New-York tribune., 1913-11-23
Critic Considers Crimson
Machine the Strongest
in Many Years.
MAHAN'S FINE PUNTING
POORLY BACKED UP
Pine Eleven Wonderfully Game
and Willing, but Had No
Chance to Win.
RY Sol Metzaer.


BY Sol Metz9er.
fBy telegraph 10 The Tribune]
cambridge. Mass. Nov PA superb
uorvard football machine, one OF the
--.o,est that ever wore the Crimson, II
-, the best of all, completely outplayed
yals in every point Of the contest this
,..rroon and won the long-sought-for
'.s.orv over the Eli in its historic stad-
'.u, with a score Of Is TO 5, all of the
r.-,r,son points being the result Of field
.oaIs BY Charles Brickley, who proved
S,rself by this one feat the greatest
rn..ter Of drop kicking Of all time.
while too much credit cannot be given
pr,ckley. TO my mind II was the strength
=, this perfect Crimson machine that
,,.se victory possible, machine that
.,os well groomed, smooth. alert and eX-
oAedingly powerful. yet withal quick 10
s.,ze opportunity; aye. even to make op-
nortunity do its bidding.
True. Yale aided in piling up the crop
vcks BY atrocious lack Of judgment by
q. hacks in their failure TO get under
Naban's well-placed and therefore most
affective
work of Wilson and Ainsworth been per-
s.ct in this department there could have
hsen no checking the pounding OF TINS
Crimson machine.
No more complete mastery OF one eleven
over another, in any big contest, mas
hasn shown since the modern game had
Us birth than that which Harvard had
over Yale here to-day. In the line worK
Of the two teams the Crimson forwards
from end 10 end. with the one exception
n Martlng. who alternated at centre and
guard with the Yale captain, was bet
Ter than the play Of the Blue forwards
both extensively and defensively.
In backfeld work Harvard had de-
cidedly the better of it. the men running
with more dash and confidence, giving
better assistance 10 one another IN inter-
ference and especially in handling punts'
ON defence Brickley and Bradlee, until
he wore himself out, were especially note
worthy. and BEETLE. who relieved Bradlee'
was quite able to live up TO the work OF
his predecessor. In handling punts Har-
ward was much stronger, and in this work
strength was not needed 10 show super
iority. for sureness only in catching was
all that was demanded.
Crimson Lineren All Over.
The surprising part Of Harvards line
play was the amount Of ground covered
BY the line from tackle TO tackle, and the
bose. free play of the guards. Often one
or the other played back with his quarter
back, leaving only six men on the line OF
scrimmage, yet so strong was their
charge and so wide their range that Yale
could not sweep plays through or around
them with any consistency.
In defensive work Yale's formation ana
play proved at fault in comparison with
that Of the Crimson. in that the Yale
line from tackle TO tackle played more
compactly, in fact. too much so.
Talbot, who is a driving and daring
defensive player Of the top rank, was
under too great a handicap in meeting
Harvard's attack, as he was so close 10
his guard that Hardwick, the Crimson
end sent TO box him, had much the ad-
vantage in position and in this manner
held the best man on the Blue line at
bay. On the opposite side this weakness
In Yales defence was more marked, as
Warren proved a sure target for the
sweeping attack of the Crimson when II
got well under way in the second hall.
Furthermore, this playing of guard In
the secondary line Of defence by Harvard
greatly strengthened their work in this
department. as II succeeded most ad-
mirably in blocking Yale's strongest play
-Ainsworth skimming outside OF Har-
wards left tackle. So great was Yale
confidence in this one play that they used
il almost exclusively in the opening ten
minutes Of the game, even when Harvard
had met II successfully in every attempt
However. Yale met with better success
In similar play aimed at Harvard S
night side, generally with Knowles car
Tying the ball, simply because Avery was
able 10 block Hardwick just long enough
10 let Knowles slip inside Of him.
Harvard eventually solved this attack.
though not until Knowles had made some
telling gains, once all but clearing the
last Crimson tackler Thereafter, Pen
mock and Gilman, Harvard's right guard
and tackle, respectively. were dashing in
their defence of this wing. and smoth-
cred all Of Yale's later efforts.
Where Blue Lost Ground.
1t was an unfortunate point for Yale
When Mahan began placing his punts
where Yale's two backs. Wilson and
Ainsworth, were not inclined TO cover
Generally Mahan found his opening
Straight down the field on the side where
'he ball was put down for scrimmage.
Either Wilson or Ainsworth would play
snort here. the other going far back
toward midheld. with the result that the
call would 90 bounding over their heads
and down the side line
Ins feature cost the Blue many
precious yards. often giving them the ball
inside their l0-yard lire, as Mahan had
such absolute control that his kicks spent
themselves just before bounding over for
ftouchback. Wilson had been well
coached not to catch punts near his goal
hhe after his disastrous work in the
rnnceton game. His work was far bet
Yer this afternoon in this one point, but
ne certainly had not been instructed TO
vet tnem bound along the ground TO this
dangerous ferriforv Again his noor