New-York tribune., 1905-11-27
ON THE GRlDIR0N.
Yale the Undisputed Football Cham
pion of 1905.

plon OF 1905.
BY the defeat OF Harvard on Saturday Yale
became the undisputed champion of the football
season OF 1905. But it was a narrow thing.
Any one OF a dozen kinds of rnischances COM
mon to the game might easily have turned the
tide against her on Soldiers Field, but none of
them happened. And yet the truth is that Yale.
unbeaten and all but unscored on. showed no
marked superiority over Harvard beaten by
Pennsylvania, tied by Dartmouth, and scored
by four different antagonists in the course
Of the season. In truth, Harvard's rally was
the most surprising event OF a football season
that has been rather notable for unexpected
happenings. The betting gives a good line on
the real magnitude of the surprise. At o'clock
Saturday afternoon many bets were made
at the Stadium at odds Of to l on Yale. At
3:20 o'clock when the first half ended, even
money was the ruling price. In other words,
at o'clock Harvard was regarded as a lamb
being led to the slaughter-an hour and half
later she appeared TO be q powerful contestant
making fight for victory with an even chance
Of success. It is true that Yale gained more
yards by rushing than did Harvard, but Har-
ward more than made this up by the superiority
Of Burrs punting over the feeble efforts of
Roome, who did the kicking for Yale, until
Hoyt came in. Harvard gained at least ten
yards every exchange Of punts IN the first
half. These seems to be no question but that
the punt muffed by Nichols is responsible for
the Crimson's defeat. From thirty to forty
yards from the goal Yale's striking dis
tance Saturday, and this error allowed
Sheylin's men to get within this striking dis
tance. Then they struck and it was all over
For team so well trained in most respects.
Yale showed a singular lack Of ability to COM
prehend and stop so old a trick play as the fake
tandem. Harvard worked this nanoeuvre twelve
or fifteen times for excellent gains and it took
-tar Of no TO
to meet and smother it. The left wing of the
Yale outfit proved just as weak against Harvard
as against Princeton and most of the line
plunges went through Forbes or Erwin. Other
wise the victors played better defensive foot
ball than against the Tigers. Roome, Shevlin,
Forbes and Bigelow were always after the Har-
ward backs like bulldog after a bone, Shevlin,
in particular, putting UP of the best end
games that even he has ever played. Forbes and
Bigelow were almost active the average
end, getting up under punts with much speed
and tackling with power and accuracy. Quill
and Roome were Yale's most conspicuous ground
gamers. the former. being worked like a cart
horse for line plunges Roome was often sent
to splice the ends the inside and once
he turned the trick for forty-fve yards, the
longest run Of the game, eludtng two pursuers
by opportunely laying serpentine course. The
wisdom of allowing Jones to play two-thirds
of the game at quarter with an injured ankle
and a general air Of physical depression, when
such tiptop quarter Hutchinson was hop
ping up and down on the side lines, fretting
himself into a frazzle in his impatence to get
into the game, may well be questioned. 1t may
be that when in form Jones is a better quarter
than Hutchinson, but he certainly not in
Hutchtnson'S class on Saturday. With Jones
at quarter Harvard held Yale for downs on her
12-yard line and again on her 17-yard line.
But Hutchinson vas driving the Blue hammer
when Yale finally scored. He got more life and
snap into the team from the moment he got
into the game
Harvard has reason to be proud of her men
and to congratulate both them and Head Coach
Reid the climax Of his first season in full
control Of the gridiron interests at Cambridge.
With a little luck Reid's pupils would have
pulled off a tie. Their defence was none too
strong. but 1t twice showed a fine ability for
rallying at critical moments, and at its worst
the Harvard defence in the line at any rate,
was as good as Yale's. The two most conspic-
uous men on the team were the tackles, Brill
and Squires. Brills ground gaining rushes
through the line reminded one Of Hogan's
achievements OF q similar character. Foster and
Wendell also did good offensive work. and the
latter nipped several end runs in the bud just
hey were beginning to look dangerous. At
end Leary played a fast though not an error
less game. There are good many ifs" to be
said on this occasion. If Nichols had not mUffed
that punt and if Burr had made that 5O-yard
goal from a place kick and if. But all the ifs
are suggestions contrary to fact All the same.
1t ought to be pointed out that should
be sent in his blood cold and his muscles stiff
from crouching on the side lines, and then be
called on to catch punt before he has had time
to take the stiffness out Of his fingers. But, of
course, it is easy enough to point out how it
should have been done after it's been done 1t
shouldn't, and quite different thing TO do It
right every time on the spur Of the moment All
the same, If somebody but Nichols had been
ordered to lie back for that punt it's likely
Harvard would not to-day be mourning a defeat.
And so Yale is champion. Opening the sea-
son with an ominous hole to fill in her rush
line-a hole left by Hogan, BIoomer and Kin
ney-the Blue started out with no very promis-
ing prospects But she has made remarkably
consistent record, not single team having been
able to get across her goal line. In ten games
the New-Haven players have rolled up a total
of 221 points, and the only points scored by any
OF her opponents were the four accounted for by
Tooker's fine goal from the field in the Prince
ton affair. This is championship record GER
tainly. But it does not lead to believe that
Yale has first class team this year. 1t has,
in fact, been year Of mediocre elevens. and
though Yale is best 1t is only the best Of me-
diocrity. However, it's a championship.
When we come to naming team for second
place the task is more complicated. There are
three candidates for it-Dartmouth, Harvard
and Pennsylvania. OF course this admits to
the big four team not previously regarded as
having any claim to that class, but the big four
must in all fairness be teams that play big foot
ball. If the little college teams play big foot
ball they ara eligible, and Dartmouth has played
big football this year. Pennsylvania and Dart
mouth did not meet, but Harvard met them |
both being beaten by Pennsylvania, u to g. |
and tied by Dartmouth. I convinced that |
if Harvard had been playing Pennsylvania on |
Saturday she would have won a decisive victory. |
but must take what happened. not what