The Detroit times., 1914-11-11
Saturday Games Prove That
Means to Stop New Offense
Are Not Yet Devised
CORNELL'S SCHEDULE
HANDICAPS RED TEAM
Despite Scoring Festivals of
l914, There Are No Point-a-
Minute Elevens
BY HAROLD Y. WILCOX.


Saturdays gridiron headliners
branded healthy o. X. on the early
season contention that no adequate de-
fenss against the possibilities OF the
new open game would be developed
this year. and that II would take a
good. long time to devise such q de-
tense. Both Harvard and Michigan
used the open game Saturday TO an
extent hitherto unequaled by any
school, and both easily disposed of
their formidable opponents, Princeton
and Pennsy. with ease.
A brief analysis of the Michigan
Pennsy game will show just what the
modern style Of play does to an
ordinary defense. The Quakers were
beyond question giving the advantage
OF very skillful coaching against the
things that Yost was expected to
spring. although our prediction last
week-that because OF the failure OF
the Wolverines TO open up against
Syracuse and Harvard, the Penn
mentors were very much In the dark
las. to the particular stunts the West
ern wizard did have no his .elee
proved TO be correct.
The Wolverines used three plays
end run. q forward pass and line
plunges by Maulbetsch. Each could
only be stopped by hurting the second
airy defense To the aid OF threatened
points. There was no way the Quak-
ers could tell by formations where
play was to be directed. They were
compelled TO move the secondary de-
Tense back, and to scatter IL.
When Mauly succeeded In breaking
Through the line, he was almost GER
tain of quite gain before he reached
The inner works III Catlett went
around end, the major portion
secondary defense was still wonder
ing where the double pass had finally
landed the ball when Buzz" was well
ON his way. Those Of the enemy who
happened to be In the way were bowl
cd over with ease by the interference,
and q gain was almost certain before
the reserves could he called In. A
forward pass also found the foe badly
scattered and success fairly
And this happened not only occasion
ally, but repeatedly.
The Quakers admitted after the
game that they were completely bar
fled and that their only hope OF stop.
Ding long gains was to scatter and
pull the secondary defense back In
such a way that short gains. which
all count, were almost certain II the
line failed to break up the plays al
their Inception,
Harvard licked princeton by almost
The same tactics and the Tigers found
no defense that could successfully
fathom the new attack. There Ii no
question but that the new varied,
open attack has been developed Iar
beyond the power Of Its masters 10
stop II when brilliantly used by the
onnonifion. and that some time must
eiapse before an adequate defense Is
devised. OF course. the open game
must be perfectly executed to succeed,
hut that approximately perfect exc
cution was possible was demonstrate
ed by both Michigan and Harvard.
waiter Camp calls attention to one
interesting result Of this new attack.
The responsibility Of outguessing q
team that Is using the new game bril-
: liantly n proving such strain upon
the secondary defense that that the
piayers become az much exhausted by
nervous strain as by over exertion.
thinRa that Yost-was expected 10
Ann Arborites are finding many
thinrs to make them confident OF VIC
tory arainst Cornell next Saturday.
Hare n one Cornell handicap that Is
worth mentor. The eastern schoon
has a poorly balanced schedule that
senda its team into two OF Its big
games Mt the very start Of the season,
gives n q month Of easy contests at
a time when the schedule should be
growing sitter, and then plunges the
Red into the final important encoun.
tera. The result Is q badly battered
team ut the time when the opposition
should be fairly easy. lack Of worthy
opposition when the going should be
stifYer, and q subsequent handicap
when the lato season foes OF import
ance are met.
Cornell has great team this year.
but its second and third games were
with Pittsburgh and Colgate. both OF
which the "big Red team lost The
players were badly bruised and some
!. what discouraged. and the task OF
both coaches and players was greatly
Increased by those contests. The
fourth game was with Carlisle, which
ahould have been stronger than II was.
Then. preceding the Michigan and
Pennsy games, the biggest of t.
vear. came Buckpeli. Brown, Hwy
Cross and +. & NJ. all Of them teams
well worth playing, but not In mid
season bunch OF four. Cornell thurs
.omes to Ann Arbor without genuine
opposition for more than month. II
certainly cannot be at Its full strength,
despite It's splendid material.
The Cornell-Brown game furnishes
another ray of hope for the wolver.
!. inca Brown was badly beaten, but
recall that fourth quarter, when Les
Clarke. our native son. went IN at
quarter. For the first time In the
rame Brown attempted the open play,
md sprinted around and over the
ithacans for an easy touchdown. The
New Workers were helpless before an
attack that approaches Yost's style,
Ihough probably not In bewildering
effectiveness.
Despite the scoring festivals that
xxyvvU ADn,C DEEVvC AT rN