United labor bulletin., 1910-11-24
oFFENsE WINS MANY GAMES
Football Teams With Strong Plays
and Men to Use Them Score Vic
torIes-Yost Sees Error.

eottCo bOot 0cCb GTT0Gs
Football teams that have developed
a strong offense loom up as the con-
tenders for championship honors
throughout the country. Those which
have striven to perfect a defense,
without paying extraordinary attention
to the offense demanded by the new
rules. are making only poor showing
and the coaches are beginning to real
ize that an eleven without great
number of plays and men back of the
line with ability to work them are In
no shape to claim titles. In the words
of an old football player. "a strong de-
fensive team may tie a great many
games. but 1t takes an eleven with a
strong offense to wfn."
Michigan is one Of tie most promi-
nent schools in which too much atten-
tion has been paid to the defense to
the neglect of the offense. Coach Yost
has been working all year with three
games in view, says a writer In the
Chicago Daily News. His schedule has
been particularly hard-Notre Dame,
Pennsylvania and Minnesota. the three
strongest teams on the list, following
each other on successive Saturdays.
His early games have been practice
affairs and against schools which in
previous years had always been beat
en- by his eleven by overwhelming
scores.
In coaching his team Yost has been
particular to build up defense cap
able of taking care Of his three strong
est opponents while letting his offense
go until just before his big games. In
this way he has prevented his oppo-
nents from gaining much ground
against his team, as is shown In the
games in which the Wolverine eleven
has participated. The Ann Arbor goal
line has never been In danger of a
touchdown and no team thus far has
been able to gain consistently against
Michigan. The sum total Of the gains
in the three games played SO far this
season would be considerably less than
20 yards.
In spite OF this. Michigan has won
only one of its three games. defeating
the Michigan Aggies by the narrow
margin of to 3. while both Case and
Ohio State have secured 3-to-3 tie
scores. While this shows the oppos-
ing teams could not gain against Mich
igan and were unable to score by run
ming the ball. 1t is equal proof that
the Wolverine ofense was even weak
er than that Of its opponents. for the
Michigan backs were not Obliged to
work against SO strong defense and
yet were unable to score.
Yost, according to critics. has taken
slow way to develop his team. but
that lately great improvement may be
seen. He will be forced to teach his
men a number Of offensive plays to
cope with the Syracuse eleven Satur-
day and there is no doubt expressed
that he will have greatly improved
offensive eleven on the field when he
takes on the easterners.
Minnesota is an example OF a team
that has taken up the work Of
Strengthening the offense to the neg
lect Of the defense. From the start OF
the season Coach Williams men be-
gan to reel OF intricate plays based
upon the new rules and the men were
taught something new each week. The
Gopbers have rolled up overwhelming
scores against their opponents and It
is on these scores that the followers Of
the conference elevens base their
hopes OF a victory for Minnesota over
Michigan Nov 10. Playing against
teams not in its class, the Gophers'
defense was found strong enough to
prevent any score being made against
II. although considerably more ground
has been gained against the confer
ence eleven than against Michigan. in
spite OF the difference in the scores.
In developing a strong offense the
line is the first consideration for the
coaches. In spite of the talk at the
start of the season about fast backs
and trick plays 1t has been found by
nearly all instructors that the strength
of a team lies in the strength OF its
forwards Thus the linemen have come
in for more than their share of coach
ing on the offensive side OF the game
and more stress is being laid upon this
as the season progresses.
II has been proved that the greatest
back field in the world cannot score
when the forward line is weak. The
University Of Chicago team has o back
field second to few In the West and
yet on account OF the weakness Of the
Maroons' forwards the Midwayites
have been beaten twice by teams the
back fields Of which were no better
than theirs and they were lucky to get
away with the Northwestern game. al
though the Purple backs were weaker
Chicago is not an isolated instance Of
this. The same state OF affairs Is to
be found throughout the country.
Much Of the ground-gafning ability
of teams this year depends on trick
plays and on the forward pass. In
both instances a strong line is needed
in order to give the back-neld men
time to work out the intricate forma-
tions. The forwards must hold the de-
fensive team back long enough for the
men carrying the ball to complete
their plays and this must be for con-
siderabiy longer time than was the
case under the old rules. Trick plays,
although they seem fast and snappy
to the spectators. take much longer
time to execute than simple ones. and
the forwards must be taught and must
have the ability to hold just SO much
longer.