The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-11
THREAT FROM
KICK FORMATION
Play viii Be Strong Offensive
Factor This Season.
HARVARD TEAM USED IT

With Eddie Mahan Last Fall Crimson
Shone Strong In the Attack-coach
Haushton Is Using II This Year.
Yale Needs Quarterback.
Harvard in the past two seasons
made great deal of the threat game
from kick formation, Mahan lying
back. Mahan threatened three things,
two OF which he could do well and one
brilllantly-punt, forward pass and
run. No eleven could he certain what
was to happen, and Mahan made the
most of the doubtful state of mind.
Harvard's interference in the case OF
run would pile the tackle all over him.
self. knock the end galley west and
generally take care Of the back who
was coming up to relieve the two over
pressed defenders on the end OF the
line. The chances that the fullback
has OF making as though to run with
the ball and then throwing a forward
pass will not escape those who under
stand the game. With at least one
defending end and tackle and probably
back smothered the prospect of an
eligible receiver of the pass working
his way into the open does not need
emphasizing.
Fred 1ibbott used to play back for
Princeton I'm 1907 and 1908, but the
trouble with him, or, rather, the sys-
TEN, was that he could neither kick
nor throw the forward pass. Every
one knew that when he went back a
run was forthcoming The great
weapon of the kick formation threat is
versatility on the part of the protag-
onlst and the perfect interplay of line
and back field.
Harvard has lost Mahan, but, Of
course, will endeavor to find a sue
cessor-perhaps Flower. perhaps Casey
land then TO effect an interlocking
system In which each man will do his
part to make the play a success. Yale
will unquestionably use lie Gore in
this way, and IL the proper supporting
combination can be arranged he win
be dangerous offensive factor, since
versatility Is, so to speak, his middle
name.
Princeton will undoubtedly work
over the idea. In fact every team
with a progressive coach will do some
thing with the play if only because it
IL so difficult to diagnose and stop
when II IS we'll worked and when not
stopped Is such a satisfactory long
gamer,
Few positions OH the Yale eleven
have been tacltly assigned to candi-
dates. The fight IL an open one. with
not many favoritcs. None the less. in
n number Of positions certain men
have made their presence felt. and it
is not unreasonable to assume they
will be prominent I'm the big November
games men. for instance, such as
Black, Callahan. Baldridge lie Gore,
Hutchinson and several others. No
quarterback stands out however. and
Iad Jones. who was a quarter him.
self, places as great store In the prop
er hlling OF the post as any coach pos
sibly could. Already he has tried half
dozen men and yet gives no indica-
ton that he has discovered a satisfac-
tory incumbent +. l.. Smith. Potter.
Ames, Robinson, Van Nostrand and
Jacques from Worcester academy.
have all been tried and still the search
goes on for additional material. Smith
until this season was n third string
tiller man; Potter was substitute quar-
ter on the freshman last year: Robin
son ran the freshman team two years
ago, injuries keeping him off the field
last season; Van Nostrand was the
regular quarterback I'm the Princeton
and Harvard games of 1918, but did
not make a great impression; Jacques
Is bit logy Another man. Duryee.
VINO has been with the Yale artillery.
Is another candidate. AS to the line:
There is no use trying to blink the
situation" said a Yale man recently.
our line Is going TO take great deal
more thought than seemed likely.
There is lot of weight but between
tackle AMI tackle not the sort of re-
sourcefulness and initiative that the
coaches are looking for. OF course, the
coaches expect to get the line in shane
one way or another, but Yale men who
count upon bunch Of ready made
forwards, even now ready TO go out
ana chew opponents, including Har-
ward and Princeton. would do we'll IN
hold their horses. This Is no whine
neither is 1t a stall. It's the truth.
kirkpatrick will be a big help, and
there Is every expectation that other
men now playing will come along I'M
der the coaching they are receiving"