Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-17
FAILED
TO UTILIZE POWER
Navy Triumphed Because Tigers
Were Shy on Offensive Tao
tics and Lacked Cohesion
HAD NO INTERFERENCE
BY JACK STRUBISG
Former Princeton Quarterback

Bob f0lwcII'S Navy e'cvcn Saturday
than the average prep school team. 1t
was most diScouraglng exhibition.
Ragged, slow, with seemingly no cohc.
sion the Tigers we're simply ovcrpow.
cred, literally ovCrpOwcrci, too, be-
rauSc the Navy played everything inside
the ends. Tn" few wider plays they
cSSaycd were stopped with no gain or
for loss. They hammered the much
vnUutrd Princeton linz for short but
Orange and Black secondary defense
had been drawn mp close the Middics
"hurkcd a short but effective pass.
When the game started It looked rs IL
the Tigers were going TO win. Three
times they took the bal away from
th" Navy within Princcton's 20-yArd
line, took it away by beautiful dCfcn-
Stvc play. But every time they took
it away something seemed to break and
it would b" Navy> ball again. Bad
passes were responsible for some Of It,
but lack Of Uffcn,ivr power was the
biggest sin of omission. The intCrfcr-
cncc seemed unable to interfere except
with their own men and each other,
No Strategy
Il'It was UN ulleulpt llIhNt 1T
strategy. There was no attempt made
to cross the Navy defense. When it
was first down Princeton tried to
circle the end. That having failed line
play was tried for n gain OF maybe ?
or 3 yards. Then being in their own
territory and afraid to essay pass they
huckcd the line again. They kicked
on third down, usually, and after this
had been repeated twice the Middies
nights aS wei have known the signal.
\ poor pass was the cause of the
Blocked kick. That and temporary
paNlysis on tho part Of three Princeton
men. Tho Navy Left guard knitted
through the right side of our line as
though 1t were made of paper. The
lnemNn opposite him might as we'll
nave been statue. There were still,
however. two Princeton backs between
him and Van Gerbig, who was little
slow getting a high pass down to n
kirkable level. These two backs. fasci.
mated by thc charging MILDLY. Chcercd
him Justify as he went by and crashed
into Vans foot as 1t connected with
the pigskin.
Princeton had MS much power and
strength in the line as the Navy. That
was shown by the way they stopped
them thrc? times and took the ball
away from them on downs. Then, too.
once In a while a Princeton forward
would be- through and smear play:
notably Kcck and Baker. Tim" and
again n line play would run against
wall when Princcton's line played to-
gcthcr. But for the most part they
lacked any cohesion.
1t was six men, each playing his
own little football galno. Had there
been any ono but Wilmer and Gilroy
hnck Of the line there is no telling what
the score would have been. This pair
IRE without doubt two of the best de-
fcne!vc backs In football tOgS today.
Be il end run. tackle stab or line plunge
when the runner crosses the lin" 81
srr!mmagc he finds one Of these two ana
usually both of 'cm waiting to greet
him. But because they were not play
ing as n line the men would find them
selves boxed and hole would BE- opened
rs though n bomb had been dropped
there.
Greet Interference
The Tigrr ends did not look too good
WhCrhrr Il WAS because of IN" Navy s
interference or their own lack Of ability
IS hard 70 say. For the MtddicN in
tcrfnrrgrc was beautiful to behold. II
looked a, If IN" entire squad had Joined
II The ends and tackles w"r" Nmoth-
rrcd and it was up to timer ana
Cibray 10 stop the play. Ihat famous
plny Of the Navy's went for good con
,isten, gains. The play would start
as for an end run. When they reached
point behind tackle the Interference
40 well ms the runner would suddenly
.ut back and arrive at the line like a
/ fvn.ton truck. The end was usually
srnotherod the tackle boxed and tht
runner kept on going.
The masses the blue and gold uset
we're simple enough, Quick bas"DaI
togqcs which are hard 70 stop and gar
! consistently although no great distance
! A1I in all thc MiddicS' attack was bnseC
on sheer power and thcy had that. Th"il
| end runs were wOPfu!ly weak and un'
succrssful. They tried very few crIss'
rros@ca and those they did try were
,oorrd dead Just hammer and smash
Tiger Stars Were Missed
The Princeton attack lacked three
i,,nortart cogs, but that in itself wa
, mo- excuse for tho pltiablc display tina
nas made. Louri", Clarity ant
SuiycIy we're not there. louric TO pas
and receive. Gurrity I" receive an,
Snivoy 20 pass were badly needed. Bu
tIn hacks that were in there rouIdn
to,c out their men. The Navy enc
vas always on his feet, and III" Nav!
tackle was usually in there mixin
,hings Mn badly. Then the passing wa
rrnr Not only were the men unabI
- get free. but the paSscr seemed un
otlp to nick his man. The passes wcr
,LrowD wildly. The Navy was waitin
~ receive them coupl" OF times whcI
l. cn.t three points each. Then tn
Lou often fell dead with no receive
nrar if, True, the horI making tn
uoss was always hurried by the en-
frn0, thp weak side Of the line and off"
Inv the end Of lin"man from tn" s'ron
SIDE.
In kicking Princeton far ont"IaSse
tho navy. With som" good passes an
a Iittlr more Kicking in thc first ha
thn NAVY never would hav" SCORED
Tho mIddics carried III" fight right int
pr,uccton's territory and kept II thcr
mas, NJ the game. They were the ~
nrr,-,re while Princeton was kept q
H.. defense. Outside Of Wilmer, Gil
r,v ErcI M c"upl" Of others, Il
toar. seemed hacking in yep and thc
,fl rot seem ~ alert ~ u"ni. OI
,h,r n pur' was nIlpWrd ~ roll towar
prinr,ror,', goal line for ! yards bcfol
il vas stopped.
Inyr!r's m"ring sp'rtt and ments
o,JIi,y vrro sadly needed. Ma"Phf
rlo,nI n nice game. but the plays /
rymd vrrr carbon copies Of what he In
r...d I'm the same .iIuntion two min
p,,t