New-York tribune., 1908-10-19


years ago when the mid season games Of the lead
ing college football elevens were interesting chiefly
as showing the development of the teams up 10
the so-called championship games late In Noveln-
Der. This ali changed last year thanks largely
the revised rules and the same condition obtains
this season. The mid-season games have now the
interests of real contests. and the question is of the
result and not as the old days, when the ques-
ton was of the size OF the score. This makes
good. 1t encourages the smaller eleVehs ana
leads to more sustained interest in the sport.
Yale has rather easy game in view on Satur-
day. the team will line up against washington
and Jefferson, but Pennsylvania. Princeton anu
Harvard will have something more than mere prac-
tice games their hands. and viii do wen 70 run
up respectable scores The Tigers must face the
strong, heavy Syracuse eleven. which held iaie
to a score of to o. and which kept the Inoians
from crossing the goal line 1t Is not loresono
conclusion that Princeton will win, and 1t Is sate
to say that the coaches will spare no effort this
week to bring the along faster than 1t mas
been going Harvard caught a Tartar In An
napols last year, and by n score or only 10
in a game that to all ntents and purposes was
tie so far as the merits of the two Teams went
The r,idshinn1en are further advanced this season
than they were a year ago. anc with larseIS a
veteran team should show up the weak points III
the Harvard eleven, they have not oeen SHOWN
this wear The game should be worth a loC 10
the Crimson. and it IS safe to say thdI odp'ai
F2urr and his men will not make the journey W
Annapolis filed with over-conhdence' wiz
wears game In mind. The Carlisle INDIANS
humbIed Pennsylvania last year by tho SulpllSlile
score of u 10 G. The Quakers are looking 1or re-
,,are. this season and may get 1t, as foreWarned
is forearned but the Indians are always d odii-
eerous foe and Pennsylvania cannot alIoId u i
anv mistakes if victory is to be won. 1heIe aI0
a number of other interesting games on SATURDAY
of which the Brown Lafayette meeting IS most
uncertain as both colleges are represented py
strong we'll balanced teams. Dartmouth siiouiu ,
bea+ 4ov Cross West Point should have httle
trouble with Colgate. while CorneH shouiu 4'"'0
nothing TO fear from Vermont
ro must needs admire the spirit that led Captain
E,,rcb of Yale 10 offer his resignation yesterday
when it had become apparent that MS ilJ"'4e
ceived in practice last week would keep MN ou' "
the game for most of the season. thus deprVng the
FI,e of the services of its leader at Crlucl sta
of the season Not less admirable Is the acrloh u
the Yale management and players IN refusing u az
cept his resignation, owing to the 1eeiihs ma @
FJrch's hard work in organizing the team Is "otiS
of the honor that goes with the capta1ncy even Il
field leader must be chosen. hope that the Ill luck
that has r,,,rsued Burch for years Will not per
sist to the extent of keeping him enurely out u
Yale's two big games this year. II helo captain
is chosen either Coy or Murphy IS llkey 10 Dc Sc
Iected, and mistake WOULD De Llaue' aPtHi-''
If Murphy were chosen.
Na,tber Vale nor West Point with any too
much credit out of their football game on Satur-
day and there will have to be much nara "oIh
from now on If Harvard and Princeton are 70 De
beaten IN one case and the Navy in the other IN
tho f,a1 games of the season. Conspicuous in both
teams was lack of cohesion, Of variety and OF
dash in the attack, and in the case OF west fohi'
at least it said that defensive streglh was
lacking 700 for when the ragged Yale attack was
assembled In the second half the West Point hne
was wholly unable to cope with the fierce tandem
sn1ashes that finally gave Yale the victory 1t
must be admitted that the Yale line was weakened
bv the absence of Captain Burch at end ana HOODS
st tackle two Of it's strongest players, and that
the coaches may have had a motive IN ordering
Murnhv to depend on od-fashioned football. mas
much as both Princeton and Harvard had scouts
out to study the Yale attack and gauge It's
strength. For this reason the game must be dis
counted to a large extent in reaching conclusions
and it is safe to assume that Captain Dillon or
the Tigers and Haughton Harvard's head coach,
had their trouble for nothing If, indeed. they were
not led astray. Those who watched the struggle
! must needs have wondered If such things as for
| ward passes and on-side kicks in the cate
CORY of plays this year, they were conspicuous
by their absence. Altogether the game failed OF
it's purpose a large extent, although, in my
| opinon 1t showed two things, far as Yale Is
| concerned-that Murphy is the right man to fill
! the shoes of Tad Jones at quarterback. and that
| Biddie must improve materially else new man
must be developed at centre It also Indicated that
! Andrus is a strong candidate for an all-America
guard, that fitzpatrick should hold his place at
| end and that the back field needs only polishing
! to make of the strongest in the country.
!
| Andr1,s perhaps was the star of the Yale team
| on Saturday. Steady and reliable on the defence
he WAS also mighty factor IN the swift rush Of
! Yale to a touchdown when the opportunity offered
late the second half. and repeatedly tore great
! holes in the Army line, which made passage easy
! for his backs. The Army had no Irwin TO oppose
! him this year but Weir is a capable If not q
! brilliant player and that he should be COM
( petelv outclassed speaks volumes for the work of
Andrds. Fred Murphy the Yale team with fine
! Judgment He proved early in the game that he
could not rely on tho Army wings for gains and
when the critical moment he launched the
deadly tandem repeatedly at the weak spot An
! drus had developed in the opposing line He gave
his signals sharply and with precision. and the
| swift ard urerring calling of his plays in
marked contrast to the slow and hesitating orders
| Of Wood. the Army quarterback. The Yale ends
were effective IN the extreme, both the offence
| and the defence even Naedel making a good i'm
| preesion They covered Coy's kicks splendidy, and
| II was seldom that Army back moved from his
tracks after catching punt. Brides, Phlbin. Coy
and, in the short time he played, Wheaton. left
little to be desired It not in the backs that
the weakness the Yale attack lay, but IN the line,
which was unable keep the Army forwards ba ok.
Besson, Philoon, Moss and BYrne We're through
many time in time to break UP play that was
aimed at the tackles. and Andrus the only
| Yale nnesman who handled himself properly. Bid
dies passing kicks execrable. and only
| Cows nne work prevented number of kicks being
| blocked. He had get the ball away with the
| whole Army line top of him time and again.
because he had TO leap high in the cir to catch a
high pass or stoop to the ground to pick low
IN tho sta md