New-York tribune., 1905-11-13
ON THE GRlDIR0N.
Present Season Record One tor
Football Inconsistencies.

Verify it is season of football surprises one
upset after another has followed with snch
ra pidity as to make the follower of football rub
his eyes and wonder what are coming 10
Apparently the only dependable quantity In the
game thi. sea- on is the Yale eleven, @hich Is
the sole team that has thus far preserved Its
goal line involate. Not only is this true, but the
New-Haven aggregation of talent is now the
only member of the so-called big four thar
has been actually beaten. and that too,
before the crucial matches of the season. West
Point the first TO shake confidence When
the modest team from the Virginia Polytechnic
Institute went up the Hudson River and wal
loped the soldiers soundly. Next Princeton tel
down hard before the smart little team from
Dartmouth and then Harvard succumbed most
Unexpectedly to the apparently underrated
prowess of Pennsylvania. On the same day TOO
Dartmouth. the conqueror. of the Tigers. failed
to beat Amherst which had previously played
tie game with Columbia To reason by an
alcgy from this tangle of inconsistencies would
lead one to curious conclusion.
Harvard's ineficiency at Philadelphia, 20
which city the Crimson players went in fut
confidence that a substantial victory WOULD DC
won, hardly fail to give the Camnridse
coaches lot to think about. Harvard had sp9
ciaI reasons it is generally believed. Ior WISH
ing to trounce the Quakers this season, Tor IL Is
difficult to break off athletic relations OF long
standing with another institution when defea'-
ed. especially when it is intended to give as a
reason for the severance of those relations the
fact that great dissatisfaction is felt regarding
the manner in which that institution interprets
its eligibility rules. great deal of complaint
about the complexion of the Pennsylvania team
has emanated from Cambridge this season, and
some of it had its effect. Both Reynolds ana
Draper were sacrificed by the faculty authorities
of the Quaker university. but they drew the line
at Lamson, against whom numerous protests
UPr haIrl rla9 from th9 atr1f of IIIh 7
was stated, what seemed good authority,
that if Harvard won, she had every reason -
think she would. this years match between
Pennsylvania and the Crimson would be the last
for a long time. What the Harvard authorities
will now think themselves justified in doing
mains to be seen.
Pennsylvania defeat of Harvard appears to
remove whatever doubt remained after Dart
mouths defeat of Princeton, that Yale would be
the champion of 1905. After the Tigers went
down before Dartmouth all the eyes that were
looking for something to beat Yale turned. Of
course. to Cambridge There, Coach Reid. backed
UP by that brilliant individual player and able,
inspiring field general, Captain Hurley has been
in full charge. and for the first time in years
Harvard seemed to have something like thor
oughy organized and well disciplined coaching
system. But. if the best that Reid can do was
in the Pennsylvania game, Yale has little
reason to feel worried at the prospect. OF course
it is we'll known fact that Harvard improves
rapidly in the latter part of the season and that
the great object is TO get team that will beat
Yale. For this reason effort is made from the
start to get the men into top form for the Yale
game and let the others go hang. But, as said.
Harvard had particular reasons this year for
wishing TO beat Pennsylvania. and 1t is reason
able to suppose therefore, that the Crimson did
the best to accomplish it, Harvard, however,
failed. and failed rather dscreditably. The
match at Philadelphia appears to have been any
thing but high class exhibition of football 10
begin with both teams, and Harvard in par
ticular. exhibited lamentable lack of mastery
of that rudiment of the game, namely, ability 10
keep a sure grip the ball This is one of the
earliest things taught the football novice
FumbIng on Saturday was of almost constant
occurrence and many valuable yards were lost
to the Crimson in consequence Then again,
both teams frequently offended by holding In the
line and off-sde play. III directed strength. that
results in the imposition of severe penalties. may
easily be disastrous as sluggishness or weak
ness in attack. 1t did result in this manner on
Saturday and In this way Harvard lost enough
opportunities to equal at least two touchdowns.
The trouble with Harvard. however, did not
stop here by any means. Though the Crimson
nIayers averaged bigger and heavier and
stronger than Penns men, they seemed to nave
little conference in attack. The men did not
play like we'll drilled team but more ike
eleven athletes engaged. each in his own way
in irving to advance the ball. Every man did
not get into every play with the remarkable
efficiency and unanimity displayed by Yale 1t
was not uncommon while scrimmage was
going on to two three Harvard men
standing by, as passive spectators There was
one flash of ability to sustain consistent ana
well organized attack, and by it Harvard scored
it's onlv touchdown. This seemed, however. TO
exhaust the Crimson resources. Even captain
Hurley appeared to be not quite himself. tnousn
doubtless long absence from practice' necessl-
;,,sr= ha
comparatively inferior showing HarVaros
team has plenty of good material The men
are strong and big and heavy. but they are as
vet only eleven men, and not teaI ~
course il would be unsafe 10 conclude mat the
Crimson has chance whatever 70 redsem u
self q week from next Saturday. but IL must De
confessed that the outlook is pretty poor ana
that there is every reason to antlc1pate a. 1aIe
victory by big margin when the two teams
meet at Cambridge
For once the expected happened ar Princeton
Cornell defeated at the hands Of SWarthmore'
could scarcely have expected to win from tne
Tigers. weak they were known TO be- ana ,he
Princeton victory was just about what was to
49,, baen rronhesed The real margin Of diff
foranca between the two teams appears to nave
boa, tvo touchdewns in Princetons favor as
earh team scored once in plays that were pracu-
caIlv fukes For a time in the first hail. the
Ithacans apparently outplayed the Tigers, put
when the fast backs of the latter team got to
working the Comedians were not fast enough
IN sion them Yet Prncetons defence, though
an Improvement over the Dartmouth game sthl
left much 10 be desired. II was far from IN
vulnerable, and Oh numerous occasions the
Cornell forwards got through in time 10 MP a
plunge or a run, and on several occasions IN
time to interfere with a punt 1t is not likely
that the Princeton coaches really think the line
ig in condition TO hold against the agile,
clever and strong rushers of the Yale eleven
on the other hand, Princeton has several backs,
Bard Mccormick and Daub in particular. who
are individually fast the average of the
Yafe hacks but they do not show the same re-