New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-30
Critic Says Teams Were
Well Matched in Other
Respects.
RESULT A SURPRISE
TO FORM FOLLOWERS
Turning Point Lay in
Navy's Failure to Make
an Early Touchdown.
BLOCKED PUNTS COUNT
Merrilat Proves Star of Day and
May Be Rated as Best
End Rash of Season.
BY Sol Metzger.

BY Sol Metzger
Superiority in executing the forward
pass and in blocking it on defence won
yesterday for the Army the best game
played between the two arms OF the SER
vice in many years by the score OF y
to Q 1t was by means Of this play that
the Army scored two OF its three winning
touchdowns. and it was I'm knowing how
20 block the play that the West Point
team prevented the Navy from playing
ther' a game on equal terms.
In nearly all other points Of play the
two elevens were well matched, each
having an offence OF about the same
strength and each playing its kicking
game on terms that gave no marked adj
vantage TO either team In so far as dis
lance and running back of punts were
concerned. except at the outset, when A
poor punt by the Army gave the Navy
its first goal from placement.
True, the Army blocked several kicks
Of the Nays, but this was due more to
the eagerness of the Navy forwards 70
get down the held than to any marked
superiority Of the Army i'm blocking
Tho result was most credtable one
for the Army, in that It entered the con-
test in the position of the under dog
BY reason Of the excellent defensive play
OF Navy guards. Brown and Howe. the
Army was forced to alter its planned at
tack on the Navy centre TO one aimed
primarily at the tackles and ends. but
depending for striking power on the for
ward pass, which. as the result shows,
proved the eleven TO be most versatile
one In offence.
On the other. the Navy had every
confidence in it's ability to beat down
the Army line from tackle to tackle. and
this in part proved true. especially i'm that
first wonderful advance. after receiving
the initial kickoff, TO the Army's 3-yard
line. But as the goal line was approached
and the Army backs brought more close
~ into the defence the Navy lust fell
snort of touchdown. which had il been
made would have given the eleven OK
IRENE confidence in it's power This all
ing, the Army line took into its heart new
strength, and from that time until the
END never wavered when danger threat
ened
Turning Point Of the Game.
consider the failure of the Navy 10
make this touchdown at the start the
turning point i'm the game Confidence
was lost by the team In its ability TO rush
the ball. confidence which it had when
II came on the field. And. in turn. con-
HdeHce was given 10 the Army even in
spite or the poor punt out following the
holding OF the Navy for downs on the
3-yard lire. which resulted i'm a goal from
placement by Brown. Of the Navy.
The Army had set its store i'm a limo
attack from guard TO guard by reason
Of its formation for attack. Eight men
were put on the line Of scrimmage. leay-
ing only three in the backfed, one OF
whom was the quarterback.
1t was formation so similar 10 the
one Michigan used in its big games This
fail that | am led TO believe that either
Lieutenant DAILY, the Army coach. and
Hurry Up Yost the Michigan coach.
has been conspiring in private or thai
great minds run In the same channel even
III such important matters as football
The idea OF the formation was to spread
the defensive line This Accomplished
the attack is directed entirely at tho On.
posing line from guard to guard. never
further out from either side of centre
In this way the attacking forwards Ga,
central opponents-in short. doubling I'D
against them, two men playing against
one.
That IL did not work was due 10 the
tremendous charging power OF Brown
and Howe. the Navy guards. who more
than any other men stopped an attack
that in theory was as nearly perfect az
anything could be. At that the drain
on them was so exhausting that they
were not up to their previous high stand
ard In covering punts toward the close
of the game, a point that has always
marked their play.
Forward Pass Helped Army.
Consequently one found the Army forced
to other tactics, and TO gain their end
they sprung their scoring plays from this
same formation. This undoubtedly had
the effect of taking the Navy by surprise.
they evidently expected nothing else
than the line-smashing game from such
a formation. AS result, when the ball
was on the Nays 20-yard line in the
first half In the Armys possession. Pritch-
ard chose wisely when he called for a
long forward pass TO Merrillat, his speedy
right end.
Pritchard, playing at quarter and taking
the pass from centre. delayed moment
TO fake centre buck. and then, running
to the rear and to the right, made a
clean pass right into the arms Of Merrillat
as the latter ran across the line for a
touchdown.
The second one came about from the
same close formation of eight men on the
line. with one of the halfbacks playing
at left end. The ball was close to the
right side OF the field, but Pritchard took
II and started toward the open side OF
the field. only to pass IL to his halfback,
who dropped out of the line and ran back