The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-05
THIN RED LINE" IS. WEAK ON EVE OF
 OLE MISS CONTEST
"Rat" Team Shows Up Var Sity In SCrimmage On
 Denny Field

UNIVERSITY, Ala, Oct. 4.-(Spe- ciaL)-One of these days Alabama's prospective backs will charge low and drive hard and furnish the man with the ball some interference but those days at Alabama are not with the Crimson Tide these days.
 Something is am:s5 in the camp of the Crlmsons. Coach Wade is not finding the work of his varsity play CTS satisfactory. Wednesday after noon, the freshman eleven played the regular Alabama aggregation simply off their feet. The rats" charged, and bore down hard, and it seems the varsity eleven is lot doing that.
 Whatever may be said. Coach Van- degraaf has a rat eleven that will leave few fields this year defeated, Holmes, a tall, seocky built lad, is gaining q reputation daily by his splendid work at center. Goode, a Birmingham product, is another lineman that is making rapid strides, Pickhart is doing nicely, Estes and Lillian running well in the back field, and Rosenfeld running the team in expert style. Truly Ala- bama's rat" eleven will cut wide swath in freshman circles.
 Heads nod slowly at Denny Field  mistic students are beginning to realize that Alabama will not have the best machine in the world, that Coach Wade is not a superman, and lots of other things. Coach Wade has been faithful until the last, and is teaching the Crimson candidates all he knows. But, he cannot do 1t for them. He is liked by all play CTS, even though his idea of work is much different from the easy going Scott of last year, and the players seem to like it. The fault will not be his If Alabama loses football games.
 Saturday will see the second game of the season aganst Ole Miss. As a rule, students usually think of the opening games as stiff workouts for the varsity team, but the Tide faces no easy proposition in Ole Miss. Little has been said of their work, but it Is known that Alabama will face a tough foe.
 To win, Alabama will have to re- ceiVe cooperation among linemen, the same from the backfield a stronger offense and a greater punch in the backfield Everyone seems to be trying to please as hard as they can, but they must not be pleasing judging from the number who get jerked out of play every few minutes. There's no fooling around at Denny Field this year. Some or the rated regulars that saw their places go to another man Wednes- day was Hudson, Hubert, Brown I,anghorne, Propst and Dany. Flght' right-all the time-does the three coaches yell and fight from all play CTS must come.
 What will happen to the backfield when Baty returns is hard to say. He was supposed to be back in his uniform Wednesday, but he again moved along the sidelines in civilian clothes It may be remembered mat Baty called signals one year at Ala bama. and it may be possible that he win get another chance at the job. MacCartee and McClintock have been doing this, but anyone Will say that Alabama's greatest need IS quarterback.
 Then. even if he is not shifted from his halfback position, ana granting that he shows up better what will happen to the rest of the backs? Hubert, McClintock, Mac Cartee. Whitaker, Gillis, Brown, Barnes-a glittering array of versa tile men who would give many coaches joy. Only four can play at ing Coach Wade is what four snail it be. Today it looks like Whit aker, McCiintock, Brown and Hubert but the next day sees Barnes, Glllls ana MacCartee in there.
 Conglomerations have existed in the Crimson camp before, but never to such an extent that it exists to- day. Last year, just before the sec ond game, the regular eleven and the reserves were known. This year nothing is known yet, and won't De for several more days. The Syra- cuse squad will tell the tale.