New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-13
A Test for the Haughton System

The Haughton system was put to Sc
we're test in Saturdays football game in the
Cambridge stadium. Harvard put in the
field an exceptionally green team. OF the
eleven men who started the game for
Princeton nine had played against Har-
ward last year and eight had played
against Harvard in 1914 as well as in 1918.
On the other hand, Harvard had only two
men who had played against Princeton
last year and not single man who had
played against Princeton two years ago.
Mr.. Haughton's problem was to beat
veteran eleven, familiar with Harvards
style Of play, with an inexperienced elev-
en-, having only secondhand knowledge
of Princeton's tactics. Tufts had beaten
Harvard, z to 8, and Princeton had beaten
Tufts the following week, to 0. On the
strength of that record Princeton should
have been the favorite. Man for man, the
advantage in weight. experience and skill
was undoubtedly with Princeton, as it was
in the contest year ago. But the betting
odds told another story. They favored
Harvard-and logically. For past expert
ence supported the assumption that the
Harvard coaches would be able to weld
their raw material into an offensive and
defensive machine capable of showing
sufficient margin of superiority over
Princeton's.
To establish that superiority required
longer and stronger pull than had been
necessary at Harvard for many years.
Mr.. Haughton has said that the Harvard
team of 1916 deserves more credit than
any other team which he has coached since
1908. 1t has travelled further than any
other Harvard team Of recent years. Yet
without the sound football system which
Mr.. Haughton and his assistants have
provided this years team would have had
very little chance Of finding itself. It is
the tradition of thorough training unre-
lentng attention TO detail and absolute
concert of effort which makes Harvard.
veterans invincible and even her unpromis-
ingly green teams victorious.
Saturdays game itself fell much below
the level Of last years Decentralization
game in smoothness and finish of play.
Weather conditions were unfavorable. The
high wind and the glare of the sun inter
fered seriously with the clean handling Of
punts. The Harvard team was guilty of
three fumbles-an exceptional record
and each error was exceedingly costly.
Harvard's misplays thus gave Princeton
three excellent chances TO score. But
Princeton failed thrice TO take advantage
of her good fortune. When, however,
briggs made wretched punt from Prince
ton territory Harvard snapped up the
chance to score-and did score. Another
score would probably have been made if
Casey had not fumbled the ball at the
height of second successful drive toward
the Princeton goal line.
Harvard had, therefore, positive scor-
ing punch, though the teams play on the
defensive and, for that matter, on the
offensive, was somewhat ragged and I'M
finished. Princeton lacked the scoring
power which she has been promising to
develop these many years. A first class
defence and good kicking game have
been Princeton's chief assets ever since
football was modernized. But to win con-
sistently something more than these assets
is required.
1t has always seemed as if Princeton's
strategy was demoralized by the double
vctory over Harvard and Yale in 1911
Sam" White picked up loose ball in