Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-25

sihN ENsON is doubtful II
many persons aside from those in the
game discovered the real reason why
Pennsylvania smashed the famous Pitt
interference.
Pennsylvania's coaches took desperate
chance and used method of defense that
has probably never been used on Franklin
Field before. and got away with II be-
cause Williamson, Pitts star quarter
back, went completely to pieces and failed
TO exercise the generalship he has always
shown in the past.
The Penn scout who followed the Pitt
team did his work well. He learned the
one great weakness in the Pitt offense
which was the lack of short forward
passing ability to the opposing teams left
side of the line.
PENN'S DEFENSE.
In the early minutes of play there was
apparently something missing on PENIS
secondary defense, and every Pitt back
who got away outside tackle had but
one man, Berry, between him and n
| touchdown The Penn quarterback did
his work well and prevented three
| touchdowns in the first 10 minutes of play
by making splendid tackles.
Pitt looked for walkover when they
saw the style of defense used by the
Red and Blue, but as soon as the Penn
| line found itself the apparent weakness
| on the secondary defense was not no.
! ticeable, and Pitts powerful interference
was smashed by one of the cleverest and
most daring pieces of strategy 1 have
| seen in years.
! could not understand what was wrong
with the Penn's secondary defense for
some time, but it did not look right. 1t
came to me suddenly when I counted the
men. Instead of having both halfbacks,
the fullback and quarterback on the sec
ondary line, Penn had one halfback up
| OH the scrimmage line and outside the
left end in almost every play of the
game.
Backs frequently come up on the scrim-
mage line when they believe they have a
play figured right, but l don't ever re-
| member seeing a back come up on the
scrimmage line outside the end for the
entire game, as Penn's left halfback did
against Pitt.
On the long side of the defense the
| fullback played about 10 yards behind the
scrimmage line, while on the short side
| the other halfback played half that dis
| tance behind the line, with the centre
rowing This defense enabled the end tc
smash up the first line of interference
while the halfback on the scrimmage line
took the second line and the fullback oi
centre picked off the runner.
PITTS END RUNS.
Pitts runs from kick formation were
not intended to be wide and sweeping
such as they turned out, but the peculiar
Penn defense forced the runner far bacl
and gave the secondary defense back OF
the long side a chance to come up ana
make the tackle before the runner wa
beyond the scrimmage line. 1t also gav'
the linemen many chances to mak'
|
scrimmage line.
On Penns short defensive side Mile
gave one of the greatest exhibitions o
breaking the interference that / hav
seen in years. In the open field he di'
not look like star, but that was becaus
he was always mixed up with the Pit
3 interference; but it was his ability to d
e two mems work on the right end of tn
line and Ross grand defensive play o
the same side that spoiled Pitts bes
ground-gaining plays.
Others stood out more prominently &
the open field. but Miller and Ross wer
easily the stars OF Penn's defense. The
performed as we'll on the right side Q
{ the Penn line as the three men who wer
assigned to break the Pitt interference
on the left.
De Hart's success in getting away fo
long runs was due to his own grea
judgment. He sized up Penn's defens
J. better than any OF his teammates, an
I instead of going along with his interfel
q ence after the first three men had bee
/. picked off, he left IL and cut in fas
Penn's secondary back was sweepin
e wide waiting TO pick on the runner bI
De Hart was never without his nterfei
ence when the play had gone that ia
and unless a lineman caught him from III
9 side, he was through the opening outsic
/. tackle with a clear field ahead.
a At least six times during the game L
Hart, through his own football intuitio
and not by following a well-laid offensiN
plan OF interference, got by all but II
: last man on the secondary defense
Had Williamson not gone completely
pieces and lost his head because he WI
: Afforded no protection by De Hart
running back kicks he would probab
have learned that Penn might have be-
easy for a short-forward pass on the lor
! side of it's defense, where the secondal
o back was IS yards behind the scrlmmal
line.
Penn took chance on this and it W,
a great piece OF work because IL had d
70 desired effect. Williamaon's work w
: the most disappointing i have seen for
I. star In years. Berry's judgment was on
q J fair. but It far outclassed that OF WiliiaT
son.