The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-01
ARE AFTER YOST.
Chicago Football Fans Growing
More Hopeful.
Think Stages Team Has a
Chance With Michigan.
PLAY A WAITING GAME
MarOOns Will Try Hard to Cross
YOst's Line.
will Be a Game of Offense
Against Defense.
7LAY A WAITING GAME

Chicago. Nov. 1.-Chicago's offense
against a Michigan defense viii be the
topic of discussion in the west for the
days between now and Thanksgiving
time.
Chicago's hope for football honors in
the west this fan was given another
strong boost Saturday afternoon, not
only because of the decided and over
Whelming victory over the Northwest
ern team but because the eleven of the
Midway school showed more machine
like playing than has ever been seen
by a team of Coach Stages. It was
conceded early in the year Stage had
as good material as Yost of the Michi-
gan squad. Now it appears that the
veteran instructor of thesouth side has
built up a team that can very near
cope with the. wolverines in every de-
partment of the game.
Chicago's backs are the best in the
west by far. They completely outclaSs
any set of fours in the other big
schools. The line has the weight, but
this is the part in which Michigan at
present, according to all reports, eX-
cells. If Stage can EnpraVe his line as
much between now and the Thanksgiv-
ing game as he has in the last three
weeks he should defeat Yost's team in
the final game of the year for the
championship.
More Drills to Perfect Line.
The maroon forwards surprised the
spectators in the game Saturday by
their wonderful Improvement. They Op-
ened up great holes in the purple line
wide enough for the three backs to go
through abreast. Their offensive work
was of the best. Their defense was en-
JIrely too much for the weaker backs of
the Northwestern team who seldom
were able to make their gains. With
just trife more drill and a bit more
speed the line of Chicago will be on
equal terms with the Michigan men
when they face each other for the final
battle, and the maroon backs with
Eckersalfs kicking ability will give
the Chicago team enough superiority to
land the victory.
Like water, the attacks in Saturdays
game ran in the way most agreeable to
it. There was no pounding away at
one spot slowly, surely. aggressively
with sudden fitting away into an I'M
expected play which is needed where
foes are evenly matched. And there
was a weakness seen from a Michigan
standpoint and which forced Stage to
say that his team is not yet ripe for
Michigan. His attack is good for gains
anywhere between the 25-yard lines
against even Michigan. 1t is from the
25-yard line to the goal line that Stage
must drive these fast backs. That is
the problem between now and Novem-
ber 20. aa
Chicago Has a Chance.
That Stage can solve this problem
seems assured to many Chicago men
who have studied Michigan this year.
They point out that Stage has Catlin
and Parry from the line He has Hill.
These men are fast and have the
weight and what a combination they
make with a man like Bezdek going
either before or behind them. It is a
similar combination which must carry
Stagg alone inside the 25-yard line,
and to be effective the Michigan line
must have been made weary by a sys-
tematic pounding before then. It
would seem at first study that this at
tack would be made in the neighbor-
hood Of Parry and HilL McCornaeks
hurdiing style on that point would look
strong.
This style would mean a short two
yard gain with each attack 1t would
then come to a question whether or not
Stages high tensioned thoroughbreds
could stand the strain of that kind of
a game, the calm, patient, plugging
game waiting for something to give
way and confident that sooner or later
it will give. That is Stage personally.
but whether it lies in his Iight-footed
team remains to be seen.
It must be remembered that this at
tack must be put in motion after a
Michigan offense is stopped, and there
lies the problem Stage must solve and
that is why Michigan's game with Illi-
nois will be watched by the Maroons
with peculiar interest.