New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-30
Weak Point Of Navy Play.

The Navy had been tipped off TO me as
q team thoroughly understanding the for-
ward pass. which had not been true our
ing the last few years. Their work III
this respect. however. was decidedly poor
for the reason that the backs and Brown
who also tried II from place KICK ior-
nation. rarely threw the ball near their
own men. They put their effort into get
ting II down the field. instead OF sendlns
II swiftly and accurately into the arms OF
their ends and backs.
As n result the Army backs had love
feast in intercepting them. and thus gain
ing possession of the ball or else Wheh
eligible Navy players were near by pat
ting 1t to the ground.
Without taking any credit from the
Army. it can be said the Navy backs
were glaringly weak in their defence Tor
The forward pass They invariably COW
cred Merrillat as he ran down TO eaten
Prichard's passes. yet when the ball
came down they seemed unable TO knock
II to the ground, although sometimes In
position to do so.
Another marked superiority in playing
the passing game on the part of the Army
was the fact that their linemen were al
ways rushing straight into the Navy
backs whenever they attempted passing,
while, on the other hand, the Navy for
wards would always stop when bearing
down on an Army back about to pass
every time he made the feint, with the
result that some passes were executed
which would otherwise have been ground
cd had they charged right into this man
without any delay.
In the punting of the two teams
there was some exceptionally brilliant
work accomplished down the field by the
Army ends and by the Navy ends and
guards Merrillat was a wonder at cover
ing ground; TO my mind the fastest end
rush of the year. and one by no means
weak in defending his wing.
Ingram was down with his two big
guards in the first half but in the sec
ond half. when Brown especially. tired
because of the work he had been doing.
which was considerably more than scor-
ing the Nays nine points, lost some OF
his speed, the work of getting under
punts fell upon Captain Gilchrist, right
end of the Navy. and it was during this
perlod that his work down the field was
wellnigh perfection.
Ingram PLAYED excellently, but in one
case he turned in too quickly in going
down the field, with the result that
Prichard. who caught the punt, stepped
outside Of him and made a pretty run
of twenty yards before the linemen COW
cred him.
But 1t was Merrillat and Markoe who
stood forth as the better men In down
the field work. ] think that the Navy
was a bit too anxious 90 get Brown and
Howe down under punts. thus causing
two Of their own kicks 20 be blocked be-
cause Brown and Howe shot by their
opposing linemen
Goal Followed Blocked Punt.
One Of these blocked punts was direct
~ responsible for a score for the Army.
their first placement kick, which followed
shortly after Brown made his for the
Navy. 1t was the kick Jones blocked
and rushed after instead OF knocking over
the punter, who was the only man to
prevent his team mate Merrillat from
picking it up and making touchdown.
But the blocked kick gave the Army
the ball twenty yards from the Navy
line. Two plays carried It, without much
gain. well to one side of the field. where
the Army faxed place kick for two pur-
poses--frst. to gain the necessary yard
age. and. that failing, TO put the ball
directly in front Of the goal so a place
Ii. l.. II l..
piece of generalship. and resulted in
bringing the Army up to even terms with
the Navy, az Coach Daily sent in his best
placement kicker in time to earn the
three points.
4 pretty piece of offence was used by
the Navy for a 5-yard gain In the second
quarter OF the game. a back, playing
wide. came in toward his quarter two or
three times, evidently claiming that he
could not hear the signal. A heated
argument evidently arose between this
back and the Navy quarterback, and in
the midst OF II the ball was snapped to
Nichols. the quarterback making five
yards through the surprised Army line
The Two Teams Compared.
In point OF play the Navy line out
matched the Army at the two guard
positions. At tackle the Army had very
slight advantage. At centre McEwan
had the better Of the argument with
Perry and produced brand new .dea,
the spiral pass which he used in send
ing the ball back 10 his kicker.
At ends the work on defence was equal
~ strong. although Ingram was the stone
wall OF the afternoon in this part OF the
work. In the backfield il was hard to
choose, all OF the men playing up 10
their limit.
As in all games, the substitutes came
in for full share of the glory, as no
the Navy, relieving Nichols in the last
period lie was a most insistent young
salt when It came 10 running with the
ball. especially in the matter of refusing
TO be tackled, for he invariably waded
right through a host of Army boys on
every occasion when he ran with the
ball. the occasions being quite numerous
at that. But the Army backs were ex-
ceedingly well balanced. and as a whole
stood out above those OF the Navy.
Each team depended TO a considerable
extent on wide end runs from a kick
formation, and in this the linemen were
rushed out to get into the interference.
The Navy used the play most success
fully In the first half. when Brown and
Howe were fresh. but later they had
little success with It,
I, .nr,oiped for the Army To uge a play