The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-24
GREAT PLAYS MAKE
TWO ALL-AMERICANS
Two Identical Forward Pass Plays Pulled By
Michigan In Quick Succession

being prepared to play toward our left
and around Minnesota's right end.
Mcmillan got the ball on a direct
pass from Cornwell and started as
| though on a run around the GOpher's
right. Magidsohn accompanied him,
ostensibly as protector. Pattengill went
for the defensive right end. Wells took
one step forward-and then the scene
| changed.
Instead of continuing forward, Wells
wheeled entirely around and ran back
five yards. Now, passing Mcmillan,
he received the ball from the latter.
cept any Gopher who might have gotten
by Pattengill or Magidsohn, Wells
dropped back to a point 10 yards be-
hind his scrimmage line.
B0rleSlkie Down Field
While this was going on, Borleskie
had shaken himself loose, evaded the
defensive left end and sped down the
short side of the field along the side
line for a distance of 25 yards. Center
Cornwell had charged down the field to
take out the Minnesota safety man,
McGovern. Our right guard had fallen
back eight yards to protect Wells.
I The Stage was now set for the pass
and Wells hurled a 40-yard beauty.
Borleskie caught it after wonderful
running leap which twisted his body
half round. But the foxy McGovern
had sized up the situation by this time
and, eluding interference, charged up
with Rosenwald. They threw Boleskie
out of bounds with leaping tackles at
Minnesota's 29-yard line.
The thing had worked! 1t was first
down after a gain of 20 yards! The
crowd went wild. never heard such a
roar. 1t made Niagara sound like a
peaceful brook.
More To Come
But this was but one chapter of the
Michigan strategy. Although he did not
know it, the referee in bringing the ball
10 yards inside the side line was giving
the signal for the next play. You can
figure it out for yourself. Nobody
would expect us to make another pass
down the short side of the field. Mime
sofa didn't. But we did. We repeated
the Minnesota pass in its entirety, with
the exception that this time Quarter
Mcmillan ran little farther over be-
fore passing to Wells and the latter
darted back a little farther before
throwing to Borleskie.
Right Back Again
The alert McGovern and Rosenwald
were just a bit more on their toes this
time. They swept across the field and
leaped for the ball as Borleskie did.
But not quite as high. That boy must
have unsupported springs in his shoes.
He snatched the ball from the air just
above McGovern's outstretched hands.
Again he went out of bounds. Again
the ball was brought inside Is yards.
And this time it was first down on
Minnesota's courtyard line.
Imagine that if you can. A 51-yard
gain on two identical plays, with Wells
throwing the ball to Borleskie each
time. Would anybody have believed
that the Gophers could have been fooled
twice in succession by the same
strategy? Well, our boys did it. They
believed in themselves, and they came
through. can see them out there
now-standing up and figuring out
do, going ahead as if they intended to
do it, only to swerve at the right mo-
ment and turn the entirely unexpected.
Four To Go
But there was more to be done. The
Gopher goal line was only four yards
away, but there wasn't much time left
in which to complete the journey. The
widest excitement prevailed. The spec
tators were scrambling out of their seats
and trying to get down close to the
field to see what would happen.
The same formation was called. But
this time there was a switch. Wells
moved back to the position which had
been occupied by Left Half Magidsohn
Quarter Mcmillan took Wells place
just outside and back of Lawton at left
end. Magidsohn stationed himself
where Mcmillan had been. Minnesota
looked puzzled. Was Wells going to
try another forward pass along the side
line?
The ball was snapped directly to
Wells and into the line, directly behind
Benbrook, he plunged, carrying what
seemed like eleven Gophers on his back
for a vineyard gain. We hurried into
the same formation again. This time,
taking a pass from Magidsohn, who
dove into left guard as a feint, Wells
shot like wild bull into a cross-buck
charge behind right guard. Carrying
two Minnesota men on his back he went
over the line for touchdown.
Wells Makes All-American
He wasn't more imam IOOC over, DuC
he was over. That was the all-impor-
tant fact. On those two plays he had
proved himself the best line plunger |
ever had seen. Conklin kicked goal
We had beaten the Gophers, the first
team to score on them.
That surely was a thrilling finish.
For, despite the fact that there was an
other kickoff and period during which
Minnesota tried desperately to stave off
defeat with forward passes-which
they had not, 1 think, used before
the brief remainder Of the game was
but an anti-climax.
Those last four plays had made an