Norwich bulletin., 1914-12-09
EXCEPTIONAL FOOTBALL SEASON
 HAS JUST ENDED.
Practically All Big Games Won by Large Scores-5ig Attendances Witnessed Games,


 Large Scores-5ig Attendances
 Witnessed Games.
 With the playing of the Army Navy game on Saturday. the regular football season came to an end.
 It is rather curious that most of the big games this year re- suited in one-sided scores. There was it robbed the winning team of much of the glory. To start with, Harvard defeated Princeton easily, and defeat ed Yale even more easily. Having disposed of Michigan and all other teams of not that they met, gave HarvaFd Indispgted title title fDoothe to the game was probably the hardest fought of any of tiIe important con- f1icts. Although Yale won. Princeton finished so strong that many were of the opinion that had Princeton adopt ed the same tactis. in the first half of the game as she did in the latter part the Tigers could have won. That game was an exception to the rule. Pennsylvania was showed under at Ann Arbor. and Cornell, after defeat ing Michigan, played Pennsylvania and had a much harder time winning because Penn played her best game of the year, while it was evident that the Cornell team had gone back some since the Michigan game.
 The seasons play brought to light more of the possibilities under the re- vised rules, and in that respect it was a most successful one The attendances at the games were better than ever before, with the exception of those at Franklin field, where there was a shringage about in proportion to the success of the team. The early de- feats and the failure of the team to make good later, deprived Pennsyl- vania from enjoying the patronage that otherwise would naturally have been hers. The very fact that record breaking crowds turned out at Cam bridge, Princeton and New Haven is good proof that the present game of football is meeting with popular ap- proval Even those dyed-in- the-wool advocates of the old mass play game are quickly being won over to the newer game. and hardly one can be found who would favor a return to the old style
 The possibilities of the game were well developed. and enough was shown to lead to the thought that everything possible has not been thought out, and that next year even higher type of game will be pro- duced. The pres $t game has been rather different type of player than whom we are accustomed to associatae with football. There are many play CTS of the past who would be as great players today as they were when they donned the moleskins, but the gen. eral type of man has changed. Now there is a big premium upon quick thinking and alertness first, with weight as a secondary consideration. measuring of wits with the opponent 1 The game of today requires more than ever before, as there is a greater degree of concealment in every nlay, and the greater perfection of the forward pass, with it's many Varid- tions, calls for a most alert and elas- tic style of defense and very ready deefnders.
 The lateral passes as imported from l the Canadian Rugby game. were an 1 innovation in our game this year. Yale made greater and better use of '"hem than any other team. However, i they were not found to be altogether l dependable any more than the for ward pass. But it is quite possible, 1 indeed, very probable, that they will be more skilfully and more generally used. Yale showed what may be done 1 with such plays in the game against | Princeton. Against Harvard a week | later the same plays were not as pro- ductive of ground gaining. It may be said that nothing seemed of any avail against Harvard. The Navy employ 1 ed the lateral pass and the result was
 
 remarked that nothing the Navy could do seemed to worry the Army any more than Yale's best moves frus- trated Harvard. So, lack of success is not due any more to the plays than l it is due to the team using them The concealment of the direct att tack seemed to reach a high state of perfection by many of the teams. Harvard concealed her plays wonder l fully well, and, with the great ma chine-lil1e precision of her whole team. relied almost entirely upon well established and well known plays to l gain ground for her. As worked by Harvard such plays proved to be 1 more valuable in advancing the ball than any of the new methods en- | ployed. In other words, the teams l that could present a strong defense. | elastic enough to repell forward passes and alert enough to cope with | line plunges and end runs, and 1 equipped with a few plays we'll con- ceaied and admirably executed, were more dangerous than others relying | upon forward passing, kicking and | the loose style of play.
 | Harvard Men Celebrate,