The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-11-06
BY TOMMY CLARK,


y s tho football season grows older
~ 1t becomes more evident that
"A the field goal, on which the
4 - rules committee lowered the
scoring value last winter, continues
TO win games for tho big and small
elevens. Early In the season COM
mon comment among ardent devotecs
of the popular autumn sport had II
that tho play would fall into dlsfavor.
However. such is not tho case. II
many recent games won by bootlng the
ball can be taken as criterion the
pretty play whereby the leather spins
between the uprights is decidedly in
favor this season. Apparently the re-
duction of one point In It's tallying
value has not reduced It's worth in the
minds OF the coaches and their charges.
When the value of the field goal was
reduced from four points TO three fol-
lowers of the popular college sport
were inclined TO believe this move on
the part of the rules committee would
discourage field goal kicking and even
tually do away with one of the original
features N the game. This does not
seem TO be the case. for one has only
to cite the games which have been won
by n single field goal since thc adoption
of the new rules In craat number
of instances seeming deieat or Tie
was turned into a victory for some
eleven by well placed field goal when
all other means of gaining ground and
scoring points had failed.
Tho fact is granted that II is tho
ambition Of most OF the teams this sea-
son 10 try FOR touchdowns. but when
two teams are so evenly matched that
neither Is able TO cross the others goal
line then other means are employed to
register points. which is the field goal
process. Then. again. there are many
teams that consider Z a great honor to
score upon somo big elcven. and to
accomplish this end they try every
means possible to attain this ambitlo
and I'm cases of this character the field
goal kicker is called into commission.
II is Improbable that the decreased
value OF the field goal will tend to dis
courage this feature OF the game and
" is only reasonable to believe that
Held goal kicking viii continue to hold
Its original position in the game and
that coaches will continue TO develop
players who show an aptitude I'm this
department.
A little further attention to field
goals might he interesting. The recent
statement that tho change was made
because II was "A field goal last season
that defeated Yale in tho game against
Harvard may be taken with grain of
salt.
Goals from field have been increasing
80 rapidly that leading gridfron experts
had been suggesting for moro than two
years the change In the scoring Sys-
;cr,. 1t Is possible that there will be
more field goals kicked this season
than there We're last The tendency To
score IN this manner is strong. and not
q Few opportunities were given up last
wear which will be taken advantage Of
II 1909
II was hcady work on the part OF
prjnccion's field general aud the clever
toe OF Cunningham that saved the II
gers from being played TO "A scorclcss
sic by FOrdham university at Princeton
recently. With but few minutes left
10 play in the second half of the game
~rinceton recovered the ball on a FUN
lie Cunningham was called upon to
dri e the oval over the crossbar for ihc
ihr'c points that meant saving his
team from tho ignominy of tie with a
supposedly weaker eleven. and he was
equal To the task.
Moreover proof positive that the III.
ncr coaches had determined upon mo
neid goal Ia save their charges was re-
f1scted In that Cunningham essaved
the play twice shortly after the begin
nins OF the second half. but failed.
Gargan OF Fordham also tried to re-
cord trio of points for his team by
the field goal medium.
The field goal was also responsible
Tor preventing no score game being
played 10y Michigan and Case. Allcr-
dice. captain OF the Wolverines. de-
feated Case by bootlng successful
place kick from the thirty-nve yard
line after a long run by Lawton had
carried the ball within striking dis
lance
Alvestor of Rh;gers caused three
points to be chalkca against the Nays
record by his field goal Captain To-