Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-18
ROPER,S TEAM MEETS
ROCHESTER, ELEVEN
Princeton Coach Will EndeaUor Pick Out FLa,Us in
Tiger Lair in Todays Contest.
Line Improving
by SPICK HALL
staff Correspondent OF the Evening Public
Ledger

Ledger
Princeton, n. j.. Oct. Is.
DRINCETON today was not greatly
l. excited over the football clash with
University of Rochester. The New
York institutions eleven is not con
sidereG in the same class with the type
of opponent that the Bengals usually
meet at this semi advanced period of
the season Fordham was originally on
the books for the contest at Palmer
Stadium. but their football dissolution
caused hurried change in Princeton'S
schedule. The Orange and Black
management was not able to get a game
with team of high caliber, hence the
only thing to do was to get the next
best and that was Rochester.
As a football test today's contest
was not looked upon by Coach Bill
Roper as much better than a grapple
with the scrubs However. the game
will serve at least one purpOse--it will
enable Roper to continue to correct a
/ lot of the defects that crept out in the
weird fray with Lafayette last week
when Princeton only managed to nose
out the Eastonions in the last few
minutes of play by a field goal from
| Strubing's cleated boot.
Many to Get Chance
Roper stated this morning that he
was going to use about twenty men in
tOday's game. He wants to get a
thorough line on the ability of all the
promising candidates and he feels that
tOday's game will give him a good
chance to do so, even though the enemy
is rather weaker than he would have
desired.
The main trouble so far with the more
or less verdant Princeton team is the
line. However, in the last few days
all of the forwards have shown marked
Improvement and it is hoped by the
followers of the Orange and Black that
by the time next Saturday rolls around
the Bengals will be fit to give the Col
gate eleven a real battle.
Hank McGraw, who was recently
elected captain of this years eleven, is
the one man nucleus around whom
Roper is building his line. According
TO Roper, McGraw is not only the best
llnesman at Princeton, but is the best
player captain in the country. Nc
Graw is well qualified to lead the team
as player aud as its field pilot. He
has an intimate knowledge of the game
and is power on both the offense ant
defense. There are few men in the East
| }
Graw, and fewer still who can spill Q
play on the defense as effectively as he
Yesterday the team was put through
an unusually long signal drill. 1t ha,
, Deen the custom here to give the mel
r the llghtest kind of work before a game
put owing to the supposed weakness o
Rochester. Roper gave the players
, lot OF work in forward passing, ypuntin,
and routine signal play.
? Steady Improvement
The most encouraging feature @
Princeton's work this week has been tn
. steady development of a more powerfu
i oitense and sitter defense. For ex
= ample, last Wednesday the freshma
eleven was brought out to test the var
n sity's defense. The yearlings wer
s given the ball on the 10-yard lin
@ ana told to go to it. And the
;, did. They scored almost at viii
y After this drill Roper put the me
through long skull drill. pointing o,
their many and glaring weaknesses I'll
men evidently took the talk to heart al
d really listened to what Roper had
d say. for Thursday the freshmen we
Il again led forth. Time after time thu
is drove into the varsity line. tried smasl
! ing outside of tackle plays and el
,e runs, but they couldn't bulge the d.
Al tense. This ability on the part or u
u line to hold has stimulated the enti
Al team and has put lot of confidence in
lie the men, which they needed very mut
70 after their poor showing against Id
ld fayette.
Besides McGraw, Rothschild, lie
guard, and Keck. left tackle, hay
shown up especially we'll and are e.
h. pected to thwart any line plays tn
ut Rochester may have today.
=, In the backfield. Roper is usil
r. Wilmer, Thimble, Strubing and Bake
o. all of whom have shown much more o
fensive power this week than they d
prior to and during the Lafayette col
flict. Thimble is doing remarkably w
rv at open field running. Williams al
st- McPhee are performing very well
r end and Thomas is improving stead
ns at center. To6ay's game was scbedul
" begin III 3 . clock.