The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-27

Chicago, Oct. 27.-With the final
1913 month Of football play initiated
next Saturday, Michigan Agricultural
college occupies the commanding posi-
ton in the west. Leadership decisions
are not yet to be made in the big
nine and Missouri valley conferences,
as most of the games scheduled as
championship battles are yet to be
fought. Unless an almost slump in the
work Of the team occurs the Michigan
Aggies will finish it's schedule without
a defeat. 1t will nave a record of vic
tories over Michigan and Wisconsin,
last years western champions. It's fin
al standing will depend largely upon
the shoWig of the Wisconsin team in
the next month, rather than upon the
play 1t accomplishes itself. 1t does
not meet any Of the other teams which
nov look like championship possibiIi-
ties.
Chicago, a team with weakness in
the line, placed itself firmly in the race
Saturday by it's defeat Of Purdue. The
Maroons showed some of the possibili-
ties claimed for them before the OPEN
ing Of the season. It's backfield, ac-
knowledged to be powerful, showed
itself. more shifty than that of the
Boilermakers. Its, kicking and cover
factor was the deciding n in the
battle.
Purdue showed three weaknesses, in
ability to kick, inability to handle the
long and elusive spirals, and inability
to cover even short and high kicks.
The Purdue ends failed to stop the
return of punts for long distances and
were also circled from scrimmage.
Chicago protected it's ends so decisive
ly that the Purdue attack was turned
to the center of the line. This line
held whenever 1t was forced to battle
upon its own territory. In the final
minutes Of play, when too late, Pur-
due opened it's offense and showed a
startling line Of open work, carrying
the ball almost to the Chicago goal
on consistent forward passing alone.
Illinois proved its. right for another
week at least in select company by de-
feating the Indiana team. The Illinois
have a hard months play ahead of
them, meeting four big nine teams in
succession. It's battle with Chicago
this week is the. decisive one in it's
schedule. Seuppke has forced his
team to win thus far without the aid
Of the open play for which he is
famous and because Of the material
at his command the Illinois rooters
will consider the season a success,
even if the last victory has been
staged.
In he Missouri valley, Kansas again
demonstrated it's magnificent defense
by holding the Kansas Agricultural
team scoreless. The Kansas have been
scored upon but once this year, Wash
ington university having the honor.
Nebraska meeting a tartar in the
strong Haskell Indian team, coached
for it's meeting with the Corn Huskers,
won a n point. victory after the
hardest kind of fighting. Nebraska
has easy going for the next two
weeks, meeting Ames and Wesleyan
and should be able to. bring it's team
UP to the decisive Kansas-Nebraska
in tiptop condition Missouri kept itself
in the running Saturday by scoring
it's first victory owe the Ames Agri-
cultural team. This was also the first
defeat for Ames by a team from south
of Mason's and Dixon's line In the
last fifteen years.
While having no bearing upon mat
tiers in the west, the score Yost's team
was able to pile up on Vanderbilt
shows that the Michigan machine is
still formidable and that it was not
weakness which led to it's defeat at
the hands of the Aggies. The Wolver-
ines will have a test indeed in this
weeks meeting with Syracuse.
Saturdays game produced few up
sets and few features. Iowa uni
versity, which team seems destined
to make the high score record for the
year through weakness of it's OPP
ponents made one% Of the highest big
nine scores in years in trampling over
Northwestern.