Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-16
BY H. C. BYRD.

BY II. C. BYRD.
years ruling. will be decided next Satur-
day The big elevens will start the hard
part of their schedules then, and whether
or not the play will be depended on for
the majority of the gains is the ques-
ton which, when answered. will give an
idea as to its future status. That the
play has been used extensively so far
this year is known, but it is a question
if the big elevens. as soon as they start
the hard games on their schedules, will
not go back to the old-style methods
for the majority of their gains, thus dis
carding the play which is likely to fail
to such an extent that it would result in
fluke touchdown for the opposing team.
That the play is no more useful to a
team on the offensive this year than
last is certain. When the ball was thrown
forward last season, even though it were
fumbled, the man first deceiving it had
a chance to recover it. which he has not
under the new code. The play as 1t
stands now is whole lot easier to break
up than it ever was. 1t is the easiest
kind of a matter to spoil a pass under
the present conditions. provided player
l.
go after a ball the chances are that they
are going to crash into each other and
when they do there is only one thing to
take place-a fumble-and tumble means
that the play is spoiled and the offensive
side has paid the price of down.
So far this year the big elevens have
given out their intentions to develop the
open style of play at almost any cost,
but the same was done last season. me
chances are. though. that when the cham
MI art ha
will be almost entirely discarded, the
coaches fearing to take chances with the
uncertain play.
The forward pass has many enemies
among foot ball experts and several times
its fate has almost been sealed. What
ever may happen to it, it is now and Will
continue to be of little real value to an
eleven as a ground-gaining medium
There is one thing which it accomplishes,
though, and that is to keep the defense
spread so that one man is able to gain
through the line fairly consistently.
are murmurings as to the apparent weak
ness of the eleven, these will be dispelled
when the team reaches it's real stride
and plays the game of whici 1T Is really
capable. Georgetown as 1t aI-eared sat
urday is not the Georgetown that Will
be seen two or three weeks from now.
There were many things which entered
into the game Saturday which were elm
mated before it was finished, and 1t Is
not probable that they will again crop
out this year. Georgetown's support
ers should not feel discouraged over the
defeat at the hands of the Indians. They
will have ample cause to feel elated be-
fore the end of the season.
There We're two big factors which
entered into the game Saturday which
had a great deal to do with the result.
The first was that the team had not been
up against an opponent before this year
which even began to Try its strength.
and as soon as it struck the Indians IT
was practically playing its first game
against one Of the best teams in the
country one that had already played and
won five games, one from team which
scored two touchdownS on Pennsylvania.
Even though the game had been later
in the season, it would have been ex-
ceeding the expectations of everybody II
Georgetown had held the Indians to tie
score, and no one could expect the Blue
and Gray eleven to come out of Its first
game against an eleven fully as good
as either Harvard, Pennsylvania or Yale.
The fact that Georgetown has been
against team worthy to be claSsed among
that could have happened. Another fac
tor which had a great deal to do with the
result was that the players themselves
had the idea that nothing in the world
could defeat them, and that they were
good enough to win games without hard
practice The result of the Indian game
taught them differently, and from now on
they will enter into their work with
greater zest and determination. The play
ers learned one great lessOn-that no mat
ter how much individual ability a man
may possess, unless he has worked and
obtained the foundation to enable him to
go through a grueling foot ball game he
can never hope to win when stacked
against real class.
The Georgetown eleven has had its les
son. Watch il from now on.
Incidentally more points were scored on
the Georgetown team Saturday than have
ever been tailed on any other team that
Fred Nielsen has coached.
Lehigh must have a great eleven this
year. Reports from New York state that
Princeton was lucky to get tie game
with that team and everybody knows
what Princeton has been doing to the
other teams it has faced.
Virginia doomed up whole lot stronger
in Saturdays game with Swarthmore
than anybody has given II credit for be-
ing this year. Judging by the reports
that have been circulated. had the field
Judge seen things little differently, Vir-
ginia would have won by IL to o score
There was a great deal Of discussion re-
garding the play, almost every virginia
man contending that II should have been
a touchdown although IL was declared a
safety.
Virginia's line outplayed the Swarth-
more forwards, even though II was consid-
erably outweighed, IL the reports of the
game are accurate. while the backneld
also did good work. the only objection to
il being that there was not enough weight
in it.