The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-09-17
FOOTBALL PROSPECTS
Majority Of Big Elevens to Start
Practice on Sept. 20.
VESTS OUTLOOK PROMISING.

ion That l9uS Season VIII BE Tholr
Greatest Owing to Lapse Of Three
Year Rule--New Coaching System.
The debut OF the 1908 football season
is nigh, and college boys say the out.
look was never more promising for u
series of hot contests which win test
the skill and muscle OF those who
aspire to the championship,
| While the official date fixed by the
conference is Sept 20, there has been
plenty of work already In back lot
puntlng and summer resort training
stunts to harden the muscles and
strengthen the breathing apparatus for
the hard work soon TO come.
The official call for candidates has
been sent out at Yale, and first prac-
tice will begin about Sept. 10, Har
wards squad will get together at about
the same time, and as there are many
positions TO be allied the early prac.
tice win be OF more than usual inter
est.
Yale has lost by graduation Tad
Jones' II. Jones, Alcott. Paige, Dimes
and Congdon, while those remaining
Of the regular team are Goebel and
Cooney, guards; Murphy and Mcbride,
halfbacks, and Coy. fullback. How to
fill the position Of Jones at quarter.
back is the task before the coaches,
which staff viii consist of former Cap
tain Biglow. Tad Jones and II. Il.
| Burch.
Cornell coaches will call out the Itha
cans on Sept 81, week later than
usual, although all Of the old team and
many candidates who expect to make
the new one this year have begun pre-
liminary work. G. II. Watson, left end
for two years. may not play this sea
son because Of an injury to his leg re-
ceived In spring baseball practice.
Princeton has finally arranged Its
dates, and Coach w. W. Roper will get
the squad together for first practice on
Sept. %. This later than usual date is
due to the desire OF the faculty to have
the athletic season made concurrent
with the beginning Of the college term.
At the same time the candidates have
been taking preliminary work, and
when they report on the field their
training viii have reached somewhat
advanced stage.
Francis Burr, the Harvard tackle and
guard and one of the greatest punters
the game has ever known, win have to
work with almost an entirely new
team, and his success as well as that
Of Coach Haughton win be watched
closely.
As matters stand now Harvard's
prospects for the season are very hazy.
Plenty of preliminary work will have
to be gone through before any line will
be obtainabe on what the crimson has
The 1908 season, In the opinion Of
players and coaches, will mark de
cided boom In football In. the west,
owing to the lapslng of one OF the most
disagreeable features Of 1907 Last
year both the seniors and the freshmen
were out of the running as the result
Of the retroactive effect of the three
year. rule, but all of the four year men
are eliminated this year, and the fresh
men, sophomores and seniors VIII all
be available as football material.
The normal adjustment of the three
year statute will have an important
effect on practically every one Of the
"big eight"
Another source Of satisfaction In the
football camps Is the fact that the OBJ
jectionable features of the forward
pass have been largely eliminated.
The offensive team this year will not
be likely to have such an alleged un-
due advantage over the defending
team in the use of the forward pass,
owing to the changes which were
made at the last meeting of the rules
committee.
Football preparations are being
made at the University of Chicago,
and Coach A. A. Stagg will take charge
Of the early practice In person, and he
and Assistant Coach Leo De Tray will
have all the candidates out at the start.
Gilmour Doble, formerly star player
on the Minnesota football team, sue
cessful assistant coach at Minnesota
for four years and who attracted ma
tional attention by his success as a
coach at North Dakota last year, has
gone to Seattle to take up his new po-
sition as football coach of the uni
yersity Of Washington team.
With a new coaching and managing
system and with twelve m" men sure
Of returning, together with an abun-
dance of other good material to draw
from, prospects never looked better
than they do this fall for a winning
football eleven at the University Of
Missouri.
When asked concerning the new
managing and coaching system to be
tried at Missouri this year Coach
Monitow said it was sure to prove an
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