The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-16
CORNHUSKERS LET
UP A LOUD HOWL
New Rules Are No Good, Say the
Nebraska Football
Men.

Lincoln, Neb., Oct. 16,-The football situa-
ton as concerns the new rules Is ripe for some
tinkering. This is the consensus of opinion ut
the University of Nebraska. Granting that the
coaches and players, even in an entire season,
cannot hope to master the problems and intrica-
cies Of the new game, the belief in the corn
husker camp Is overwhelming that the rule
makers have tinkered the popular college sport
into hole and that it is up to them to tinker
1t out again. ,ss4ssE,5
One giaring fault, as viewed at Nebraska, 10
the increase OF the distance to ten yards on
three downs, the offense being weakened ma
terially without any compromising factor to ball
ance the scales between the two sides. The
forward pass has been thrown in as an aid to the
offense, but this play is uncertain, and to pull
it of successfully for any appreciable gain Is
as much Of a fuke as science. This is the
view taken by Referee Cornell, Umpire Graham
and Lnesrnan Erwin. who oniciated In last Sat-
urday's struggle between Nebraska and Drake
universities All Of them are experienced Of
fcials and two were veteran players. Referes
Cornell said: -
Something besides the forward pass must b
rugged up to help the offense, or else the ten
yard rule Is a failure. The public likes to see
scores. but am convinced that most Of the
games this year between teams evenly matched
will be scoreless except on fukes Line plung-
Ing longer be depended upon for con-
sistent gains, for the offense has been further
hobbled by the rule prohibiting the calling back
OF men from the middle section Of the line
| to carry the ball. =
AuTdung hu1e Unpopular. L.
1.-THE rule against hurdling is altogether too
broad. As it now reads, any player carrying
| the ball who merely jumps over an opponent,
even in going thru the line, must be set back
and penalizad. There was Justification
in legislating against the player who was con-
tinually 1eaping into the air in clearing the
| opposing forwards. but all that lineman now
| needs to do is to lie down In front of play
If 1t is coming In his direction and If the man
with the ball clears him by Z slight jump the
rule forbidding hurdling at once applies This
! Is nonsensical, but the rule Is plain and the
| officials must enforce 1t.
'The American football rules committee, %
the dispatches say, Is to meet In New York this
week. Its work is certainly cut out, both a
| to the necessity Of strengthening the offense
| and in the prohibition Of hurdling As the rule
| now reads
| The clash between the cornhuskers and Drake
| furnished another striking illustration Of the
difficulty Of scoring touchdowns when the oppos
ing elevens are evenly matched as to weight
and aggressiveness. The Iowans had only 4
| slight advantage in weight and the two teams
had the better of the ground gaining and earned
the only touchdown, while Drake was never
dangerous because Of Its aggravating NUTS OF
punts by the backs. It was trick play, how
ever, which gave the cornhuskers their only
long run, Mcdonald breaking loose for forty
yard sprint and planting the ball on Drake,
threeyard line, where the cornhuskers finally
showed it over. '+'- { -. -~. - ~ =
| NoO1a9Aa supporters uaO anLlc1p3teQ an easier
time In the Drake game. and the stiff battle
| waged by the Iowans causes decided uneasiness
concerning the outcome Of next Saturdays
struggle with the. husky farmers from -Ames
football circles that Ames has much stronger
eleven than Drake. and II the cornhuskers arr
| to win next Saturday there must be 4 decided
brace BY Coach Fosters pupils during thei,
week OF preparation for Ames. = ..
| 'Nebraska's play against Drake was muct
! cleaner than week previous against South
Dakota. The passes between the center ant
| quarter and the muffing Of punts in the back
| field, which marred the cornhuskers' perform
! ance In the clash with the coyotes, were almost
entirely absent. Cookies work at quarterback
was also snappier, and his Judgment in choos
I Ing plays showed much Improvement as wal
manifested by his, use of a trick leading Il
| McDonaldsa run when Drake was resisting me
! Draska's charges so successfully that hope Of
| touchdown had been almost abandoned. There
are already several cripples In the Nebraska
| camp. Captain Mason and Left Tackle Mat
tiers both played against Drake when the,
| should have been on the sidelines, but Foster
had no strong substitutes to take their places
Bob Taylor, the husky negro guard, hal
squared his deficiencies in scholarship and 4,
expected to join Fosters squad this week.
..".. johnson Has Hopes. .e||
! The cases of Cotton and Johnson. involving
| their eligibility for another year Of football
are to be passed upon at meeting Of th.
NEBRASKA athletic board Monday night. .Cottor
q. canvass OF the board shows that johnson
the veteran end, may run the gauntlet Of
discussion Of his case, in which event he, too
will don suit and take his old position an IN,
| OF the wings. Johnson's record is that he wa
varsity regular in 1900, 1904 and 1905, pIayini
IN what are known as IN" games-games max
ing him eligible for participation in the distri
Dut1on OF M sweaters. He substituted in on
game each In 1901 and 1909, playing severa
minutes against Ames one year and asains
Knox ior like period the latter year. Th
conference rules two years ago did not count
as participation unless player took part i
an M game. II the Nebraska board refuse
70 make Its adoption Of the conference rule
| retroactive Iohpeop MOI n,1,