The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-21
GOSSIP OF GRIDIRON
Scoring This Season Not Fan
Behind That Of Last.
COMPARISON OF TWO YEARS
Weakened EIevens Have Made More
Points Than Under the Old Rules.
Past and Present-YaIe and Cor
nell Students Lack Enthusiasm.


nell Students Lack Enthusiasm.
Reference is made by football writer
to the little scoring there has been in
nearly all the early games played so far
East aud West" Winning teams in the
East so far have scored fewer points
than for the same number of games last
year, but on the other hand losing teams
have scored more points. And the scoring
done by the winning teams has reached
a very respectable total Of points. even
with the frequent nothing to nothing
games, and is not so far behind the num-
Der Of points made in the same period Of
time last year. The total points made
this year by dozen colleges IN Fifty
games is SO. These do not include yester-
days games. The same group of teams in
fifty early season games last season made
a total of I,153 points. This comparison is
made from games as they come, not by
picking out small and big score games to
suit the situation, and several nothing 10
nothing games are included in the 1906
the 1906 total group of games is a fraction
over Is and for 1890 fraction over 3. The
1906 games represent about % touch
downs and goals therefrom per game, and
the 1903 games represent about so touch
downs a game. Therefore scoring Is by
no means q lost arr under the new
regime, and the more open play compell-
ed by the ten-yard rule more than ~ .kcs
up for a reduction In the number Of times
the ball Is carried across the goal line
What might be called the defending
teams, they being the weaker teams,
scored a total of ll9 points against the
1895 teams that made the SO points. and
the weaker teams I'm the 1905 games
scored So points 10 their opponents 1853.
The losing group OF 1906 has averaged
> 1880 points "A game and the losing group
Of 1898 averaged / $3.50 points. Hence there
has been a gain in scoring 10y the weaker
teams under the new rules. and rules that
tend 10 equaliZe the strength of opponents
are not without their merits. The total
for winners and losers for 1906 is as
points t. 1,236 FOR 1896. Considering the
fact that points are harder 10 make this
year there have been a gaOdly number of
points made. and a good thing about It Is
that the smaller teams have had the ben
efit Of the changed Law II chance. The
trend of the 1896 figures Is toward closer
games than formerly when the tOpnotch-
ers come together bat there were 10 Q
games and To o games between big
teams under the old rules-even Tie games
with no scoring.
Walter ECkeTsall, the best quarter back
that ever stood behind line. has not
had any chance to dropkick goals in
games this season. but H. practice ne has
been showing as much skill as ever He
has been booting the ball over the cross
bar from the S5-yard line. and from al
angles three times out of four attempts
The question of footballs greatest kicker
is favorite topic of discussion, but
FOR all around kicking ability the palm
could be awarded TO Eckersali without
being far out Of the way George Brooke.
with his space-boring spirals. his drop
Kicking and distance with proper height,
has his supporters as the greatest kicker
ever and one thing about Brooke is that
he can impart his dexterity 20 others
CToWell and O'BTien. of SWarthmOre. for
instance. Hershberger and O'Dea were
wonderful kickers that came out of the
West, but for accurate punting Mitchell
OF Yale. Was the boss of them all lie
was an ideal punter for his ends De-
Witt. Of Princeton. was not only d con-
Sistent punteT but "a dr0pkicker of note,
and especially good at kicking from place
meut. Frank Butterworth was one of the
best punters of his time, and before him,
AleCk Moffat and Eugene Richards. Cor
nell men will tell YOU that Billy Oil was
the most versatile of kickers next 10
Brooke, while Shuster. Of Lafayette, and
Hudson. of Carlisle, were dropkiekers of
exceptional ability Bull was a famous
Gropkicker when the latter two were in
their cradles EckersalI can do any OF
the things that any Of them can or could
do, and do most of them fully as well.
New Haven and Cornell papers take the
students of their respective universities
to task for not enthusing more. Are
the undergraduates worthy of the team ?f'
being a question put to the Ithacans.
More thinking, talking. yelling, and sing
ing OF football is urged. In New Haven.
'oHe OF the surprises of the season.. ac-
sording to the New Haven Register. "as
far as it has advanced is the small
crowds that have been out 10 see the
practice and to see the games" Coaches.
players, and faculty take note of this,
and the faculty is said TO regard it as
something of an indication that football
is undressing as a practice if not as
a sport. 1t is pointed out. however. that
Yale players may be Teaping the result
of secret practice of last year, which
was started so early that the students
lost track of the development OF the
eleven. Secret practice has been Jet
severely alone so far this season.
The Indians have not played Yale since
1900, when the white men buried the red
men under a s. to score; but Carlisle
has a distinct liking for Yale men TO
coach. Big Hickok, one of Yale's guards
in the early 9Os, coached the Indians
seven of eight years ago. and il was while
he was coach and also an official in the
game that the Indians scared Yale out
Of years growth in a close contest on
Manhattan Field. Last year Ralph Kin
ney, guard and tackle at Yale and still
bigger than Hickok, coached the red
skins. and this year Carl Flanders. last
years Yale center, has just gone To Car
Isle to show the Indians a few things.
Flanders is not as big as Hickok or Kin
ney, but he was not eligible for Yale's
Peewee Club. Big men seem TO be in
favor at Carlisle for coaches. Pop Warm
or. of Cornell. was another giant who
had them in charge.
Capt Wright, of the Springfield Train
ing School eleven, has played against Yale
this season and has seen Harvard play,
and he thinks Harvard is the better team.
Harvard appears to me to be faster than
Yale. he says. The players get away
well together and are very aggressive
more SO than Yale. Harvard seems to