New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-07
On THE GRIDIR0N.
Princeton's Sho10 of Strength -
Yale's Good Punter.


day without doubt the revelation of excel
lence made by Princeton on the West Point
parade ground. Harvard had escaped with a
nominal victory and practical tie Yale had
actually been beaten though showing better all
around football. 1t remained for Princeton to
put up a stronger game in every department
and to win by good margin that narrowly
capped being a wider One must bear in
mind. of course. that the team that beat the
cadets on Saturday. and ran rings around them
at that. is full fortnight further advanced
| toward championship form than the eleven Yale
sent to defeat West Point. But. on the other
hand, the Tigers have come through a consider
ably more difficult series of preparatory matches
than those included In the Yale schedule. Now
the Tigers stand on the threshold OF the great
annual match with the Blue. with the bitter
memory of that early defeat at the hands OF the
navy well wiped out in series OF hard fought
and finely games. It is interesting to COM
pare these two great elevens as they stand five
days before they to meet IN the struggle for
which they have been trained for nearly ninety
laborious days
ANY team that visits West Point may ex-
pect to encounter a set of natural athletes.
good part Of the business of whose lives it is
to keep In fine condition. They may also ex-
pect, without any likelihood of being disap-
pointed, TO meet a team thoroughly drilled in
every department Of the game and equipped
with a fast and aggressive attack and stub
born and skilfu defence. To emerge success
fully from struggle against this combination
requires extraordinary team. no matter
whence 1t comes. And there is question that
on Saturday the Tigers were such a team. Bear
in mind the fact that only once in the two TWEEN
tyfve minute halves could the cadets advance
the ball the needful five yards in three PUSHES
and think what this means for Princeton
defence. To be sure, the army could not do
much with Yale's rush line. but at no tina this
year, not even in the Columbia match has the
mess to skilful attack did Princeton's or Sat
urday- Those who have watched the develop
n1ent OF the Newt Jersey eleven this season have
figured 1t out, some of them. that Princeton
hopes 10 beat Yale by a fast, II rather light,
heavier and more powerful, but somewhat
slower. Yale players. To do this they require
however. the cooperation Of rush line defence
that should be able to cope creditably with the
terrific human thunderbolts that Yals is sure
to hurl against 1t.
Whether this theory OF the evolution of the
Princeton team be correct not, it appears
that such a defence, or something approaching
It very closely indeed. has been developed. 1t
worked like cIockwork against the soldiers.
There was not discoverable in it a single weak
spot. 1t may be urged that it will not work SO
well against Yale and this Is probably true. but
II the team can be kept in its present superb
condition until Saturday II is safe to say that
even Yale's 200 FOUNDERS veterans they are.
will meet their hardest task of the season.
Even after Short, one Of the most powerful
men in the line. had given place to Holden.
there appeared no deterioration in that steel
like rampant. Coming to the offence. an excel
lence of like imposing proportions is discovered.
Princeton's big lInemen. though heavy. are
built close to the ground, and seem to have a
speed and dash that Yales giants have lacked
In their preparatory games. Cooney and Stan
ard both made gains in a manner that any two
tackles now in the game would have had diff
Guilty IN excelng. Both of these men start as
quickly a light running halfback, they hit
the line low. they keep their feet with great
persistence and they hard to pull down.
With them a ground gamer stands Short
who though he got no chance to show his abil-
ity in this line in the West Point game is said
by the Princeton enthusiasts to pe the equal II
not the superior, of Cooney and Stanard at ad-
vancing the ball In Ritter and Rulon- Miller
the Tigers have pair of backs that on SatUr
DAY certainly showed line plunging qualities of
mean order. But the most Impressive feat
ure of Princetons attack is its compositeness
The entire team leaps into play like flash, and
in an instant every man is either in front drag
ging or behind pushing. Every pound seems -
be utilized in way that is exceedingly credit
able to both coaches and players alike 1t is. in
short, an attack that combines speed with
power IN apparently just those proportions that
make for success.
But one feature of football which was sup
posed to constitute large part of Princetou's
! hope for success next Saturday did not appear
IN the West Point match. This. of course was
| the fast, open play to which backs like FouIke
and Ritter seem especially adapted. It may be
that the coaches did not care to subject their
| achievements In this style Of game to the
scrutiny OF Yale observers so near their annual
match. 1t is indeed much to be hoped that
this is the reason for the lack of open play on
| Saturday, rather than the neglect of its de-
| velopment. / have repeatedly said. and think
| no student of football who is really anxious for
| the growth Of the game along the most whole
! some lines will deny it. that in the last two
years too much emphasis has been. placed on
| mere brute strength and weight Speed, alert
ness and cIeverness are much more attractive
! qualities but they have recently suffered at the
| hands OF the men who choose and drlll most OF
| our big teams And that is why, II seems 10 me-
| II would be the most excellent thing lmaginable
| for the future OF football, should one Oh tne
| foremost elevens Princeton as wei as any otHeI,
| turn out a team whose play should delhoIlaIl dte
| beyond the shadow of a DOUBT tnat n 1870.
| behind a dashing, we'll organized ihtelleIe Iice'
| couId he made to compete successfully Win d
| nonderosty which, though accompanies py VAST
| ppouer must still be lacking in the element or
| sneed Next Saturdays struggle at princeton
though annually most interesting ePpeals 70 Ile
likely to be this year Ear more tnal ISs'y ~
worthy of study and attentioh-pi trsn GisfAr
course IL exhibits the etash Oh tAe70
ent styles Of game
An eecopnt of Yales game with Brown, writ
ten by q trained and experienced observer, ap-
pears to indicate that Yales big men have Deen