this time a veal
~ II takes something of the kind
NJ ~ happened last Saturday to wake
~ se Dig fellows up and spur them
io6o Gordon Browns great team OF
Iv earned this lessen when it tackled
~ournoia- discovering that It was not