The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-25

FlNstMt.N y
Since the Mosse football team put
the Tigers away Saturday afternoon a
dozen or more persons have asked
the writer V hat would have happened
mad Kansas played in the same man
ner against Washburn that they did
against the Columbia mean. And along
that line a few words of explanation
are not out of order. 1t makes a lot
OF difference in the appearance of a
team. 1t always looks better when
gaining ground than when it is losing.
That accounts a great deal for the APP
pearance of the Kansas team against
Missouri.
Kansas won a grand and gee-lorious
Victory against Missouri and the writer
Is as glad as a man who never attend
ed K. U. can be. But the very plays
which failed utterly against Washburn
beat Missouri. 1t was mostly the old
Minnesota shift that put the Tigers off
the map. That shift was tried against
Washburn time after time and it didn't
take. The fact that it did take against
the Tigers is due to their adopting the
wrong system of attempting to break
it up. as well as the prowess of the
Jayhawkers in putting it through.
Long before the Kansas game with
Washburn, Coach Driver looked over
the Minnesota shift and decided that
to beat Kansas it was necessary to
break up the shift. To do this he drew
his secondary defense in close. Along
this line he trained the Sons of Icha-
bod. Meantime he didn't uncover any
thing, losing to Emporia rather than
disclose his repertoire of plays. But
it is a matter of history that his plan
for smashing the shift worked. That
is what made Kansas look so poor in
the Washburn game. The shift was
t11Te lF IN
gain ground for for them. In the
game against the Tigers the same old
shift ruined the splendid Missouri line
and made the players look, at times,
like high school gridironists. The
secondary defense of the Tigers played
too far back to stop the shift. AS
a result, the play was nearly always
good for a gain, even though 1t was
slight at times. That Is %nat cau Sc
the seeming reversal of form of the
Kansas team. 1t Is also what gave
Kansas victory
OF course too much credit can not
be given Weidlien for his goal kick |
ing Why he didn't kick more of them |
is mystery to the spectators Twice
Kansas carried the ball to MisSourfs |
S-yard line and lost it on downs, never
attempting to kick. But the Kansas
booter put the game safely away for
his school had the touchdown not been
made. Wilson, who ran the team at
quarter, played a wonderful game Tor
kansas He mixed the shift, line
pIunges and tricks until he had Mis-
souri, a mile high most of the time
He carried the ball across for a touch
down on a pretty trick The entire
Kansas backfield showed up Well
SteuWe being the line bucking hero
and Coolidge the most successful
ground gamer. Detwiler twisted and
suuirmed his way through the oppo-
sition for good gains. Price, a To-
star the line.
He broke up interference like an ex-
pert. Captain Brownlee also gave a
good account of himself
One of the most spectacular features
Of the game was the 50-yard kick or
Shepherd, of Missouri, early in the
first half. From the middle or the
field he booted the ball squarely across
the Kansas goal. At that time kansas
stock was pretty low.
It seemed to the writer that Mis-
souri, really lost the game in the first
few minutes of play when, by a success
sion of line smashes and end runs, the
Tigers carried the ball to the Kansas
12-yard line. There was, apparently,
nothing to prevent their making
touchdown. Then Missouri fumpleo,
and a Kansan fell on the ball. From
then on Kansas began to fight, and it
seemed as though Missouri lost a little
of their pep. They didn't quit. Not
those niger boys. But Iney
handle the Jayhawkers as they had
started out to do. They introduced
some pretty forward passes and some
fakes that were cleverly executed, but
Kansas had their goat roped and hog
tied.
For Topekans, at least, the football
season so far should be mighty salts
factory. Washburn beat Kansas, which
was what Topekans wanted. Then
Kansas beat Missouri, which was also
exactly what they desired to see. 1t
is a funny thing, this football senti-
ment Before the Washburn game,
Kansas was the hated rivals. After
ward all pulled for Kansas to win.
And now if the Blue can overcome
Coach Lowman's giants next Thurs
day-ah, we'll, We'll wait till Thursday
night to celebrate
the Ichabods. From now until Wed
nesday night they have to fit them
aeIves to stop the line smashes and
end runs of the Aggies. With full I
strength and everybody going their i
best, there's a chance for Washburn |
to do it, But the writer sees a harder
battle than any the Blue has eX-
perienced this season scheduled for
Thursday afternoon,
Arkansas Beats Washington
st. Louis, Nov. 25.-Arkansas univer-
sitv football team defeated the Wash ! ,
NATA TNTNEF