The Detroit times., 1912-10-25
Coaches Have Been Giving
Time to the Defense
Alone
TRUST TO FLUKE TO
ALLOW THEM TO SCORE
Football is the Only Game That
Permits Such Treat
ment
BIZ RALPH l.. YoNKER.


Syracuse hopes to hold Michigan
By q crackerjack defense.
Reports from the east indicate that
the Syracuse coaches, land there
have been six of them preparing for
Michigan), have given mp all hope or
Syracuse being able To beat the VOL
verines, except by fiuke, and so have
devoted their time and attention 10
perfecting q defense that they hope
will stop Michigan when the two
teams meet tomorrow.
Syracuse will probably be in pos
session OF the ball only a few times
and those times will likely be short
ones. They are not placing much con-
idence In the ability of their back
field to gain through Michigan's line
or around the ends and so they can
not hope to keep the ball long.
Thus the campaign for Michigan
has been to work up the best defense
possible with the hope that they can
hold the Wolverines. and then take
advantage OF whatever break Of luck,
such as fumbled ball coming their
way, to score on the Wolverines.
Football il a peculiar game In that
II is possible to develop one depart
ment OF the game to the exclusion OF
another In preparing for any certain
game where the tactics OF the oppon-
ents seem as obvious as do those. or
Michigan and Syracuse, Saturday.
The reason for this popularity Is
that opportunities for offense and de-
tense are not equally divided arbi
trarily by the rules. There Is no
other game that resembles football In
this analysis.
In baseball, for instance. each side
has nine innings In which there Is
chance for offense, or scoring. and
chance at defense, or the prevention
OF scoring. The opportunities for OF
fekse must be given the weaker team.
Ia basketball and hockey, the ball
and the puck In so loose, and IL is SO
impossible for one side TO keep the
scoring entirely TO itset, that there
Is no chance to monopolize the OF
tense. although the stronger team
naturally gets the greater part OF II
In tennis there is an equal number
OF opportunities for each side to De
on the offensive.
But In football the stronger team
may get possession Of the ball and
confine to itself almost entirely the
offense. This Is because the team
may retain the ball provided II -
strong enough and give the opposl
ton no chance whatever to score.
This II what Ii expected OF Michi-
gan. Saturday. This IL why the Syra-
cuse coaches are devoting so much OF
~ Al. - Aofn
boys are helpless without strong
defense. s-rt
They may get q chance to use
their offense--and they may not.
II IL a football axiom that team
strong on offense strength may be SO
because OF individual stars, but tnat
team strong on defense must be SO
because of the associated strengtn or
It's players. - 80.
A single star may be able TO amass
points for his team, because OF his IN
diyidual prowess because only one
man Is absolutely necessary TO carry
the ball. The more to help him, the
ereatef his interference, Of course,
the better.
But on defense, there must be no
weak point anywhere. III there Is, the
opposing team is going to find 1t and
ram their men into 1t constantly.
A team is as strong as Its greatest
star on offense; II Is as weak as Its
Weakest man on defense.
The fact that Syracuse students
we're offering some money at three
10 ave that Syracuse would win now
a. an indication of feeling that
rSyracuse is stronger now than she
was q few days ago. Then the bet
ting was even money that Syracuse
would score.
Both Michigan and Syracuse have
practically finished their preliminary
work. Michigan arrived In Syracuse
this morning and prepared for light
workout this afternoon Syracuse
also. intended to limit their work to
easy practice.
Coach Conklin OF the All-Fresh pre-
diets that his team will win from the
rJniversity Of Detroit, at Ann Arbor
While Michigan Is winning from Syra-
c>rse. The u. of d., on the other
hand. IL preparing strenuously for the
r.me. and Coach Campbell hopes TO