New-York tribune., 1907-10-28
ON COLLEGE GRIDIR0NS.
LESSONS OF SATURDAY..
CorneRs Worthy TictOry-PTfnce-
ton Should Profit by Defeat.

rho fclv Of iInping 10 conclusions concerning
the probable strength Of an eleven based on
what ii may show against weaker teams IN
preliminary or practice games The defeat OF
Princeton by Cornell was rather unexpected
after the somewhat Indifferent showing of the
Ithacans in their game against pennsylvania
State the week before and the ease with which
Princeton had been rolling up scores against
second rate teams; the overwhelming defeat OF
PENNSYLVANIA by the Carlisle Indians was a
stunning surprise. as the Pennsylvania eleven
was looked on by many able judges as one OF
the strongest in the East And this was not all
Harvard faced defeat for a time in the game
with the Springfield Training School, and won
with little credit TO the team by a goal from the
field Brown had her work cut out to beat Will
Jams while Amherst proved herself by play
ing an even game with the strong Dartmouth
eleven, which only won by a narrow Margin
thanks to a field goal. Lafayette did not 1uI-
nish the expected opposition To Annapolis ana
the Navy team won easily, while Yale ana W est
Point had good practice games ana nothing elSe'
a close study of the scores up to this time leads
one into a maze Of doubt and uncertainty from
which one comes forth with no clear and defnlte
ideas as the probable outcome OF the hiS
games later on but with the firm conviction
that the revised rules have made for great good
in equaIizing the teams 10 a large eNtehl oy
placine strategy, skill and speed above sheer
strength and force of numbers. il might not De
well to revise ones opinions too quickly from SAT
lIrdav's games. Princeton is stronger now lhdn
before the Cornell game just as Cornell was
stronger after the Pennsylvania state meeting;
PENNSYLVANIA learned a lesson from the Carlisle
Indians which viii not be forgotten. and Har-
ward gained valuable experience from being
forced TO rise 10 an emergency when the score
stood TO o in favor of Springfield ENery-
thing else aside. the football season of 1907 has
now been invested with an interest which mas
never. perhaps been equalled in the history OF
Ihe sport.
Too much can hardly be said in praise of Cor
nelTs sturdy team for rising above the dlscour-
aging defeat by Pennsylvania State and In one
short week bringing itself 10 a point which
made victory possible over Princeton. Those
who saw both games could hardly believe IL was
the same eleven. There was more drive, more
speed and greater concentration OF attack,
stronger, more effective defence and greater
harmony between the line and the backfield-
It can be said in all fairness that Princeton was
outplaved for the greater part Of the game and
that while the Tigers missed a tie by the failure
to kick a goal from somewhat lucky touch
down the relative merits Of the teams as they
lined up on Saturday must be measured by a
score of 6 to- CornelPs touchdown was earned
by carrying the ball forty-two yards on con-
secutive plays executed with speed and pre-
cision and by the of sharp plunges and
dashing runs. in which the forward pass played
an important part. The weakness OF the ends,
which was again in evidence, was more than
offset by the remarkable speed of ORourke and
THOMPSON in breaking through and tackling all
over the field. ORourke, at right tackle, Is a
man like Erwin. OF West Point He rarely
failed TO get down the field under punts and
developed the happy faculty Of being able 10
follow the ball like hound. The coaches did
well to change him from guard 20 tackle. Wal
der was tower Of strength in the backfeId.
He outDunted Mccormick and Harlan. Of
Princeton, and could always be counted on 70
hit the line hard and low for a gain Of some
lfnd A1fT ALI ais MIA v-aH and T-ar rio
in the thick of the fight at all times Gard
ner, at quarterback, can improve. He is too
slow for his backs and fails TO maintain the
speed his team mates are capable of, but IN
justice to him it must be said that he was
judged against Dillon, than whom better
quarterback is playing this year. Cornell may
be beaten before the season is over, as she must
face West Point and Pennsylvania, but, no mat
ter what betides, the eleven has earned a for
ward place in the ranking for the season by the
well earned victory over Princeton.
As said before, Princeton Is stronger for the
game with Cornell. A setback Of the kind ex-
perienced at ithaca will as a stimulus 10 the
Tigers. as it would to Yale. Defeat was a bit
ter pill. but il taught lesson that the Princeton
coaches and the Princeton players viii not be
slow TO take fun advantage of. Like the mon
arch Of the jungle, the Princeton Tiger will lick
his wounds until they are healed and then come
forth roaring and rampant, better prepared 10
meet and conquer new foes. The writer pointed
out a week ago that Princeton's early schedule
had been far too easy for the good of the team.
As was feared, the plays which proved so strong
and effective, the plays which worked so
smoothly against weaker opponents went for
naught, TO a large extent, against a team which
was quick 10 solve the plays and quicker to
break them up. The defence needs bracing up
badly. Judged by the Cornell game, the team
is still below the standard from tackle TO tackle
The ends played well, the backs could hardly be
improved on. but the men in the line could not
hold the sturdy Cornell forwards in check long
enough 70 give the backs a chance TO get the
plays well under way. Herein lay the chief
weakness. The coaches have much to do this
week II victory over the Carlisle Indians is to be
won on Saturday at the Polo Grounds.
Secret practice is an abomination. and # &c
cause for favorable comment that Harvard and
Yale will put it off until late in the season this
year, a step which may lead ultimately TO its
abolition Secret practice. when carried to an
extreme, IS a crime against the spirit of true
amateur sport inasmuch as it implies suspicion
by one team of another and fosters the what
any-cost spirit, which has led to sending ont
spies and taking any unfair advantage that
might aid in securing a victory. It does not
speak well for the spOrtsmanship of our collepe
athletes that final preparations for a big game
should be made behind closed gates and with
pickets out to insure absolute privacy II savors
too much of professionalism Football is a.
game IN which strategy plays a leading part A
play 10 be most effective must be covered nm
ana directed where least expected but after all
the success OF a play depends largely on its ex
ecution, and the plays are varied enough to
make their practice In secret unnecessary to a
Wen drilled team in the hands of a football
general The stealing Of signals is more seri-
Gus, perhaps, but even this danger is exagger-
ated as in latter day football a PLAYER has about
an ne can do TO keep the signals of his own
team straight without trying to memorize the
signals OF an opponent. The development of
tr1ck plays may be the final excuse for secret