Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-30
All the Big Elevens Are Weak
on Defense.
ELLIS ATTACK BEST
OFFICIAL FIELDING AVERAGES
OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE.
Busy Days at the Benning track
Around the Squared Circle
Golf Notes.

Save that Princeton made fewer points
against Columbia and Yale more against
tho soldiers than had been anticipated.
peculiarly busy Saturday on the gridiron
passed without upheavals In foot ball form
Pennsylvania scant victory against the
Carlisle Indians had been anticipated almost
to the exact score. and Harvard's 10 to o
victory over the strong Brown eleven
neither improved upon Saturdays prophecy
nor came much below 1t.
The comforting feature of all the games
was that victory went with class and for
the reason of class more than any other.
Even the sCant victories showed that the
victors knew a little more anda little better
foot ball than their opponents and had in
the last analysis considerably better teams.
In addition thereto all the vctors will
doubtless improve with the ripening of
the season more than will the losers, con-
sidered in the lump.
In every case-Yale. Princeton. Pennsyl-
vania and Harvard-the Improvement must
be great along the line of defense. superiori-
ty In which department always has been
the last argument of the eastern coaches
against t1e!r progressive western brethren.
In defense the east has nothing to boast
of so far this season, while up to date the
attack has been patterned nearer to the
versatile open western style. All the games
were more worth watching than they were
on the same date one year ago. which prom
ises we'll for the health and continued pros
perity of the game.
Yale's Attack Very Strong.
Most interesting of the lot was YaIe's
free, fast playing against West Point The
soldiers exhibited an attack in close order
that on one occasion shattered Yale's de-
Tense and drove 1t into the last ditch. But
on the other hand the New Haven ofrense
was swift and unerrng. Just as 1t has been
for most of the season The team showed
a great deal of improvement over the
Pennsylvania State game. The backs were
well together. the team well handled by
Tad" Jones. and all in all the showing
was far better than anticipated. Bright
est feature OF all was the return to top
form of Veeder. one OF the best running
and Kicking backs In the country
Yale's ends, too, showed marked ability.
Gates giving promise of becoming stand
ard Yale player. This is probably Hink-
ey's work. Shevlins blocking was as fine
as anything he has ever done and he seems
70 be very much his old certain self
again.
The Blues fault was an erratic defense.
something that has worried the coaches all
the season. Forbes showed something like
the form of Bigelow. on the opposite flank
ana Hackenberger was at all times woefully
weak Fast as was the Yale team, CON
sIdered as a whole, the forwards did not
get the jump on the West Point line as
they should have done. West Point was
formidable ball In hand. but not so danger
Gus as Harvard and Princeton undoubtedly
Will be. and in view OF the work In Sat
urday's game the problem at New Haven
remains the same as before the contest.
Prtnceton's showing against Columbia
was below aRticipations. even on the at
tack The Tigers right wing proved vul-
heraoie again and again. and. indeed. the
whole line. Cooney included played too
nigh; The high playing extended to the
lacking. which was noticeably below the
Nassau standard. The secondary defense
DID not cover enough ground. and many a
columbia runner was literally, lifted over
and past the Tiger backs.
Tiger Defense is Shaky.
Giving due credit to Columbia's powerful
onepse. Princeton did not show the sturdy
strength to take the ball away save when
desperation keyed the line a little higher
than Its normal pitch. The handling of
Kicks was only fair. considering that the
Columbia ends frequently and inexcusably
ovetran their man Frequently in running
pack Kicks the Tiger backs damned blindly
into the advancing Columbia line and were
easiy doWned. when they should have
taken far more room
princeton on the offensive was vastly in
feriof to Yale last Saturday The work
was about good enough for the occasion
and that was all Again and again one
back shot ahead into the openine so far
ahead of the runner that when the latter
reached the spot the breach no longer ex-
tsted In this respect the Tigers were very
ragged Furthermore. the Princeton backs
frequently left the ground too soon, and
their leap was on the decline when they
struck the line. This means nothing but
poor foot ball, pure and simple. In kick
ing. the quick getaway from under the line
Bard showed improvement. but his punts
were indifferently covered by his ends. all OF
whom missed easy tackles and could not
seem to judge the drive properly Dillon ran
the team fairly well. although 1t seemed he
should have opened out his attack at an
earlier stage
II seems on the weeks work that Prince
ton Is not so Tar advanced as Yale on the
offensive and in defense is perhaps a shade
poorer than the New Haven eleven
Harvard and Pennsylvania may be men
toned this week in the same breath The
teams are very close together just now.
but OF the two the Crimson has shown tbe
greater Improvement in the last week
Both were very strong on the attack on
Saturday. and BOTH like Yale and Prince
ton. showed serious weakness on the de-
Tense.
Crimson Gradually Improving.
1t Is little early to prophesy as to the
outcome OF the Harvard PENNSYLVANIA
game but the time has come TO realize that
the Cambridge system is better than that
OF the Quakers, and system. which L. to
say class. counts In tight game The
build of certain Harvard men does not
make for rapid advancement and In some
cases this same build is undesirable In any
system. On the week the Crimson looks a
httlo better tina nthe Quakers.
Cornell met very weak team Saturday
ana there Is only a long distance line on
! the team, but neither Princeton, Columbia
MOI pennsylvania need prepare for a walk
! over against the Ithacans Warmers pu-
pils VIII meet the strong Swarthmore
eleven at Ithaca next Saturday and for
thu first time this seaSon be rpaitap M