The New York herald., 1922-10-27
TIGERS DEVELOPING
Big BAG OF TRICKS
Roper, Always Progressive.
Has Borrowed Literally
From Rivals.
MAY SURPRISE CHICAGO
Nassau's Potentialities Are
Great-Penn States Foot
ball Very Pretty.
BY DANIEL.

Princeton's football team is the mys-
terry eleven of the East. Its achieve
ments this season have not been start
ling, but its undeveloped potcntialities,
both as to individuals and the group,
have been impressive. and its possibili-
Just now we would rate the Tigers
behind Harvard and Yale-and behind
a few other teams we could name
and we are inclined to believe that
they will be beaten by Chicago to-
morrow. But let that not be taken
for granted. Even If Old Nassau Is.
second best Chicago will realize that
1t has been in very interesting and
highly competitive situation.
The Princeton squad has gone to
Chicago with more tricks in it's bag
than are possessed by either Harvard
or Yale, and probably by any of our
other leading elevens. The Tigers
ever have been tricky. shifty and
crafty since the advent of Bill Roper,
but this time they are developing more
stratagems than they have shown in
the last half dozen years. To make up
for his shortcomings in the quarter
back position and at several other
places Roper has gone in strongly for
the out Of the ordinary.
We understand that while Princeton,
even if pressed in Chicago, may not let
everything out of the bag, 1t has wide
repertoire which includes two shifts,
forward pass modelled after that worked
by Rodgerss great West Virginia team
in 1919. when the Tigers were over
whelmed, and another air attack work.
ing out of a spread similar to that
which was used by Colgate in the years
gone by, when Anderson embodied a re-
marSable triple threat as quarterback.
Always Ready to Borrow.
The smashing end Of 1921 and 1920
has been discarded, both because the
rules forbid it and because Roper had
had his fill of 1t. But in its place the
Tigers are said to have been working
on a slant off tackle which looks a lot
like the highly deceptive weapon with
which Colgate battered the Orange and
Black inordinately a few weeks ago.
Roper is both progressive and an op-
portunist. and if Colgate play looks
good to him he will pick 1t up and go
on with 1t. Football plays are not
copyrighted, but many coaches do not
seem to know it.
Roper's chief work, Of course. has
been centered about his quarterback.
He has tried Pagenkopf. who was hurt
in the Johna Hopkins game--he has
tried Bergen. Dinsmore and German
and has Wingate in reserve. German.
1t appears, will be tried against Chi
cago. with Bergen second choice. Down
at Princeton they believe that unless
German comes through in great style
against the Maroon the big games with
Harvard and Yale will find Pagenkopf
plotting the Tigers.
Roper has been having his worries at
nearly every position. At this ad-
vanced stage he still is undecided as
to the relative merits of some OF the
candidates. At center. where the Tigers
have been having difficulties ever since
Red Gennert was graduated, Afford
and Griffin are having it out. with
Afford favored slightly Roper has set
tied on his guards-D ckenson and
Snively-and on his tackles--Treat and
Baker
Treat a Great Tackle.
Treat Is one of the best tackles in the
East. He was whale at Boston Col
1ege in 1920. Baker is either one OF
the greatest or one Of the most slug
gish. He seems to be taking tho game
seriously enough. Snively is not our
idea Of a guard. but he Is the best
thrower In the East and cannot be
spared. Roper does not think him fast
enough for an end. which he>was last
season. or a back
Gray and Tillson look like the best
pair OF ends right now. but Gaines and
Smith are close up--and none of the
four is Legendre. Cleaves IL the
one back sure of his job. Caldwell and
Emery are having 1t out for Wittmer's
job at fullback, with duties mainiy de-
fensive. while Crum seems to have the
call over Newby and Euwer for one Of
the halves.
When the main detectives roll around
look for Van Gerbig In there and
maybe Beattie, who has failed to de-
velop his potentialities thus far, but
looks like quite football player.
Last Word in Deception.