Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-17
By Bob Blake.

BY BOD Dldk6.
r. q far as training goes, the chief
y point in the Vanderbilt system is
light scrimmaging work, hard work
in long distance running to develop
me wind and enable the team to
null off plays with the speed it
uses: much signal practice, and
com aratively little secret practice.
Two scrimmages a week is about
as much as McGugin ever puts his
men through, and in hot weather
the number is reduced. Such scrim-
IMAGES as there are are usually
Uent without any of the hard
g,ueiling work that used to be
thought necessary to develop a
football team.
The lack of these hard scrim-
images lessons the chances of in
Jury, in the first place, and, in the
second place. it does not leave the
men worn and tired when the
games come.
That is one secret of the abound
ing energy and vitality that the
Vanderbilt teams display, ! think
They are fresh, fit and ready for
the fight on Saturdays when they
meet their opponents. There . is
never scrimmage' on the Friday
before a game.
Worn Out Team Loses.
The disadvantage of sending a
team into a game worn out and
pounded to pieces was never shown
more forcefully than in the Wander
bilt- Sewanee game Of 1909, when
Vanderbilt entered the contest list
less and spiritless because of two
long trips and fierce struggles on
the previous Saturdays. 1t is sig
n1cant that this game is the only
one lost to a Southern team since
the coming of McGugin.
Mucn long distance running is in
Guided in the training program. On
rainy days, when the field is I'M
usually sloppy, McGugin occasion
aiy has his entire squad out on the
roads in long distance runs, and
every day he finishes the after
Moons practice with a mile or so
for each man on the track. The
endurance and hard wind develop
ed by this work form one of the
chief factors in Vanderbilts most
distinctive feature, the rapidity
. with which the plays are pulled off
When Vanderbilt played Yale, the
p Eastern papers we're amazed at the
speed with which play followed
play, There is no waiting for the
team to line up to call signals. Even
before the ball was down the quar-
ter began singing them out. and by
the time the men were all on their
feet and in position the play was
started
Work Constantly on Signals.
Another strong point in the
coaching system is the signal prac-
toe. The team is drilled at least
one hour each day, drilled so that
each man thoroughly and absolutely
Knows exactly where he must stand,
"here he must go, and what ne
must do when each signal is called
IT IS this insistence on absolute ex-
actness of style that gives the sure
accuracy that marks the playing Of
the teams When a new play is
oelng learned, there Is no haste
SHOWN. The play is drilled in slow
~ and thoroughly. When 1t is once
mastered it is pulled off with light
nlng-like speed.
ne Vanderbilt style of play does
not include any large assortment of
freak plays in the attack, and there
Iore comparatively little secret
pfactice Is necessary. OF course,
'he team usually has a card or two
up its sleeve which can be pulled
IN case Of necessity. But to a large
extent Vanderbilt uses plain foot
ball
This does nor mean, however.
'nst the same plays are used year
e''er year. II Is the very fact that
,leN are not that has kept Wander
oi+' attack so diversified that their
opponents are often guessing Nc
Tusln has been. the greatest devel-
per or new plays the South ever
.'7o' probably, and the beauty about
Is that they are all standard
pays. There is the split play one
me most effective line bucks
mat mas ever been devised. 1t was
introduced in the South by McGu-