Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-10-18
TACTICS
MORE GENERAL
THIS SEASON
Coaches Rounding up Teams
For Crucial Games Of
the Year.
Zuppke Builds His Machine
on Individual Work
More than Ever.

Chicago, Oct. 1S.-Wttn. the IOot-
ball season nearly half over, and with
most of the teams already having
gone into. action against aggregations
which have tested their offensive and
defensive strength, the strong teams
in the different sections Of the country
are beginning to loom up.
In most Of the cases the victories
of the winning teams have been made
possible by a combination of open and
close formation. None of the teams
has depended upon either ar open or
close style Of play for its victories, and
it is only reasonable to believe. the big
elevens will pursue the same versatile
tactics in the games later in the sea-
son.. Z,
Play a Varied Game.
In the west, Ohio state showed the
most versatile mid-season attack of
any of the big ten teams in its game
against Northwestern at Columbus.
The Buckeyes made ground against
the purple by use of both the simplest
and the most complicated plays. When
they needed ground ON third or
fourth down, they took advantage of
the open game, and when closely
pressed for a short yard or the fourth
down, they used straight plays.
Ohio in this game showed an adapt
ability Of attack seldom see or a
gridiron at this stage Of the season.
The Buckeyes executed forward passes
to perfection while old time end runs
line p%lunges, wer executed n al
ways got the desired results.
Coach Zuppke of Illinois, which
meets Wisconsin at Urbana in the big
homecoming game of the Orange and
Blue schedule. always has been a
stickler for the open game, but he
has not overlooked some of the prin-
cipal features Of the old system. Illi-
nois is represented by a light but fast
of the ability Of every player on his
team, whether he be a line plunger,
catcher for forward passes, end run
ner, or off tackle driver. .
Uses the Individual More.
which he thinks he can get the best
results from the man, carrying the ball.
He realizes that opportunities will
arise when one man may be able to
gain ground on certain formations
where another cannot. For this rea-
son, Zuppke has built plays around
every man eligible to carry the ball.
Coach Stage Of the University of
Chicago did not show any of the new
! pays "IlAS4A IC 4ldS OCN1Scu Ill 1dSl
k~Saturday's game against Vanderbilt.
HE was content to win by the use of
straight plays and at no. time permit
Eted his team to show any of the ad-
vanced formations which he already
has taught to the men to avoid a re-
petition of the upset by Carlton in the
first game last year.
Open Game for Minnesota.
Both Coach Williams of Minnesota
and Stiehn at Indiana have worked
up versatile attacks, with the open
game the predominant weapon of Of
tense. Other teams are using the same
tactics and 1t is safe to say that fans
in the west will see more of the open
game than any time since 1906, the
first year Of the forward pass and ten
yard rule.
The same is true in the east. Pitts
burgh, undoubtedly one Of the strong.
est teams in the east last year, is US
ing an open style of play. This was
plainly shown when the smoky city
eleven met Wese, Virginiar Dartmouth
Syracuse and Penn are doing the same
and the Navy and Army also are re.
sorting to open tactics.