The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-03
ANALYSISOFCAME
Boiled Down Story of the Michi-
gan-ChicagO Contest.
Good and Bad Points of the
Great Struggle.
BY VICTOR d. HARDING
Writer With a Personal Ex-
perience of Twenty Years.
Interesting Description Of How
Clark Made His Blunder.
Shows Fine Point Between
TOuchback and Safety.
BY VICTOR d. HARDING

Victor NJ Harding gives the follow
ing splendid analysis of the Thanks
giving Chicago Michigan game of
football in the Inter-Ocean:
It was EckersalPs magnificent play
ing and generalship that won the
game for Chicago yesterday, though
not in the fashion that was expected.
There was not even one goal from
the field to his credit, and the only
try for a drop kick attempted by the
little Maroon Wonder resulted in a
fizzle. No! 1t was not EckersalTs
boot at all. 1t was his brilliant cool
ness and his knowledge of the game
that saved Chicago from being scored
against, and that made the victory
possible
Yet, even this is overstating the
thing bit, for the fact is Michigan's
blunder was the real cause of its de-
feat-the Maize and Blue were hoist
with their own petard, " so to speak
Nearly an hour and a half had the
battle waged without score-witho out
even the danger of a score against
either eleven. Eckersall kicked low
swift spiral punt The ball scared the
entire fifty yards and landed in the
waiting arms of Clark, Michigan's half
back. He caught the ball q yard or
so behind his own goal line. He
caught it safely, there was no OPP
pOuGul llcdIs anu Ill liz AAIS0 nav .
done to insure safety was to touch
the ball to the ground. This would,
under the rules, have been = touch
back; it would count nothing, and
Michigan would have had a free kick
off from the twenty-five yard line.
How Michigan Lost.
Instead, Clark, after catching the
ball, made q dash into the field. 1t
was but a step or two, and he was i'm
mediately checked by the feet Chi
himself he was hurled across the goal
line again and compelled to make a
safety. This counted two points, next
to the lowest score known to football.
It was enough, however, to win and
lose one of the greatest games ever
played on the gridiron.
It was this lowly score that decided
the greatest game of football ever
played in the west@and the writer s
personal experience of the game eX-
tends back over twenty years-per-
haps the most evenly contested match
ever played in this country
Right here it might be interesting
to state for the benefit of those un-
familiar with football the difference
between tOuchback, which counts
nothing. and a safety, which counts
two points against the team making
it. The rules for touchback and a
safety are as follows:
Rule 4 (c) "a touchback is made
when the ball in possession of player
guarding his own goal is declared dead
by the referee. any part or II Delng on
or over or behind the goal line. pro-
vided the impetus which sent it across
the line was given by an opponent
The referee shall declare the ball dead
when the player in possession of the
ball cries down or touches It down
Rule Cd "a safety is made
when the ball in the possession of a
player guarding his own goal IS de-
clared dead by the referee, any part
being on, over, or behind the goal line,
provided the impetus which caused it
to PASS from outside the goal to or be
hind the goal line was given by the
side defending the goal
The difference lies solely in the inn
Detus which sent the ball across the
line. EckersaH's kick across the line
meant a touchbacR merely. When
Clark tried to run into the field and