Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-11-10
GOSSIP AND COMMENT Of THE MAINE GR|D|R0N

Are the Maine football fans still
talking over Saturdays surprises on
the gridirono They are. and they VIII
continue to fer some time. Just as
popular expectations We're generally
upset the Saturday before, 50 they
were again severely jolted last Satur-
day. Bowdoin, after its victories over
Colby and Tufts. was commonly ex-
pected to he an easy victor over Bates
which had been beaten by Colby and
u of NJ. The Orono boys. from their
UNEXPECTEDLY fine work at Lewiston,
were rather the favorites over Colby,
though their games We're expected to
be closer than the one at brunswick
But the prophets made mess of it.
They not only demonstrated how little
they knew of the situation, but foot
ball itself demonstrated the delightful
uncertainties which make it the great
game that it is. At Brunswick Bates
not only won a victory, but completely
outplayed Bowdoin at every point ana
phase of the game. At Waterville
Colby made it a walk over when 1t
really settled down to business.
Those Bates graduates who were
luctance to see their team swamped.
and those Bowdoin men who did not
20 to the game through a complacent
feeling that it would be too easy a vic
tory to be interesting. had some things
to think about when they heard the
score. So did the 20O0 or more en-
thusiasts who watched the struggle on
the beautiful Whittier field. The game
lac of
spectacular features, but the thing
which most impressed everybody on
both sides of the field was the spien-
did improvement Of Bates in one short
week of final preparation for it's big
game and the dismal slump of the
Bowdoin eleven. The score was q single
touchdown and the actual result was
in doubt to the very end of the 20
minutes of playing. but from first to
last the Bates eleven outplayesl its OPP
ponents and earned the victory. In
speed and dash of offense, in stub
bcrnness Of defense, in resOurceful-
ness of attack. in ability to size up
and meet the play in fighting spirit, in
generalship, in hard tackling, in run
ming back punts, in punting and in
following the bah the Bates boys
Dlaycu IL SttHt idT superior W any
thing they have shown before, and a
game which was superior in all re-
spects to that put up by the Bowdoin
eleven Saturday.
What caused the slump of the Bow
dom eleven? 1t is no belittlement of
the clear-cut Bates victory to say that
Bowdoin's game was far below the
tho Har nf nd
which it is capable of. Probably over
confidence was one factor in it, It
has lost Rowdoin games before, and it
was In evidence Saturday in the lack
of desperation and earnestness with
which the home team went into the
game. Then it looked as though in
keeping his men safe from injuries by
having no scrimmage work for a week
Coach McClave had allowed them to
forget the real thing in football. for
they appeared to be somewhat dazed
when they went up against it. AS in
dividuals they worked hard, but the
team work and driving offense We're
lacking. The spirit manifested waa
too tame and ladylike in view of the
fast and fierce style of play they met
Then there was cos slipped some
half Bowdoin was within the Bates 10
yard line. but instead Of keeping up
the plays which had netted sure gains
in getting there change was made to
plays which had been proved failures
as ground gamers. and the touch
downs which were within grasp and
which would have meant the victory
were not forthcoming. Occasionally
there was a flash of brilliant playing
by the Bowdoin eleven, but most of the
time its playing was of the type in
elegantly but eXpressively defined as
punk" 1t was not the kind of
playing which has hitherto kept Bow
doin from losing a Maine college game
in the three seasons that Ross Nc
Clnve has been it's coach.
Bates had right to be pleased with
L.. Il.