The New York herald., 1921-10-24
Eli FOOTBALL THIS
YEAR RIGHT SNAPPY
Attack Indicates Policy Which
VIII Make Most of the
Situation.
AEMI'S SERIOUS PROBLEM
But Tackling Serious Problems
Is the Army's Forte
O'Hearn's Leg Drive.
AHMY'S SERIOUS PROBLEM
by WILLIAM u. HANNA.

by WILLIAM u. HANNA.
Any time football team spends ali
its remaining time raining forward
passes across the other line, with now
Ind then an end run TO keep opponents
guessing. the other sides goal line is
menaced. OF course, had every Yale
player done his particular Job just as
he should have done it last Saturday.
the Army would have been beaten IA
tolO instead Of IA to z. but perfection
hasn't been attained to any striking ex-
tent where the human equation enters
and there aren't enough men at Yale
or any other institution to smear every
hostile forward pass when they are be-
ing deluged with them.
Yale. though not always perfect In
diagnosis in meeting this difficult situ-
alton, met 1t with n spirited defence
which went far to keep II in check. and
with an alert defence. Football at
New Haven this fall is being played in
an alert and spirited way. There is a
big Improvement in those respects over
last year. Ell is right snappy this year.
The end play and the kicking are bet
ter than last year. much better. The
tackle play was good in 1920 and Is
eficient this year. Tho centre trio.
where the most uncertainty as to the
teams ability existed, did well against
the Army. and there are men in reserve
for the middle OF the line to bring i'm
provement in case the coaches decide
they must have it.
Yale was better than the Army on the
wings, and from tackle to tackle the
two lines We're well matched and
strong. Yale just now is playing with
more drive and zest than Princeton, in
Guiding a line quicker to apply its lift
ana with strength better distributed
The ELI backfield. though hitting harder
than Princeton has done go far. was
not OF evenly distributed strength
against West Point. Often there was
sIowness therein. slowness In getting
plays under way. The Army forwards
had something to do with this. They
were very active on defence.
Old Faults Still Remain.
Nor was Yale's play free from the
same old fault that has gone with it's
campaigns for several seasons-hesitancy
by the backs in broken field running
starting for one place. changing the
mind. lack of decision, circling back
ward, course Of procedure which II
il produces gain looks fine. but which
generally is in reality accident and not
design and results In loss of ground in
stead of gain.
The Eli attack can stand lot OF
Quickening and smoothing out, but in
the way OF q wldeawake game and full
realization OF equipment possible In
football as now played the Blue, as
progressing this season, is behind no
body.
Bob Folwell, the Navy coach, saw the
game in the Bowl. He was asked II his
team could keep UP its really finished
forni--a better organized and concen-
trated and harder hitting attack than
anybody else In this part of the coun-
try has shown TO date. He thought 1t
could. "A team of football players
ought to be able TO come back every
Saturday." is the way he put it.
That Is food for serious thought for
the Army people. But serious thought
IS the Army peoples dish. Don't think
they are already beaten by the Navy
or regard themselves as beaten. Not
while they are stroLg potentially. They
have a line from tackle to tackle which
can be whipped into as able combl-
nation as the Navy has; and that's
blamed able-bodled. Tho Improvement
the soldiers made In a week and their
zestful mood show they can go far.
AS a prospect the Army il not up to
the Navy. behind the line or on the
ends. Still the Army has made no ef-
fort yet to attain the form being shown
by TIE Navy. The end play is bound
70 improve. The backfeld play Will,
TOO. but gives no indication whatever
% equalling the Navy in versatility or
native adertness.
Army Must Improve.
The Army quarterback play must inn
prove greatly to match the Navy. and
wnero the Army has one good man be-
hind the line the Navy has half n
d9zen. Yet French of the Point is an
asset to be feared by any antagonist
1t cannot be otherwise. the way he can
Kick. run and throw. IL is true he DID
not harass the Navy much last year:
but he is capable of doing so. and un-
der different conditions may do SO.
The Army. played for Yale by the
way Il handled the Bulldogs kicks.
Timidity in handling punts seems 20 be
universal these days Maybe it Ia con-
s,dered conservatism is the smarter
part Of valor. But one surely does miss
the old confident. sure handed trick OF
grabbing them on the run.
There isn't anything particularly bold
or original in standing still and catch
ing them. The work OF the Army back
field man in letting them bounce and
dancing around them gingerly as IL
they were a red hot coal was poor stuff
and helpful to Yale. The Ellis did this
once. too: let a punt roll to their five
ward line. but with the extenuatlng cir
cumstances OF figuring the ball TO roll
over for n touchback.
Aldrich, n player OF exceptional skill
---hc can run and kick and pass and
straightarm ne is keen and on the SPOT
on defence; no sizes UP opponents for
ward passing with unusual aptitude he
is a leader: he has football sense--iet
- punt strike the ground. but seemed
20 have calculated its bound, for II
bounced back toward tho Army.
When Aldrich got loose after inter-
captlng an Army pass and was caught
from behind by French ho must have
lost ground by looking around. But
that Is such a human thing to do Again.
.sdrich. an indefatigable worker must
have been tired by that time. French
might have caught him sooner had the
latter not been hampered by one of his
own side also in pursuit OF Aldrich.
The touchdown by O'IIearn--the man
ner OF twas a beauty. Nothing was
eoing TO stop him. He dragged two
-Army men over the line with him, and
he had the powerful churning leg drive
or Wendell. Kelly n Buttcrworth, a
Maulbctsch or an Oliphant
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