The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-12
CAN CHICAGO WIN
FROM THE VOL VERINES?

In the West the University Of Chi
cago and the University of Michigan
will battle for the championship of
the Middle West at Ann Arbor.
The three great obstacles in the way
of a Chicago victory are the weight
Of the Michigan team, the quickness
and machine-like nature of the Ann
Arbor eleven's attack, and the individ-
ual prowess of such players as Hes
ton, Tom Hammond, and Curtis.
The weight of the Michigan forwards
at present looks to be the greatest
handicap the maroons will have to
overcome. The fear prevalent along
the midway is that no matter how
strong a defense the Chicago eleven
puts up in the early part of the game
the ponderousness of its opponents will
finally wear 1t out, as the same factor
wore out the forwards of the Wiscon-
sin team in the game two weeks ago.
In actual pounds the Michigan line out
weighs the lighter line Of Chicago by
something between thirty and forty
pounds to the man. Added to this, the
work of the Chicago line this year,
with the exception of the Northwestern
game, has been of mediocre caliber
only, although in every game It's work
has increased over that of the previous
contest-excepting of course, the game
with Illinois. 1t is in the line there's
fore in the coming game, as in all the
other games of this season, that Chi
cago is doubtful, and it is in the line
that Michigan places its faith.
In the backfleld, however, the adj
vantage looks to lie with Chicago.
~ - a~mI-k Ia.
ton, the Michigan eleven has shown
no such brilliant playing and team
work as have the backs of the Chicago
team. Catlin, De Tray, the Bezdek
made a trio that has yet to be prov
ed inferior to any set of backs in the
West this year. Their team work Is
better than that of any Chicago set
of backs since the championship team
of 1899, and nearly II not quite, the
equals of the backs of that year. The
men work with snap and precision
that is as machine-like and as effective
as any offense turned out by Yost In
the four years he has been coaching
at Michigan.
Taking the two teams as a whole,
the strength and weakness of Chicago
and it's opponent are the same as in
the other big games OF this season, be-
ing weak line as opposed to a strong
and heavy one, and a strong set of
backs, as opposed to less strong OPP
posing back field. If Chicago's offense
can penetrate the mass of weight I'm
the Michigan line 1t has an even
chance to win. Yost's teams hereto
fore have been great more because
of their offensive work than of any de-
fensive strength. Their defense has
never been thoroughly tried. and IL
Chicago can gain against it there is
more than a possibility of a maroon
victory.
In the fortunes Of the two teams In
this game much may depend upon the
individual work OF the men OF either
eleven. Each university has one par
ticular star upon whom II is pinning
its faith. AT Michigan this star is
Heston, and in Chicago II is Ecker
sail. The work of each is entirely diff
ferent In kind from that of the other.
| And yet 1t is more than possible the
! prowess of the one may act as an off,
set to the other, for the advantage
Heston is expected to gain in his run
ming and line bucking the maroon
quarter is relied upon 70 overcome I'm
running back punts and in the two de-
| partments Of the kicking game, drop
| kicking and punting.