Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-18
Red and Blue Fails to Make
Shouting against Veteran,
Team Representing La
tayette College
T OUG H BATTLE
BY SPICK HALL

CATURDAY's game with Lafayette
~ revealed the fact that the University
of Pennsylvania football team lacks
offensive punch to startling degree.
In the three previous games with Della :
ware. Bucknell and Swarthmore IL was
generally presumed by those who saw
the contests that the team did not do
much consistent offensive work because
it was unnecessary. But Saturday IL
was necessary, or rather Il appeared to
be until the middle Of the third period
when the Red and Blue made their
Touchdown, thanks to a tumble by
Gazella.
Pennsylvania's defense against the
big, fast Lafayette backs was excep-
tionally good. Twice the Maroon and
White had the ball within the five yard
line, and once they had 1t at the five
yard mark and four downs to make the
touchdown, but were unable to do It.,
so quickly did the Red and Blue dag
nose the play and take the necessary
steps to stop it. But more than de-
fense is essential in the winning of
football games and it will take more in
Pennsylvania games with Penn State.
Pitt, Dartmouth and Cornell. There
Is never any kick against team 8
having stiff defense, but if that is
all it has, the team is lost.
Against Lafayette, PENNSYLVANIA
failed to make single first down in the
last two periods, the time when every :
one thought that the eieven home war :
riors would come forth and show some
thing after having allowed Lafayette to
keep the ball in their possession three
fourths of the time in the first two
periods.
Have Fine Asset
Coach ,Heisman has taught all Of the
men in his squad to follow the ball.
That is a big asset and to 1t Pennsyl-
vania can attribute her victory over
Lafayette. The leader in this depart
ment was Joe Straus, who, all season,
has shown a remarkable ability in
keeping about two jumps ahead Of the
other team in diagnosing plays and
trailing the oval. 1t was in the third
period that Lafayette had the ball on
their own 30yard line that Gazella
was called upon to circle Erstrovaag' 8
end. He had run out 10 yards and was
about to cut in when the Red and Blue
wingman winged him. 1t was fierce,
smashing tackle and resulted in Ga
zella's becoming disconnected with the
ball. AS quick as flash, Joe Straus,
who was right on top Of the play.
Grave doing some neat interfering ran
rs yards for the lone touchdown Of
the afternoon. Joe also kicked the goal.
This wasn't the only tumble that
Lafayette made either. Once they were
going down the field at a clip that
was terrifying to the Pennsylvania fol-
lowers, when Gazella again fumbled,
and the Red and Blue retrieved the ball
on the 15-yard line, just as a touch
down seemed inevitable. All together
Lafayette made four fumbles, In which
there was free battle for the ball, and
on each occasion Heisman's men got It.
This ability to recover fumbles is big
step in the development of team work,
but that doesn't alter the fact that
there is glaring lack of punch Of
fensively.
straus on the Job
Joe Straus was decidedly on the job
throughout the game, outside Of making
the only scores. He was in every play
on the defense, and there were lot Of
them, because Lafayette had the ball
nearly all Of the time. The Texan was
particularly good on slapping down for
ward passes. The Maroon team tried a
bunch of aerial plays, but made only
total OF yards on the two that
were completed. Straus was responsible
for the big majority of these plays going
wrong. Several times he missed inter-
cepting the ball by matter of inches
and once he did make a neat catch of a
toss that Brennan shot straight over the
line.
All of Heismans backs were ex-
tremely alert on the defense. Twice
Pos Miller saved touchdowns by deadly