The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-20
BOOTH REGAlNS
LOST COURAGE
Sees Better Football Prospects
for the Nebraska Football
Team.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal. NJ
Lincoln. Neb., Sept. 2O.-The inception of foot
ball practice at Nebraska university was at
tended by distressing weather conditions, but
Booth. the head coach, had shaken off some or
the Encouragement which had seized him at the
South Bend training camp, and was In GOOD
spirits. More than thirty men were in UNIFORM.
A dozen other candidates were on the side
lines and twice as many more are expected to
reach Lincoln before the end Of the week Booth
is figuring that he will have upwards Of sixty
men from which to pick his first team.
The persistent rains of the past week had
converted the gridiron into veritable auagmire,
and the players had gone thru only a few min.
utes of practice when they We're bedraggled
from head to foot with black Nebraska mud
The players were divided into two squads,
Booth taking one in charge and assigning the
other to Captain Borg The gridiron at Ne
braska Is VIGOROUSLY the hardest in the west,
and before the end of each season Its granitel1ke
surface has been responsible for the injury OF
many players. To mend this situation, Booth
inspired the athletic board to plow the field
early in the summer and sow 1t to m1llet. Inc
hay was cut early this month, leaving healthy
stubble and soft field which should not harder
until late in the season. Booth figures that
the soft field will make the plays decidedly
slower, but visiting teams will be handicapped
as badly as the ,cornhuskers. High scores nat
urally will scarcely be. possible, but the clint
nation of most of the danger of fnturing play
ers should more than counterbalance the factor
of slowness in the plays rt ~ !.
| The roll of candidates has been strengthened
by the addition of Or two huskies, but
| there is no denying that men of pronounced
avoirdupois are still very much in demand. Mean
| while Slatt, Taylor and Nelson, the only guard
| possibilities at the training camp, the only
men Of promise who have yet appeared upon
| the campus. Captain Borg declares that others
have given assurance that they will be in school.
| and Booth is anxiously awaiting their arrival
before he will venture an opinion as to Ne
! braska's chances for the season. r.. l.
|. Cotton, the big right tackle, who crossed the
| Minnesota's goal last year for the first touch
down registered against the gophers: and who
to scoot down the. field for the other was IN
| line for the opening campus practice. Cotton
| has been rusticating In Colorado during the
summer, climbing mountain peaks to keep his
weight down, and he IS already in fairly good
physical TRIM He brought the information tina
Galley, who played superb halfback for Colo
RADIO university and had expected to- register
at Nebraska to take football under Booth, had
| decided not to become cornhusker. He viii
however, retire from football, as it is his pur.
pose to enter into matrimonial contract
| Admitting that the line furnishes more OF
| less of problem, Booth was well pleased will
| the initial practice, and at It's conclusion dc
clared that the array of new material was a.
| good as he had ever seen upon the Nebraska
| campus. His elation was prompted chiefly by tn.
| fine prospects as to backs and ends Nearly
dozen Youngsters fast and we'll built, available
either as backs orchids, were out in moleskin.
and bidding for places. Inasmuch as the enc
and backfeld situation satisfactory ever
at the South Bend camp, Booth now has
wealth Of material for those positions from
which he is quite confident that he will be
able to develop several high-class men.
Toward the end of the practice Booth hut
sorted out a varsity lineup and was running
3 the men thru signals. Scrimmage practice viii
: not be undertaken until almost the eve of tn,
Grand Island college game Saturday
At least two men were tried out Ii
each line position, Captain Borg at cen
ter and Johnson at end alone excepted and 1
Is much too early to venture a prediction as t,
the probable makeup of the line for next Sat
urday. 1t Is reasonably certain: that Morse i
to OPEN the season at quarter, with Wilso,
and Becky as two of the backs. Becky an,
4 Morse: areF both ORGANISING as kickers. and on
Of this pair wil!%do the nnting. E,
Booth has not entirely abandoned hopesof in
dueing former Captain Benedict, Nebraska
chief reliance as Dnnter. to get back into
Nebraska suit. The injury to Benedict's kne
last year prompted his parents to object to an
other season of football until It. had permanentl
mended altho Younger son. who will be Ii
MS freshman year. has already joined the squad
PRESSURE has been brought to bear upon Bene
dlcts parents, fortified by medical assuranc
that a strong knee brace should preclude E:th
l1kel1hood' of a permanent injury and. Booth
now quite hopeful that Benedict will soon Il
In line. BENEDICT has been coaching at Lincol
high school. of which he is an alunlnus for th
past week, but Hshis return to the cornhuske
fold Is. strong, possibility during the comm
week. :. =. IT, ..t.s2 : = = - 80