Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-29
Right Wing" Praises Power
and Speed Behind Grim
son Line

Right wing the noted f00lOaH
critic, picks Harvard's backfield this
year az the best in the east. After its
easy defeat of Holy Cross, the critic
wrote: m
Harvard's showing against Holy
Cross was about what l had been lee
to expect from the advance reports
from the Cambridge camp, with this
exception, that the attack was even
better than had thought to witness.
and the defence poorer, especially
when the substitutes were In. Con-
siderable allowance has TO be made
for the work of both teams, for the
game was played under broiling sun
and the men actually suffered. II was
almost too much to expect that under
the conditions the Harvard men would
De seen at their best. Yet their best
was on view, none the less, also their
poorest. and the present criticism
makes due allowance for the all but
upbearable conditions On better
cay there would have been vast diff
ference, perhaps. in the work of in
dividuals, but enough of the general
plan was shown to give some idea OF
the plan that is ii be pursued.
Right here 1t may be said that the
Crimson expects to play the running
game up to the hilt, and already has
enough of IL In hand to create havoc
with anything but the stiffest kind Of
defence. Not on any field this year has
there been such an exhibition of
ground gaining as the Crimson un-.
corked against Holy Cross. It Is true.
of course, that other teams have run
up bigger scores, but they we're against
opposition far less serious than that
presented by the Worcester eleven.
Coach Larkin brought down husky
team of real football players, men who
could stand up to the work under any
conditions. To be sure, the men did
not always use their heads, and their
generalship for the most part was ex.
evrable. but 1t was team Of willing
workers. that In the second halt seri-
oaisly menaced the Harvard goal line
against pretty well substituted team.
and, hut for poor choise OF plays.
would have had an excellent chauce uf
scoring.
Impressive on Attack.
In the first two periods the Harvard
eleven showed what It coEM DO on at
tack, and It was an impressive show.
ing. while In the last two pc -io,Is the
Crimson showed what Il could not do
on defence, and that was far from en-
couraging. For the moment, then, back
to the attack. The Crimson began the
game with one of those old time
marches down the field for a toIcn-
down, this time seventy yards, ani y
was good, fast, hard, standup football
every yard of It. Wendell. Brickley
and Hardwick, running froln the
square formation. but with the bail
passing through the hands of the quar-
ter, ripped OF gain after gain, striking
inside tackle and grinding out the dis
lance almost invariably without the
OF taking thought for the
fourth down. This sort of ground
gaining would have been as efecsiys.
indeed, under last years rules az 1t Is
under this seasons code. There was
a deadly certainty about the Harvard
advance that spelled disaster for Holy
Cross, and the stirring running brought
the crowd to its feet as football has
not done since the old days of tho
march down the field. y.,,s. -.
Speed And Power In 6aekfield.
The Harvard back field had speed
and power, started quickly and kept
on going. The tackling of the Wor-
cester men, of course, was far from
and, although the visitors
we're heavy, they did not hit the Grim
son runners and too hard but there
was just enough OPPOSITION to en-
phasize the sturdy work OF the Har-
ward backs. Later in the game the
Crimson showed other flashes Of sus-
tanned power on attack, making hve
splendid advances, but the very first
parade was the most imposing OF the
lot. In the course of this steady drive
against the Holy Cross line there was
no attempt to open out the defence
with the forward pass or kick threats,
or the actual execution of these plays,
which made the power Of the Harvard
plunges all the more remarkable. Holy
Cross had only one man well back and
the secondary defence wa5 up almost
on the backs of the line Of forwards.
1t was just such a packed defence as
one saw in the. old days. Yet even
this concentrated defence failed to
check the fiery and memorable Grim
son runner and the team swept over
the line as it had gone down the field.
with a deadly certainty calculated to
strike fear into the hearts of the most
determined defence.
Now one back, now another. led the
attack. the quarter handing the ball
from close up under the center, anG
whether it was a terrific lunge ny
Wendell, a boring in by Brickley Of a
slashing, switching dash into quick
opening ty Hardwick. everything
seemed to go.
Hardwick is one of the best half
backs | have ever seen. He is ter
ror in a broken field and at the same
time is able to work himself free OF
the press by a clever drawing away of
the hips and smart use of the most
effective stiff arms that ever has come
under my notice. Strictly speaking, 1t
Is not stiff arm, but a bent arm, for