The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-09-23
CONFERENCE
FOOTBALL DOPE

j. H. Richie in Minneapolis Journal:
Conference football training opened
with a snap Saturday afternoon and
there was good reason to speed the
athletes from the crack of the gun.
Minnesota in particular has need for
some tall hustling as next Saturday
the local season opens with South
Dakota and the gophers have a little
important business to transact with
those same coyotes.
Last year when the local team was
green with the emerald hue of a June
cucumber the South Dakota veterans
stepped into Northrop field and ad-
mln1stered a clean-cut defeat to the
aspiring youngsters. The gophers
ought gamely, but South Dakota's
veterans had too much experience
and walked off with the contest. Lat
err the gophers came along until they
could probably have given the Dako-
tans a decisive beating, but mills
can't be turned with water in the pool
below the wheel, SO it had to stand
that way. Saturday the Dakotans are
coming back and the gophers will go
out. not only to win for the sake of
this years record, but there will be a
little something Of reprisal in the
minds of the athletes who participated
in last years contest. - :
From Vermilion comes the word
that the coyotes hold themselves lust
as good this year as they We're last,
and that was rather above the average
for South Dakota teams. While some
of the veterans who played last wear
will be missing, Coach Henderson and
A. H. Whittemore. both we'll known
in northwestern football circles, ex-
press a belief that the South Dakota,
team of 1918 will be fully equal in
strength and speed to that of 1912.
In addition to good new material the
Dakotans have been working for sew
eral weeks and should come to- Mime
apolis in trim to give Minnesota a
first-claSs argument. y"
Dr. Williams and the coaching staff
are taking the South Dakota team
quite seriously this year, and work on
Northrop field this week will doubtless
be conducted under as high pressure
as the early season will permit. Tne
with every appearance of first class
physical condition and the coaches
will probably be able to start real
football right away.
Weather conditions, if the present
GOODNESS continues, are highly favor
able for corking good football work.
Last season the heat bothered the
players, but Saturday and today seem
about as favorable as could be asked
and the athletes are expected to make
the most Of the opportunity.
1t seems that M~innesota's old bug
aboo, eligibility, is not bothering the
team this year nearly so much as has
been the case in former years. The
players evidently set their hearts upon
getting clear of scholastic bars and
worked SO diligently that
lively few of the men thought neces-
sary for the team are held up by class
room delinquencies. There are several
players who will have to clear up. but
tho number in trouble is slight as COM
pared with some former years.
In addition to the eligibility of the
men there are a number Of good
youngsters out for the team and some
of these will, the prophets say. make
some Of the veterans step to keep them
from winning places on the teams. In
some years gone by there has been 3
scramble to find enough men to make
up a good first team, but this year there
will be some competition for almost
every place, and that sort OF thing
makes for good football teams. Min
nesota this year seems to be starting
of with everything favorable for a
good team. The squad is made up of
good looking material and with an al.
most total absence OF extra big men
such as were on some of the former
teams. The candidates out are8not pyg-
mics by any means, but there are no
Bill timers or Theodore Vitas afnon
them. The material looks to have,
speed and Is well balanced us to