New-York tribune., 1911-12-04
ON COLLEGE CR|D|RONS
Lessons of CorneIl'S Defeat by
Pennsylvania Team.
MORE TALK ON THE RULES
The Harvard Alumni Bulletin
Says There Is No Real De-
mand for Changes.

Little can be added 10 what already mas
been published in The Tribune about the
Cornell Pennsylvania football game last
Thursday ! can say in all fairness that !
watched Il with keener pleasure ard sat
| isfaction than any other that ] saw this
year. 1t was the kind OF football which
would make followers by the score, II fol-
lowers were needed, and It emphasized the
| Importance Of so amending the rules as
to more nearly equalize the attack with
the defence. ! am satisfied that the oe-
fence Of both Cornell and Pennsylvania
was less compact and quite n bit below
the standard OF that set by some Of the
other elevens, but this is the very thing
most needed as II makes a game that is
wonderfully interesting and fascinating.
The Pennsylvania players must be con-
graduated for the spirit shown in rallying
from a Disappointing season. marred Ivy
four defeats in the way they did. Further,
the Pennsylvania eleven and Andy Smith
the head coach. must be applauded for the
kind OF football developed. \ striking IL
lustration of offensive power was givcn
when the Quakers carried the ball 105
yards to a touchdown in Just seven plays
as the game opened. II carried one back
10 the old days when possession Of the ball
meant 80 much and when series Of plays
could be worked out and carried to a sue
cessful conclusion without depending Oh
mere chance. 1t would have been well n
10 defence this year had been stronger
than Cornell's. Football would have been
the gamer The score, in my opinion, did
not show the true worth Of the two elev-
ems. The smallest thing would have
! turned the tide. The men from Ithaca
were unfortunate In committing fouls AT
| critical moments, and penalties cost them
| dearly. They had opportunities to strike
which. II accepted, would have changed the
whole complexion of the game. Much has
| been written about Captain Mercer. but ]
would repeat here what ] said yesterday
in building The Tribune's All-Eastern team
II bas never been my pleasure 10 see a
| player who so nearly approached the stand
ard Of what fuback ought 10 be. For
! speed, hard running, use Of the straight
arm. picking openings. making his way with
/ OF without interference and bolsteTing up
his forwards on defence l have never seen
a more finished player.
Cornell had a disappointing season and
perhaps the least said about ii the better
| Dan Reed, the head coach, and his assist
ants worked hard, the players worked
| hard, once some of them awoke TO the fact
that they were not all powerful and all
important 10 the team. Overconhdence Is
, an insidous evil, and Judging from all re-
ports the eleven suffered from a virulent
attack. No doubt this did much to check
the development at time when long. for
ward steps were important. There were
some fundamental weaknesses against
Pennsylvania, but on the whole the team
knew a lot Of football. No doubt the
graduate system OF coaching will be at
/ tackled and a demand will he made by
some for a change in men and methods in
the keen desire for a winning team, or,
better, a team to beat Pennsylvania. This,
in my opinion. would be a mistake. for the
simple reason that Dan Reed, if he can be
persuaded TO serve again. knows his men
and their capabilities and now is in a po-
stion 10 begin next fall where he has left
off Only two or three players will be
lost by graduation, and with q strong
nucleus for an eleven next year results
may speak louder than they have this sea-
son. II Butch Eyrich is elected cap
tain, the logical choice It seems 10 me,
Cornell should be in a position TO do on
the gridiron what Il is doing so consist
emily on the water on track and field, on
the diamond and 'cross-country. Victory
at football is the one thing needed 70 round
out a wonderful sequence Of athletic sue
! cesses.