Evening star., 1914-11-08

ward pass as the next move. but ltS
defense is weak.
The weather has been very satisfac-
tory from a foot ball standpoint and
the Saturdays have been fine. There
seems to be 4 wealth of material. for
the sport is more popular than ever.
outside of Cambridge. where the loss
of the special star, Brickley. has caused
n gap in the backfie1d, there seems to
be a plentiful supply of average. or
perhaps little better than average.
material for bacl>field positions. but
very few real stars The iinemen. also.
on the various teams are average with
out being phenomenal. Whether any
will develop into stars before the season
is over is Il question. but on almost any
one of the big teams there is an oppor-
tunity for a brilliant player to make
his name in any of the line positions.
The whole system of coaching is un-
dergotng a change. There is more re-
lance upon the individual initiative
OF the player In fact. it is going back
to the coaching of many years ago,
because it has been found and demon
strated repeatedly that a player of
several years ago or more coming
back showed so much more initiative
that he could. even though in poor
physical condition, step into his posi-
ton and play the game under the pres
ent rules quite effectively and in
many instances more effectively than
the player who was being coached
modern game. Pretty thorough search
ing into this situation has convinced
various coaching staffs that players OF
the last few years had lost great
deal of their initiative. and had be-
come more automatic and less think
ing parts of an Intelligent machine. 1t
was not that the teams had more plays,
for, in fact, that was not entirely the
case, but the plays of the old day had
one or two basic principles and then Il
h ,i.,l, do
the detail simple and easy to learn,
whereas an attempt had been made in
the last few years to make violent
shifts from one style of play to an
other so that players had to remember
instead of just two or three points of
openings. a more intricate evolution.
This, whether reasonable or not. had
tended apparently to 6ull the percep-
tion of the players. All teams are be-
ing coached more reasonably this sea-
son. and although many teams have a
great variety of plays, they have very
few evolutions of play, but rather one
or two basic systems from which all
plays may be worked. The spectator
need not fear that this means a return
to the old plugging game. 1t does not.
There will be plenty of opportunity for
thrills, for when the premium placed
upon z successful play is as great as
it Is today in foot ball, coaches are
going to stake great deal upon de-
opponents by surprise. Hence it is not
going to be safe for the spectator to
take his eye off the field of play ex-
cept at iltermiSSion.
Saturday. November Il. the foot ball
crowd will journey to Princeton to see
not only the I,fnceton Stadium beau
tiful sight in itSef-but also to find out
whether the tie OF last year between Yale
and Princeton foot hall teams can be sat
isfactorily dissolved.
The night of Actober II. after Yale's
overwhelming victory of Notre Dame the
odds seemed decidedly to favor the Blue.
but a week later, Saturday night. Octo-
tober ~. the prospects had changed very
much for Washington and jefferson had
on that day defeated Yale and Princeton
had overcome the strong Dartmouth team.
Then Yale stock came up with an over
whelming defeat of Colgate, while Will
liams held Princeton to a tie. Since
then both teams have had their trials
and tribulations. mostly in enieavoring
to decide. at Princeton upon the quas-
terback position, and at Yale, the finding
OF reliable defense. Neither problem
has yet been salts -actorily solved
Princeton's line is one of the best de-
fensive lines in the country and Yale's,
owing largely to green players. has been
espec: ally weak In this respect The at
tack Of Yale has been more varied than
Princeton's. although upon one or two
occasions the Tigers have shown that
game which looks very good. Princeton
is steadier and more consistent in its
kicking game than is Yale, although LIE
Gore occasionally gets off Il very long
one. Neither side is absolutely secure
against having kicks blocked and a
blocked<kick might turn the tide and set
tie the game. Upcn the occasions when
fue'S open attack has been going at its
nest. and The line holding We'll. its scor-
ing has seemed easier than that of anv
team on the STidiron this season. Neither
team has been secure against forward
passing. Princeton letting Dartmouth get
away with ii with comparative ease and
Yale suffering the same humilating ex-
perience upon several occasions AS This
is week before the game. there is a de-
cided chance of some of the weaknesses
in both teams being re,nedieti. and if both
eleVens enter the game with their best
men it should be contest well worthy
of the new stadium.
Chicago is going to have star con-