New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-25
WHY TIGERS LOST
LINE LACKS POLISH.
Lafayette Game Points out
Defects at Princeton.

urday, for 1t clouds the issue somewhat.
Princeton hardly deserved to win, perhaps,
but Lafayette certainly did not. and this
is something hard TO bring home to those
who did not see the game. 1t was a re-
n;arkable play that beat the Tigers, and
had 1t stopped at saving the visiting team
from defeat by preventing a field goal the
true merits of the contestants would have
been represented better by the score.
Princeton had one main fault with nu-
merous contributory defects to cause it.
Inability TO carry the ball forward con-
sistently was the fault, Of course. and the
point now is to determine the minor de-
fects that assembled. resulted in this
weakness. The backs were not to blame.
Playing hard football. and good football,
and using plays chosen with a lot of good
Judgment by Bergin, they still failed sew
eral times to punch out the necessary dis
lance, and this was, as a rule, because
they went into a spot that should have
presented an opening but did not because
the forwards had not done their part
The backs have been criticised for not
picking their openings properly, for going
into spot already filed up. This is I'M
fair, because the system of attack at
Princeton this year requires the men to
line up on the offence very near the line
This makes picking of holes on line
plunges impossible Against a light OPP
posing line, and using sheer weight to get
the ground, this is all very well. but IT
was playing into the hands of the Lafay-
cite defence on Saturday, and 1t will be
playing into the hands Of Yale and Dart
mouth later if the policy is adhered to.
The Lafayette line was good on Saturday
for one thing, excellent, in fact Its mem
bers were not to be pushed aside easily,
and Norris and McCaa, two splendid men
on the secondary line Of defence, always
had time to diagnose the attack and rein
force the threatened spot. This does not
mean bad work by the Princeton line, of
necessity, for the fact that the man carry
ing the ball was coming so soon, and with
out a chance to pick a better opening,
made it a matter of imperative necessity
that an attempt be made to open the way
Tor him at the exact spot indicated by the
signal. There was the rub. II was in
evitable that rhe opposing forwards should
determine almost at once the spot in dan
ger, and that the shift of defensive
| strength to that spot should be quickly
made. Hart went into the line time and
again, forced upright when he should have
been boring in, and trying to climb over
and around a mass of men in spot that
should have afforded him some opportunity
( to get through. When the line gave him
any sort OF a chance to get started Hart
| was tower Of strength. and should make
a splendid plunging back.
It is hard to estimate how much effect
the placing of the backs has on the work
Of the line. but it ought to be worth the
| trouble for the Princeton coaches to change
their system in practice for a day or two
nd fpb ha Thu line haa pth
faults, such as lack of coordination, slow
| starting and high charging to overcome,
| but coaching ought to eliminate these de-
fects. week OF Bill Edwards would dc
the men world OF good.
There has been much difficulty in pick
! ing ends for the Tigers this year. The
work of Balm on Saturday, therefore.
| must have pleased the coaches. He is
| fast, heady and exceedingly alert He was
| star in covering punts taking care of
| his side OF the field admirably. On the
| offence he got rid of the opposing end in
mastery fashion. opening the way for
| most of Reads long swings around his
| end in the first half, with the interference
| free to eliminate Lafayette's rush line
| half He was not tested much on the de-
| fence, but did all that was required of
| him.
| Quarterback is another position that has
| worried the triumvirate. Bergin played a
| brilliant game on Saturday. He ran the
team fast, selected plays well and proved
| himself a capable field general. His exc
cution Of the forward pass was erratic,
but good at times. His running back of
punts was excellent. He had a clean start
a good many times, because McCaa out
kicked his ends rather too often but he
got away on several occasions with the
opposing tacklers flying at him from all
directions, making one of his most brill
liant runs after snatching a ball that had
hit the ground before he reached IT, His
work was particularly good in view of the
deadly tackling of the Lafayette PLAYERS
that being one of the best features of the
game of the Easton team. The Princeton
backs and ends showed Improvement in
this respect also.
Read is no experiment and neither in a
way, IS Dawson. Both played a lot OF
good football. Sparks was brilliant at
times, but was almost useless on end
plays because of his tendency to run
across the field looking for an opening ia
cut in He showed a lot of strength in
going through the line, however.
The defensive strength of the Princeton
team was not tried out by any means La
fayette made its distance only once, but did
lot Of kicking the first and second
downs. Such attempts as the visitors made
TO advance the ball on straight football
were pretty generally smashed by the
Princeton defence, the line being better
then than on the offence. Lafayette hay-
ing such a splendid punter as McCaa, used
good judgment in playing a kicking game
but Bergtn's good work nullified this ad-
vantage on most occasions. It is probable
however, that test against a team much
stronger extensively than Lafayette would
have found just as sturdy an opposition
Cunningham played strong game when
he replaced Mathews late in the second
half He went through the line on tackle
plays IN fine fashion, and some thought he
should have been employed sooner It is
still on the cards that he may play an end
position. WEIGH was not up to the stand
ard at all, and is by no means as good a
man as Balm. although he has had more
experience
Generally speaking. Princeton has the
material for a team rather above the aver
age. but there is a tremendous amount OF
polishing work for the coaches to do
There is no reason why they should not
turn out good team, however and one
well worthy to uphold Princeton football
traditions.
FARM FOR CONSERVATIVES.