New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-11
SAYS 1t Is Possible to Score
Touchdowns These Days
Against a Strong
Defence.

Fielding H. C'Hurry Up Yost takes M
the cudeels for the forward pass and the
so-called Western or open style Of foot
ball in the current. number Of Golfers
His article is full OF interest for lovers
| OF the gridiron, as he asserts boldly that
/ in the game OF to-day il Is possible 10
score one or more touchdowns against a
strong defence, Yale. Harvard ana
! Princeton TO the contrary notwithstand-
| ing, and that the forward pass has not
/ had n fair trial in the East.
! Yost says in part
| In coaching. when l work back OF
football eleven l like to see it move
along. hurry up, get on the jump ana
settle down to business.
! so, without wasting any preliminary
| time, / would like 10 make one statement
early that is beyond any chalenging-the
open game. or Western game, in foot
ball-that is. the forward passing ana
running as well as the kicking game
| has come TO stay and the team which
| fails TO take advantage OF its many pos
sihilities 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 10 date.
1T is neither my business nor my in
tenton 10 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
| Vale and the Army meet the Navy heard
on so many sides and from so many
1 do I'd
has been called the Western, system OF
attack would be utterly useless against a
standard Eastern defence that ! feel the
other side OF the matter should he heard
just a trlhe more at length.
And 10 any man who is unprecedented
can prove my contention that we not only
have good game left, but game in
which il is possible TO score one or more
touchdowns against a very strong de-
fence: also, my contention that it is only
a question of time before the so-called
open game will be as prevalent in the
East as il now is in the West do not
attempt 10 say which team. East or West,
| is strongest but / do believe that any
team would be a better team # ii were
developed TO play what has become 10 he
KNOWN as lNe open SdAC arms WIN -
rushing game.
Comparison with Old Game.
In the old game a team had to gain
five yards in three downs-one and two
thirds yards TO the down-and in the old
game TO make this distance YOU could
push. pull or hike the runner along. Even
then II was a battle.
In the new game a team has TO make
ten yards in four downs. or two and one
half yards 10 the down; and while the
distance 70 be gained is twice as much,
almost, il must be made without pulling.
pushing or hiking the runner and with
seven men on the line.
Having TO gain twice as much ground
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 If the for
ward pass is impossible or useless. the
new game is impossible or useless, except
as an exhibition Of field goal kicking by
one man. This is a contention that has
been. often made in tho East. but con-
tention that nevertheless Is aosuro' as
first Notre Dame and then the Army
showed in the East this last fall
Yale hasn't scored a touchdown on
Harvard in six years. nor on Princeton
I'm three wears Harvard has failed TO
score a touchdown on Yale in five OF her
last six Yale games. The one touchdown
that Princeton has scored on Yale In the