The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-08
OPEN GAME HERE TO
STAY SAYS COACH YOST

In the current issue of Golfers
Weekly, the famous Michigan oac
gives his views on football as played
on this and the other side of the
Alleghanies. Mr.. Yost says the teams
that fail to adopt the western style OF
play as exemplf1ed by Michigan n
Notre Dame against eastern teams
this year, will be left hopelessly in
the rut. The Tribune publishes the
article through the courtesy of Coli
er's: .-e,
In coaching, when I work back Of
a football eleven / like to see 1t move
along, hurry UP. get ON tbs jump, and
settle down to business.
$50 without wasting any prellm-
mary time L would like to make n
statement early that is beyond any
challenging-the open game or west
ern game in football-that is, the for
ward passing and running as well as
the kicking game-has come to stay,
and the team which fails to take adj
vantage Of it's many possibilities, as
SO many have In the east, will soon
be left far in the rut, forgotten among
those who keep marching forward and
who keep up to date.
1T Is neither my business nor my
intention to suggest to any eastern
football man how he should build up
his system or run his team. But while
/ was in the east this fall watching
Harvard play Yale and the Army meet
the Navy, / heard on so many sides
and from so many standard sources
that the open, or what has been called
the western, system OF attack would
be utterly useless against a standard
eastern defense that I feel the other
side of the matter SHOULD be heard just
a trifie more at length.
And to any man who is unprejudic-
ed I can prove my contention that we
not only have a good game left, but a
game in which it isa possible to score
one-or more touchdoWns against a very
strong defense; also my contention
that it is only a question of time be-
fore the so-called open game will be
as prevalent in the east as 1t o is
in the west. / do not attempt to say
which team, east or west, is strongest,
but / do believe that any team would
be a better team il 1t were developed
to play what had become to be known
as the open game along with It's rush
ing. game.
Pass Produces Touchdown.
I'm the old game a team had to gain
i've yards in three downs-one and
two-thirds yards to the down, and in
8 GIlS UlQ SdIk1C " AonS
YOU could push, pull or hike the run
ner along. Even then it was q bat
tie
In the new game a team has to
make ten yards In four doWns-or two
and one-half yards to the down, and
while the distance to be gained is
twice as much almost, 1t must be
made without pulling, pushing OF
hiking the runner and with seven
men on the line.
Having to gain twice as much
o almost to the rush, without
being able to help the runner, What
has been added to make up for this
big loss? JUST one thing-the forward
pass. And lie the forward pass is I'M
possible or useless, the new game ls
Impossible or useless, except as an
exhibition Of field goal kicking by one
man. This is a contention that ha
been often made in the east, but
contention that nevertheless is absurd
as first Notre Dame and then ths
Army showed the east this last fall
yale hasn't scored q touchdown or
Harvard in six years, nor on Prince
ton in three years. Harvard has fail
ga to score a touchdown on Yale IN
Ave of her last six Yale games. The
one touchdown that Princeton hal
scored on Yale in the last four years
came from the recovery OF a. tumble
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