Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-20

FIRST CORNHUSKER CAME
Peru Normal is to Furnish the Tryout
for the Squad.
VETERANS COME IN SLOWLY
All Are Expected 60 show Tn Thi.
Week with the Possible Exception
of Collins, Center, who May
Not Return to school.

LINCOLN. Sept. Observation-Disclosures
viii line up against the Peru normal a
Antelope park Saturday afternoon IN tn
opening game Of the season on the Corn
husker schedule. The normals played III
initial game with Nebraska last fall an,
proved an easy prey. the score being S
10 o against them. Although the contes
OF a year ago was only a romp for tn,
Cornhuskers, 1t gave their coach a line o,
the early form OF the scarlet and cream
players just rs the game next Saturday 4
expected to do. 1t was I'm the Peru gam,
last season that King" Cole first saw tn,
possibilities of Captain Weller as a punte,
and drop kicker, and from that time h,
set out to develop him into the phenomena
toe artist that the Cornhusker star becam,
before the close of the season.
II a few more of the IN" men Of las.
fan return to training this week the gam,
with the noTmals is expected TO be another
romp for the Cornhuskers. Coach Cole will
try some of his new plays in this game and
give several Of the promising kickers q
chance to show their ability in booting the
ball for distance and accuracy. Those who
do the best work will be given special train
ing I'm the kicking department that a man
may be found among them hwo will be able
to take up former Captain Weller's task
in the kicking department.
The slowness with which the veterans
OF LAST year came back to practice this
week WAC a little Encouraging to the
coached, who had looked for a large num-
Der to be present for the first week OF
training. Captain Harvey and Right Guard
Frum were the only two old men who had
put In an appearance until Thursday. the
third day Of practice "BiI" Chaloupka,
the big right tackle, and Kroger. fullback,
arrived on that day, and Johnson and
Better, ends. showed up yesterday. But
the fact that there are twelve IN" men OF
last year who are eligible this fall and that
less than half of them reported this week
the return of these veterans did not add
much joy to king Coles cup.
Surprise to Coach,
TIE sulky attitude OF the players has
puzzled Manager Eager and the. coaches
this week. The twelve M men of last
season are not delinquent in their studies
and all of them stand excellent chances of
making their letters again this year. Their
return to training within a few lays would
give Nebraska the best opportunity of re-
cent years to defeat Minnesota in the an
nual game at Minneapolis. October II. To
accomplish this trick has been the aim of
Cornhusker foot ball men since 1902. and
last season the members of the team were
confident that this fall would see them
the victors over the Gophers, and all of
them were looking forward to this years
game for that reason. The coaches believe
all the veterans will soon begin to have a
longing for the gridiron game and that be-
faro MANN IaxFg ain r.AA-N g.. A..g-H.
For a while 1t was feared that Pr"
Cooke, the fast quarterback of the Corn
huskers, would not be in the game this
fall, but word was received from him today
saying that he would reach Lincoln Sunday
and be ready TO don a suit Monday or
Tuesday. The return of Cooke disposes of
the quarterback problem and assures Ne
braska a good general for the team. pip
has had two years experience on the
Cornhusker eleven and this fall should de-
yelop into a real star. His sensational
runs last year gained him the position of
quarter on the All-Missouri valley eleven.
With a strong line in front of him this
season Cooke is expected to furnish many
exciting and joyous moments for the Corn
husker supporters.
No word was received this week from
sid" Collins. center on last seasons team.
and the coaches are beginning TO fear that
rumor about his decision 10 stay out
of school are true, and thai another man
viii have to be put at center In his place.
Charles Borg, who was captain OF the
Cornhuskers in 1905. will likely take the
In case Collins does not return. Borg
was a star center while In school and will
make Nebraska a strong man this season.
however, will not be eligible for the
game on account of being barred
by the three-year conference rule. For
game some other player would have
to be substituted for Borg. There is a man
on the squad now who looks as though he
could hold down that position very we'll. He
Is Wolcott, a husky second year man,
whom Cole had playing at center this
He weighs 200 pounds and did good
work all week. He is regarded as a new
man who is likely to win his letter this
Sail
D~evelOping n Kicker.
Frum, last seasons right guard. and
Harvey Rathbone, a second year man. did
the greater share of the work in the boot
Ing department. this week. Frum practieed
all summer in %punting and this week was
able to send the bali fifty yards. Rathbone
Is a former Lincoln High school player and
ne boots the ball well both for distance
and for drop kicks, His work this week
attareted considerable attention and marked
as a player who will probably get a
mineral this season or next.
Practice this week was light. The
squad, starting out Tuesday afternoon
with fifteen members, numbered forty by
Coach Cole, on the first two DAYS
ran the candidates through a drill in han
ling the ball. They lined up for much
Of the time on those days and passed the
to each other In order to get used
10 holding 1t. They also were sent after
The ball when Il was kicked. and compelled
10 fall on It that they might become ac-
'ustomed to holding the speroids sent down
he field on punts and forward passes.
and Friday the men were lined
lp In team formation and sent through
'everal simple plays. Punting and drop
licking held the attention Of a few of the
andidates every day. Next week King
ole VIII give his pupils some new plays
hAt VIII be tried cut IN the game against
cru. The forward pass and on-side kick
viii be two of the plays used.