Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1917-01-01
1916 FOOTBALL SEASON
Pittsburgh Champion EIeven-coieate
Second-Very Large Attendances at
Games-Harvard's Downfall

Football last season was more pop
u1ar than ever before in the history
of the great American college game.
The popularity of the game has in
creased with such leaps and bounds
that tremendous arenas have been
constructed and still the great Amer
lean public clamoring to see the play
were turned away.
Football as it is played today is a
greater attraction to the spectator
than ever before. The greatest asset
that has been put into the game in
recent years is the forward pass, de-
veloping the wonderful open play
game which appeals to the eye of the
spectator. The open game. SO neces-
sary for a successful modern attack,
gives a splendid opportunity of fol-
lowing the advance of the ball. Foot
ball has developed into a game in
which forward passing and kicking
predominant, and is sort of a specta-
Gle which takes to the followers of
the game. rather than the old style
rush and formation plays.
Pittsburgh the Champs.
The season was unusual, inasmuch
as the end of the football year found
an entirely new class of elevens at
the top of the ranking. It was a
glorious season for the so-caIled
smaller college teams. Whereas the
University of Pittsburgh is small only
in past football reputation, its foot
ball eleven this fall demanded recog-
teams. Whereas it's schedule wasn't
as pretentious other big college
teams, its victories were impressive
enough to give it classification as an
burgh showed its greatest strength
against Syracuse, Pennsylvania,
Washington and Jefferson, and Penn
State.
Second Place to Colgate.
Colgate wons place on the 1916
RridirOn and is second to the great
Pittsburgh eleven. The team placed
on the field by Bankard was one of
the greatest football teams that ever
have been developed at small col
lege like Colgate where the spick of
the student body is limited. Next to
Colgate comes Brown who, during the
early and mid season played more
than sensational football, defeating
under the crash of the wonderful Col
gate machine on Thanksgiving day:
Following Brown Yale and Army
though far from a perfect machine,
accomplished the one desire that rests
in the bosom of the blue players in
defeating Harvard. This they did in
1915 when they crushed Harvard's
high standing which has reigned SUI
preme for the past six years. Prince
ton and Cornell. although they start
ed the season in good ways proved
later on to be a disappointment. The
TOIOII1 VI die anu IcAISy lNdHld, uH-
der new coaching systems. to some
thing approaching their former place
in the football world furnished the
greatest surprises Of the season. Yale,
for the first time in many years, de-
feated her traditional rivals, Prince
ton and Harvard.
Harvard Yale Contest.
The Harvard-Yale contest at the
Yale Bowl stands out as the greatest
spectacle in the history of American
sports. An immense gathering Of 80, 1
900 swarmed into the bowl and be-
came worked up to a frenzy of en-
thusiasm when Captain Blacks eleven
beat Harvard for the first time in
half q dozen years. Joe Nevilles
touchdown was the first that Yale
has made against the Crimson in the
nine years Of P. D. Haughton's reign
as Harvard's gridiron mentor. Yale,
in this game, showed every evidence
of soon regaining her lost football
greatness.
1t was the rise Of small teams like
Colgate and Brown which furnished
the seasons sensations. Brown, by
defeating Yale and Harvard, seemed
the most likely Eastern champion be-
fore the game with Colgate. Colgate
overwhelmed Brown with an eleven
which was as well coached and as
fast and strong as any combination
in the east.
The season proved one thing conclu-
sively-that the efforts of the rules
committee in making game which
smaller colleges as well as to the
large universities were successful
Beef and Drawn ara no longer at
premium. Brain and skill and speed