Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-14
BY II. C. BYRD.

BY II. G. BYRD.
If the big colleges figured that in getting
through the four-down rule in foot ball
they were going to make it easier for
themselves in their games with the small
er institutions on their schedules they
certainly made a grievous blunder. 1t
was figured at the beginning of the pres
ent season that big scores would be run
up by the larger elevens on the smaller
ones. and while this has been true in
some cases, just the opposite has taken
place generally
1t is probable there has not been sea-
son since the introduction of the for
ward pass when the big teams have been
held to as low scores and more upsets in
form taken place than have occurred TINS
fall. There is only one of the so-called
big teams which has not escaped beat
ing by very narrow margin and there
are several which have been defeated.
Right at the beginning of the year
Yale, Harvard and Cornell found them
selves up against tough propositions.
Yale barely got away with its opening
game by the margin of a touchdown. and
it won its second by no greater advan-
tage Since that the Dark Blue has
braced. though. and won from Lafayette
and Syracuse by decisive scOres-not
larger scores than is generally. expected
when a Yale eleven plays a team from
one of those schools
Harvard had a hard time defeating the
University of Maine, and had it not been
for a freak element of chance which
broke agains: Maine it would have been
tied. Then again. last Saturday. the
Crimson was scored on by one OF the
elevens which have never been considered
in it's class.
Pennsylvania started a brilliant season
1T won it's games with the secondary
elevens by much larger, scores than
formerly and the general opinion was
broadcasted that the Quakers had an
eleven which ranked above any in the
country and which would redeem all fall
ures of the past year. Gettysburg. Frank
lin and Marshall and Dickinson were de-
feated by wide margins, but last Saturday
came the Waterloo. Swarthmore, Just
starting another rampage in the foot ball
world, was the Stumbling block which
spoiled the hopes of the Pennsylvania ad-
herents that an eleven representing the
school was going to go through another
season without defeat. Not even the
brilliant backfield was able to cross the
goal line of the smaller school and there
Blue was not outplayed. 1t was a bitter
defeat. and. while foreshadowed by the
big score by which Swarthmore won from
Lafayette. was entirely unexpected.
Inc lnQ1dnS nave also not DoeIl dDle
to keep clear record against the weaker
aggregations. Notwithstanding the fact
that they have run up big scores on every
other eleven they have met. they were
held to a 90 game by Washington and
Jefferson. That has been the only re-
verse which has checked the career of the
Indians. though.
Cornell has twice gone down to defeat
before minor institutions. has failed to
score a touchdown in ANOTHER, and barely
n fourth Sn far the
Ithacans have gone through a disastrous
season, with hardly glimmer Of light
to brighten the gloom. Whether or not
the eleven will pick up later on and win
that. from past performances, the changes
in the code have not helped it any.
Princeton is the one big school which
has been able to trim the smaller elevens
by scores consistent with it's prominence
in the foot ball world. The Tigers have
not failed to run up big tally on any of
the teams they have met, and give every
Indication OF coming to the front later
with another championship aggregation.
barring accidents.
Georgetown did not have such an easy
time getting away with Washington and
Lee after all The Lexington eleven was
just about as heavy as the Blue and
Gray, and put up stronger game of foot
ball than was generally thought would be
the case. There were times when the
Virginians looked to be an aggressive,
capable eleven, and had it not been for
the fine ability of the Georgetown backs
it is probable that an even sturdier de-
Tense would have been put up:
Georgetown showed that it has an
eleven which is above the average of
those in this section. 1t should win
every game in which it figures against
the south Atlantic elevens. Barring the
Indian contest, the Hilltoppers should
hardly encounter great deal of oppo-
,;< -, off hnir
One of the men on the Georgetown
squad made statement the other day
which just about shows how the other
elevens in this section are estimated.
When asked regarding the game with
Virginia he replied What is the use
to worry about that? Costello can beat
that eleven himself. If we didn't have
a coach we would win from Virginia"
With that kind of team it would APP
pear that Georgetown will win every
game in which it meets the south At
lantic elevens. The Blue and Gray will
probably be defeated by the Indians.
but it should not drop contest to any
Of the other teams on their schedule.
The defeat sustained by Catholic Uni
versity at the hands of the Rock Hill
eleven last week, while hardly suited
to the tastes of the Brooklanders' fol-
not have come as great surprise
Neither does the defeat show that the
eleven will not be successful during the
remainder of the year. OF course. it is
not to be expected that the team will
win from Villa Nova and Dickinson, but
in the contests listed it should make a
creditable record
Until last Saturday, when it faced Rock
Hill, the Brooklanders had hardly had
scrimmage, and there was not the least
real line had on the men. Rock Hill, on
the contrary had played two games.
which was an inestimable advantage
against a green eleven.
With as heavy a team as that pre-
scented by the Brookianders, it was, of
course, discouraging to have it defeated
by what was little more than an aggre-
cation of boys. but the main reason for
the poor showing was the late start. 1t
cannot be expected that Coach McDevitt
can take bunch Of green men and de-
velop them in two weeks sufficiently to
meet a team which has been playing a
month.
While he did not get much credit in the
report of the game for the manner in
which he played Saturday in the NJ A. /
C.-HQpkins game. Koehler. the center on
the former eleven. was one of the most |
important factors in the success of his |
eleven. There was never time when his |
passes were not accurate and sure and
his general defensive play was about the |
best that has been seen by any man hold |
ing down the pivot position on a secon-
dairy college eleven in long while
Koehler was down under punts. he was