South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-10-17
Brain and Speed
More ESS entail
NotU in Football
McMillin, Centre Star, Be
lieves in Speed and Brains
in Grid Game.
CBy "Bo" McMILLIN
can American Quarterbackl

(Al American Quarterback.)
What part does brute strength
play in modern football?
Is brain and speed more essen
tial than Drawn in the open play that
now features the grid game?
When a coach looks over his avail
able material what style player has
the most appeal?
The good old game Of football has
changed much in the last 10 years.
The successful coach must adapt
himself 10 existing conditions. 4
coaching system that was success
ful 10 years back would be an alb
solute failure today
Drawn Not Essential.
There was q 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 million
dollar body and a ten-cent head %
Ny experience has proved conclu-
sively 10 me that this scientific game
Of football is still in the embryonic
stage. therefore it is imperative that
We choose the most active and intel
ligent men for our eleven.
Each season we are introducing
new modes Of attack and our field
general is constantly changing his
defense in order 10 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
1t has been my pleasure to act as
field general for Centre College dur
ing the past four years. It was ne
cessary to change our style Of play
for each game.
From my experience at Cambridge
in 1920 it was evident that our sec
cess in 1921 depended upon the
ability of our field general TO in
stantly diagnose each Harvard for
nation and meet it with the proper
defense. AS I backed up the line I
was in a position To direct my line
men.
Those Of you who saw the game
Will remember that I had my center
out Of the line on practically every
pass that Buell. ATTEMPTED. Although
our 1921 line was lighter than the
line which Harvard whipped in 1920
we were able to stop their line
thrusts because our center had been
shifted I'D into the line
I have always tried 10 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 opponents
offense.
Resort 20 Strategy.
In the Tulane. Auburn and Wash
inEton & Lee games last year our
secondary defense always came in
exceptionally fast and never allow
ed our opponents to gain ground
around the ends or by forward pass
es.
Our team was criticized by a num-
Der Of sport writer's for getting our
plays off so slow, especially was this
IOllCedDle III tine IAe-l Val 6dilS' CIll
ire had a reason for using such meth
DDS.
on our close formations I would
call a series which would indicate
the point Of attack We would then
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 hole
was assured the swapping signal was
called and our hacks were through
the hole like a streak.
Yes it takes a smart team 10 play
that kind Of football but as I said
before. IS per cent Of the game of
football is played above the should
ers