South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-16
Rock Gets Smile
off COuntenance
of His K eCrnitS'
n. ID. Coach Wipes Away
Grins But Fails TO Dim
Their Determination.
By FRANK WALLACE.


mined faces whose owners were will
ing 10 do or die for the honor OF the
old school Coach Knute Rockne, Of
Notre Dame. swung into the old-time
form Thursday and wiped the smiles,
but not the determination, from the
aforesaid faces by morning and aft
ernoon sessions Of steady work.
Fundamentals were brought out
and busted and the rudiments OF pass
ing. receiving. punting, charging and
blocking were inaugurated as the
base for a successful course in foot
ball even as the student of econom-
les must struggle through the de-
tested economic history before delv-
ing into the more enhancing study
Of dlstrlbutve justice.
The backfeld regulars Of two sea-
sons reviewed the fancy sidesteps de-
signed to Illustrate ambitious tacklers
in the games of the season to come.
while the rockies. especially those
who neglected TO come out for the
spring practice, began the long Sc
ries OF attempts necessary 20 make
easy the apparently simplest maneu-
vers which are usually the most diff
fcult. The guards renewed their in
and-out movement and with the
tackles rehearsed the blocking and
charging tactics that enable a usually
light Notre Dame line to outplay
heavier opponents. The ends went
down under passes and the tossers
| improved their aim.
Each man went through the mo-
lions required by the modern science
OF football, motions later unseen but
absolutely necessary to perfect the
precision Of team play that caused
critics at the West Point game to
lwrite that Rockne's team moved with
military precision.
Practice - the place to learn
these things" Rockne told the boys;
and the sessions of the coming week
will be to a large extent patterned
after the work Of the first day.
Find Additional Losses.
In addition to Gipp. Coughlin.
Smith. Brandy, Hayes and Barry,
who were lost by graduation, neither
! Chef Grant nor Fred Larson, Of the
monogram men Of 1920, were pres
ent at the first workouts. Grant has
| been handicapped by poor health and
will be unavailable for the early part
of the season at least, while Larson
has not returned TO school.
Left half, quarterback, right guard
and left tackle were left vacant by
the departure OF last years gradu-
ating members OF the squad, and the
/ possible loss OF Larson increases
\ TQ01 70
was ex-Capt. Frank Coughlin, fol-
/ lowers of the team are disposing of
the left tackle job with supreme con-
fdence in the ability Of Hector Gar
vey 10 come through.
Ed Degree and Jim Dooley. sec
ond stringers of last year and we'll
seasoned men, are the most promi-
nent candidates for Morrie Smiths
/ position at guard, although the final
selection for the place is in no sense
confined to these two men, as Forest
Cotton and others must be consid-
cred.
Harry Mehre, a veteran OF two
years experience. is the most promi-
nent candidate for Larson's job
while Nixon, Of interhall fame, and
Regain. a lightweight kid OF Slip
Madigan's type, Will be in the offlng.
which leaves the left halfback and
quarterback as the two real vacan-
cies, for which a stiff battle will be
waged, and Of these two the pivot
job is easily the most worrisome.
No Gipp TO BE Seen.
Even the fOndest hopes can see no
possible equal TO George Gipp in the
flock Of candidates for the halfback
job. but Danny Coughlin. Tom Lieb,
Il Gus Desch. Red Shea. Earl Walsh
Red Maher and Dutch Bergman
/ compose a group from which Rockne
Will undoubtedly select a running
mate capable of even surprising the
sterling form exhibited by Johnny
Mohardt. 1t must be remembered
that at this time last season, even
Antl midseason, Mohardt had not
wont a regular place on the squad.
But With Chef Grant gu the run
ming, at least temporarily. the can
didates for quarterback do not be-
gin TO compare with the known
worth Of the halfbacks. Thomas.
3 Reass, McCivney. Logan and Kane
are good men, and one of them may
be another Brandy. To date most OF
them have not had a real opportu-
nifty TO show. but one thing is GER
tain-unless Rockne develops a man
from this group or converts half
b back into a man capable OF filing
the little generals shoes" the No
= tire Dame team of 1921 Will not be
the great team Of its immediate pre-
|dCCcSs rrs