The Washington times., 1911-10-23
GEORGETOWN MAY /
LEARN NEW PLAYS
After Seeing West Point Coach Nielsen May Teach His
Charges Special Formations Find Soldier Tack
les Hard to Beat Virginia Hides Plays
BY LOUIS A. BOUCHER.


Now that Coach Fred Nielsen has
seen the West Point eleven in action,
he will begin this week to instruct his
charges on the Hilltop in formations ex-
ppected to succeed on the fridiron be-
side the Hudson. However, 1t Is doubt
full N he saw much in that aqueous
combat which will be Of much benefit to
him. Lakes and swamps offer little
chances for a football team to show its
class in anything save swimming and
diving, and fioundering about. He saw
the regularly Army formation, however.
and may have few plays to teach his
squad based on the style Of game adopt
ed by the doughboys.
On the other hands, those wide-play-
ing ends at Georgetown are very liable
10 find themselves boxed and smothered,
II the footing is good when the Blue and
Gray line up abainst the Army. Army
backs start fast. and much Is expected
of the tackles in getting their oppon-
bevore M seepSs and Weyand ss or Iittlejohn lit know
the Army style admirably, and the re-
suit may be decided In the play OF the
tackles
Assistant Coach Gargan saw the vir-
sinia-st Johns game at Charlottesville.
and he, too. saw little. The presence
of two Virginia Military Institute men
on the feld lin in e@apacity Of, of officials, ha,I,
many Of his good plays. Accordingly,
1t may be necessary for Gargan to see
another Virginia. contest before picking
up any pointers Of real use to the Blue
and Gray.
,. Should Be Forgotten.
Georgetown's game at Richmond
should be forgotten. 1t is not by such
games that varsity eleven is whipped
into shape. Georgetown might find a
sitter test If lined up against Central
High Schools team. Strong elevens
are not manufactured by facing such
opponents. and the result may be a
tendency in the Blue and Gray ath-
letes to imagine themselves better than
they are. The Carlisle game cured
them of whatever such ideas they had
until that day. but 1t may take k;,,,,, the h {.
ideas derived from games with Rich
mond and st. John s.
A wealth of good material Is avail
able at the Hilltop 1t needs only prop
strong, fast team, capable Of putting up
a good exhibition of football 1t is i'm
possible to look at that squad without
seeing its possibilities. Georgetown's
work Is ahead of 1t yet. A heavy back
field is needed, ginger must be put into
the forwards, and the tackling must be
improved. Unless these things are
done done before M & the Army game; say fare, re-
showing beside the Hudson.
Conditions Caused It.
Yale met it's second successive defeat
at the hands Of West Point largely be-
cause Of conditions. Where the Army
backs had resin on their hands enabling
them to handle the ball better, the Yale
backs fumbled the water-soaked and
nd ha ri m Iaof q
possible for them to gain any ground.
Where the Yale players came upon the
field covered with mud and water, wear
ing nothing but their worn-down cleats,
on their shoes. 1t is in these little
things that often lies victory.
The showing of the Ellis was miser-
able, and @ wholesale nc changes a. are @ ex.
q sieve for the Army backs. The ends
were distinctly outplayed. The backs
fumbled SO much that 1t is hard to gel
West West Point football stock has gone W
on the roof for an airing.
Sprackling Wins Game.
Brown, outweighing Penn and pos
sessing that incomparabale star of thu
gridiron, Earl Sprackling, outplayed thu
Quakers from first to last. and hat
little difficulty in winning, a forward
pass from Sprackling to Tenney doint
the trick. 1t was Browns second vic
tory over the Red and Blue in the his
tory Of their annual clashes.
Next Saturday Brown meets Harvard
and there should be something doing
too. Brown has never won a game from
the Crimson, though frequently coming
close to breaking its mournful record
Last year Brown outrushed Harvard
but was outlucked. Saturdays battl
in the Stadium at Cambridge will at
tract football enthusiasts everywhere.
Princeton Looks Good.
Princeton's showing against the Nav!
was better than expected and, had tn,
field been dry, the Tigers would hav,
run rings around the Middies. Indeed
so good did the Tiger forwards lool
that many believe the recent storie
from Princeton to have been sent forti
with a purpose. Navy has a goo,
eleven, but II Is still crude. BY tn
time OF the Army struggle. though,
should lhaye found itself.
The performance of Howe, Navy's biz
guard, was excellent He had n,
trouble In breaking through unde
kicks and led the ends down the field
Howe spoiled Pendleton's chances o
running back the kicks on almost ever!
occasion Brown. Weems, Dalton. AM
Gilchrist were other middies 10 shine
Dalton's Kicking excelled that of ID,
Witt, the Tiger gpunter.
y Virginia found st. Johns tribe dis
J ssacerting. and the Annapolis elevel