Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-23

pY EpwARp r. BUsHNEL1

HarvRrd's 1914 football team, which
buried Yale beneath $50 score on Sat.
urday. must be rated as the most perfect
machine ever developed in America
Every man who wore the Crimson was q
finished player on the attack and on the
defense. There was no one-sided devel-
opmcnts anywhere Each man. substitute
as well as regular, fitted Into the play like
the parts OF an intricate machine. At the
close Of the game, with new parts sub
sttuted In many places, II was moving
along with as much power and precision
rs when IL first rolled out on the gridiron.
This eleven played as nearly perfect foot
ball as II is humanity possible for any
team TO play And I'm paying tribute to
the players we should not forget Percy d.
Haughton the head coach. and the whole
coaching system at Cambridge.
After witnessing this thrilling game, and
from what know of the Harvard coach
ing system. 1 should say that the most
important factor In Yale's overthrow was
Harvard's defense. And when the season
OF 1914 Is critically analyzed by the lead
ing coaches of the East, particularly at
Yale and Princeton, Il Is pretty certain
they will conclude that defense is the
foundation upon which a good football
team Is built. Harvard taught the rudi-
ments of the gme and defense slmulta-
neously. After they were mastered 1t was
an easy matter to construct an attack
which. developed along old lines, but im-
proving upon them in many particulars.
gave the Crimson the best team in his
tory.
In somo advance comment on this game. the
writer remarked that tho issue would un-
for Yalo's intricate lateral and forward passing
attack; That II this could be checked con-
and the Ellis would then DO at the mercy Of
Harvard's devourlng attack. have always
TO overemphasizs the forward pc pass in Its its
scheme OF attack, as Yale and Princeton did,
vide defense for this play than It is to
gain ground with Il.
YALE DEVELOPS PASSING.
The result at New Haven proved this con:
the passing game, to higher state of perfea.
ton than any other team in the country. II
every other team tho Ellis had met this season, |
except Washlngton and Jefferson. and 1t had |
worked like a charm against Princeton. But OF |
an adequate defense for ' IT, Al HarvSrd's % scheme
OF defense was scientifically sound, and will |
probably do more 10 reduce the Importance OF
this play as an important part Of football |
onenso than anything else.
What Harvard started out TO do was to
break up the play by intercepting the passes, |
or preventing Yale men from getting the ball
Harvard Il accomplished this. il ' the bali II Was Was
we'll within the gridlron, Harvard would play
The ends would play little out and four or
ave yards back. The four backs were then
spread out so that the whole forward part
Bf the neld was covered. II the ball were
close 20 the side lines, Harvard would keep
Dnly four msn on tho line. Then when Yale
started n lateral pass the Harvard end would
run parallel with the play, and II possible;
would straisht-arm the man carrying the ball
rather than try to tackle him.
This was done because Harvard knew that
lhe Yale man would pass the ball to his mate
when tackled. A tackle would have taken
another out of the Harvard Defense and
would have bettered the chances OF the second
man to make his forward pass. BY not tackling
Ihe arst man, but interfering with him, the
Harvard ends frequently broke up the pass
altogether, and then. II they could. they
sharply tackled the second man who received
he lateral pass
Legore in particular. who tried many OF the
eng passes down the field, made several under
most difficult conditions. But only did
Yale succeed with this long pass, and this time
Z made 30 yards But Harvard eventually
a forward pass and the march
ame to an end. The complete manner in
which Harvard covered the field reduced
ale's chances to SUCCEED with the forward
,ass to about one In 10. Then when allow
or the advantage Harvard gained in inter-
epting these passes and taking the ball away
rom Yale, can't get away from the con-
usion that the forward pass opposed to such
defense becomes a boomerang.
II Il were possible TO so develop an attack ]