Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-09-23
TWO ELEVENS IN
WEST With BIG
TASKS IN STORE
Michigan and Notre Dame Win
Be Judged by Their Work
Against Eastern Teams
IRy Latest NALL
BY HERBERT REED.

II
NEW YoRK.-In the West there
are two football teams whose seasons
should be OF unusual interest, not
alone because Of the fact that they are
to appear in the East, but because OF
the steadiness OF their standard play.
Michigan, under Yost. and Notre
Dame. now under Jesse Harper OF the
Chicago School OF Football. seldom
turn out really poor elevens even
when there is a dearth OF material.
And as a rule there Is plenty OF ma
| teriaI at hand. Both Michigan and
Maize and Blue find itself face to face
withone of the polished teams with
coaching il is reasonable to expect
standard elevens from both fnstitu-
tions II is probable that Michigan
could have picked better year for
the battle with Harvard, but the ef-
| fort is worth while, even should the
Maize and Bule find itself face to face
with one on the polished teams with
which Haughton and his aides have
made us so familiar in recent years.
Since neither Michigan nor Notre
Dame Is a member OF the Western
Conference, and since II seems TO be
extremely doubtful whether the Ann
Arbor men will ever rejoin the Con-
ference. beth elevens will be judged
In the West by their successes or fall
ures in the East In the meantime the
real championship Of the West win be
| fought out amcng the members OF the
Conference, among which CHICAGO,
Minnesota and Wisconsin are most
prominent. There seems to he every
prospect for continued success for
the Maroon, partly because of the ma
terial left over from last year, and
partly because Stage, when The mate
rial Is at hand, teaches a well rounded
| type of game, a style Of play that has
stood the test both East and West.
Wisconsin had an unfortunate season
last year, which is not unusual In the
case of team of winning veterans,
while Minnesota als6 slipped back, a.
though undoubtedly her coaching sys-
tenn under DR. Williams Is OF the best.
It is hardly to be doubted that Mich
igan and NOtre Dame will make the ut
most use possible OF the forward pass
against the eastern teams with which
4
cOuse most western football men do
not believe that eastern teams under
stand the proper form Of defense
against the play, and partly because
they. are naturally chance takers.
There Is no better proof TMxt than
q study. OF the chart OF the Notre Dame
Army game last year. when the South
Bend men. blessed with two such cap
able handlers of the pass as Dorais
and Rockme, and supported By
strong running game In which Eichen-
laub, very remarkable back, carried
the ball much of the time, cut loose
with the forward pass even when deep
in their own territory, q type OF play
as rule forbidden in the east because
Of the fear of interrogation.
In the east It is seldom that a team
shows a mastery of the forward pass
EITHER its use or the defense against
lit-much before the first week IN No
vember. There is so much to teach,
land in so short time, that most cast
ern coaches save the forward pass
/ with which they hope to do real exccri-
ton untii the rest Of the game Is fairly
well buiitiup. In exceptional instances,
such as the Army-Co Colgate game last
year, a team will show almost every
thing it has in the way Of open play
when it seems that there Is no other
way in which to staye on defeat. It
| is only in such circumstances that one
finds the average eastern eleyens using
i the forward pass in its own territory.
1 It is mistake to suppose, however,
that the eastern coaches do not know
the value of the pass both as an ac-
tuaI play and as threat. As rule
the pass they actually use In October
4 is what is commonly known as the
Joke forward pass According to the
eastern idea there are certain fnnda-
mental principles of the play that have
to be learned before the real article
| should be taught to the team.
We have then this situation that In
the meetings this fall the east prob
ably will criticise the main body Of
the western play. while the west VIII
critieise the lack OF preparedness IN
the wide-open game. ! doubt II there
will be any special preparation on the
part of eastern teams to meet western
| open play, and II their ordinary sys-
tenn fails they will simply have to grin
and bear the criticism.
There will be criticism that is much
harder to bear If Yale and the Navy
! in their big games defend as poorly
against the forward pass as they did
last year. In their final games these
two will have to be prepared to face
j any sort of wide-open football that Is
thrown at them, and IL they come
4 again to the top OF their season with
out adequate defense somebody win be
i asked to explain.
ii Western football az played by Chi
II cago last year in its important games
is hardly to be criticised. There was
sense of proportion in evidence that
was gratifying not alone to the follow
ers OF the Maroon eleven, but to the
followers of the game in general
/ There was lack of waste not always
to be found in a Western team, and
so far as the analysis OF the games
can be counted upon there was nothing
HI m show excessive emphasis along any