Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-10-17
BRAINS WIN
ON GR|D|RON
"Bo" M'MiIlin Says Strength
Alone Cannot Win the
Big Games
BY "Bo" McMillin
.Au-American Quarterback

What part does brute strensth
clay in modern football?
Is brain and speed more essen
tiai than Drawn in the open pay
that now features the grid game?
When a coach looks over MS
available material what style player
has the most appeal?
The good old game of football a
changed much in the last ten years
The successful coach must adapt
himself to existing conditions. A
coaching system that was successful
ten years back would be an absolute
failure today.
Drawn Not Essential
There was a time when football
games were won by brute strength
and awkwardness, but today we
can't find a place on a successful
team for the man with "a millicn-
dollar body and a ten-cent head.
NY experience has proved conc'u-
siyeIy to me that this scientific
game of football is still in the en-
bryonic stage, therefore it is i'm
perative that we choose the most
active and intelligent men Tor our
eleven.
Each season we r introducing
new modes of attack and our field
general is constantly changing MS
defense in order to successfully cope
with these strong offensive expert
ments.
The general conception of a quar-
terback is one who directs the at
tack, but today both the defense
and offense is directed by the wise
field general.
Must Shift Styles
It has been my pleasure to act as
field general for Centre College our
ing the past four years. 1t vas
necessary to change our style OF
play for each game.
From my experience at Cam
bridge in 1920, it was evident that
our success in 1921 depended upon
the ability of our field general to
instantly diagnose each Harvard
formation and meet It with the
proper defense. AS l backed up the
line I was in a position to direct
my iinemen.
Those of you who saw the game
will remember that I had my center
out of the line on practically every
rass that Buell. attempted. Al
though u 1921 line was iignser
than the line which Harvard whip
IE0 iii lo6V W0 WStS
their line thrusts because our GEN.
ter had been shifted up into the
line.
I nave always tried to direct an
offense which would require the
least bit of energy because when
we shift to the defense We want
our backs and ends to have plenty
OF speed to come in fast on OPP
ponents' offense.
Resort to Strategy
In the Tulane, Auburn and wash
ington & Lee games last year our
secondary defense always came IN
exceptionally fast and v al
lowed our opponents to gain around
the ends or by forward passes.
Our team was criticized by a
number of sport writers for getting
cur plays off so slow, especially was
this noticeable in the Harvard
game. Centre had a reason for usiNg
such methods. :.
On our close formations ! would
call a series which would Indicate
| the point of attack. We would Their
| try to widen the hole in the defense
| by calling short series of signals and
| shifting to and fro, to pull the de-
tense over. Just as soon as the o
was assured the swapping signal was
| called and our backs were through
| the hole like a streak.
Yes, it takes a smart team 70
| pIav that kind Of football. but, as ]
| said before, rs per cent of h game
of football is played above .ae
shoulders.