The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
NAVY FAVORED
T0BEAT ARMY
In BIG GAME
Annapolis Eleven Seems to
Excel in Line and
Backfield.
ALL EYES ON FRENCH
Cadets May Have Another
0liphant in Former Rut-
gers Star.
ALL EYES ON FRENCH
by DANIEL.

II seems likely that this afternoon
at the Polo Grounds the Navy will
even matters with the Army in a foot
ball relation which has extended over
a period Of thirty years and in which
they have met twenty-five times. The
Army has the edge by just one game.
1t has won eleven contests, while the
Navy has won ten. One game re-
suited in a tie.
This day the dope" points to an
eleventh triumph for the men from
the Nav4 Academy. Down in Wall
Street environs and in the neighborhood
Of the Astor and the Commodore yes
! terday the Navy was the favorite at
IL to 10. That is just about the ex-
tent Of the advantage which the mid
shipmen seem to have over the cadets
from West Rpint.
After what happened TO the Cornell
eleven at Philadelphia on Thursday
football prediction appears to be a
seems TO be no lodging the fact that
the Navy possesses more clements
which are likely TO put together q
victory than does the Army. The sit
patton as regards the Navy is even
more favorable than 1t was last No
vember. when the midshipmen went
into the game strong fayorites.
Navy Stronger All Around.
As we figure this contest tho Navy
has not only the better line. which is 4
fact generally conceded, but the better
backheld as we'll Our statement as
regards the backfeld will be disputed
with heat by Army men. They will
point TO Walter French. the former
Rutgers star. who is of all East calibre.
He ran something like sixty-six yards
FOR a touchdown against Notre Dame.
They will point to Wllhide, Smythe and
Lawrence. We will concede that in
French the Army will have the greatest
back on the held-another Oliphant per-
haps. But the Navy four, taken as r.
. collection, seem TO US 10 stand higher
than the West Point quartet.
The Navy has a supertiuity OF good
backs, no fewer than eight who are OF
FIRST string class, and sixteen in all.
koehler Conroy Hamilton and Mckee
will start, but men of the type of Wat
te-s, Noyes and Cruise will be on the
side lines ready 70 rush into the fray.
The Army backs, outside OF French and
Wiihide, are a bit green. Lawrence IN
playing his first season OF football any
where, and he needs a big game like
that Of to-day to give him some real
experience. he did quite well against
Notre Dame. bat as the game went along
ne seemed to sag.
What we like best about the Navy
team is its etalwart line. In Wiedorn,
wilkie, Larsen. Moore and King it has
a quintet from tackle 20 tackle that
ranks with the topnotchers. In Even
IL has a first class end. Parr and Bolles,
who will divide the work at the other
wing, are not quite up TO Ewen's class,
hut they rank almost on a par with
White and Don Storck, the Army ends.
The Navy will have a particular advan-
;ags at centre, where Larsen Is likely 10
outplay Greene again. The Army has 4
really great guard in Breidster, who put
up a whale of a game against Notre
Dame until he was injured
Our conception of the relative merits
Of the Army and the Navy had its origin
N having seen both in action. Perhaps
we saw them at bad time. We have
made allowances for development since
then. We saw the Army against Notre
Dame and the West Pointers we're forced
to accept a beating by 81 70 II, but Il
was not disgraceful setback by any
means. The Notre Dame eleven ranks
With the best In the country.
The following week we saw the Navy
defeated by Princeton, IA 10 0. The
Army team which lost to Notre Dame
would have beaten the Navy clever
which lost to the Tigers on the after
noon Of the tilt at Princeton. But the
Navy showed great potential strength
Some of It's linemen who had been away
with the crew at Antwerp had been Out
Tor only four days and they were woe
fully short Of work.
The Navy gave Princeton a great
deal more trouble than the score would
indicate and reused Bill Roper 10 the
fact that his ends were not Up TO sunni
and that his guards had 70 be strength
ened. The Navy outrushed the Tigers
because It had more power In It's line
But the Navys power was very crude
and Il lacked speed aud coordination
French Has Great speed.
II the Army wins II ia likely to &C
conplish that result through speed no
OF It's line but Of It's backs---with French
always IN the foreground. The Army
line as we saw IL work against Notr'
Dame lacked football intelligence, tina
ls. keenness In sensing a play and quick
ness IN taking advantage Of an oppor
tunity. II did not appear 70 us 70 be
line which would eliminate these def
ciencies this season.