The Washington times., 1914-01-31
Hurry Up" Yost Says That
Gridiron Game Is All Right
As 1t Is Now.

down but handled the others, and the
Navy's powerful defense was soon alb.
s0luteIy bewildered and crushed az
West Point rang up three tUuchdowns
Merrilat's sixty-fve-yard run didn't
come direct from a forward pass, but
1t was the result Of other passes as
the Navy defense had been driven back
and was Up in the air and so was easily
caught or guard.
Here are two specific and standard
examples of the values of the forward
running game. Again first the Army
and then the Navy-two flrst-clasS
Eastern elevens with unusually stroTf-:
defensive powers, the pass was almost
directly responsible for dfty-eight
points-for eight tcuchdowns-an amaz-
Ing total for only two games when you
consider how scarce the touchdown has
become in the East of late campaigns. -
Here we have play that scored in
two games more touchdowns than Yale,
against each other in five or six years.
And no man can tell me that Yale,
Harvard and Princeton are much
stronegf defensively than the Army or
the Navy. because they are not. As
have stated before, the forward pass
because it has never been given a fair
trial.
Now as to comparative values: Har-
ward, with a wonderful back field-con-
sidered the greatest in the country
couldn't score a touchdown with her
system against Yale or Princeton; Yale.
with big. fast back field in Wilson,
Knowles, Guernsey and Ainsworth,
couldn't score a touchdown in either
big game. Neither could Princeton. Sc
if the forward pass Is a joke, as they
say. what about the system they are
using as an offensive test? II the for
ward pass is joke, how about Prince
tons attacking system which scored one
field goal in her three big games
against Dartmouth, Yale and Harvard
There is one factor in which the
East has 4 bid advantage over the
West-and that is in early training and
experience. The big preparatory schools
OF the East, coached and trained by
experts, turn out finished football play
Crs. When Brickley, Mahan. and others
walked upon the Harvard field as fresh
men they already knew more football
and had moro football knowledge than
nany sophomore or Junior meinbers of
western elevens. But l am not now
talking about men or comparing the
lower Of Eastern and Western teams.
i am discussing systems only ard ad-
time Is coming when the East will adopt
the more open western system of At
tack.
No. the open running gaIae mixed
up with the forward pass has come to
stay and to cover the country. and it
is only question of time before the
Last will find out that the West has
not been running wild, but has simply
started in making the best Gut of an
advanced game that has come to stay
1snaM IN
from the old game and has ad led only
the forward pass to make up for all
these losses.
Having this new game. we have not
perfected it yet, but when we do I be-
lieve we will have one of the most in
terestlng games ever known, game
that calls for combined power, speed,
and Skill above any other. And when
they go TO this game to get the most
out OF IT, which they will, you VIII again
see Yale. Princeton, Harvard. and others
in the East scoring touchdOwns and in
greater numbers than they have ever
scored before. Only they must first
give II ChanCe-nOt a haphazard. half
hearted, badly executed chance, but
rather a chance that meets every test
of practice and work. For if the so
called open game is useless, of how
much use is an attack which in about
six years on some elevens hasn't gained
enough ground TO bury quar- DdCh'
Why not give the other system a try
out at least? 1t certainly cannot accom-
plish less.
The Eastern elevens are composed of
men who have had much preparatory
experience and are well coached in
blocking. taCkling, charging. and in all
that goes to make high-class football
men, and II to all this were added a
more varied and deceptive attack,
proper proportion of a bucking, running,
kicking, and passing game, oeheNe
their game would be more productive or
touchdowns.
That YOsts contentious AS 10 the Ia
tent possibilities of the forward pass
will be given due consideration by the
rules committee at its coming meeting
cannot be gainsald. In his meetings
with the teams of the East, HOst and
his elevens have had more than their
share of success, and even when de-
feated he has furnished such Il unique
and novel set of plays that his charges
have always been closely scrutiniZed by
scouts from the Eastern teams ever
ready to grab any suggestion in the
way of a play that might add strength
10 the unsuccessful maneuvers to which
the teams in these parts have so relig-
iouslv adhered.