New Britain herald., 1925-10-30
Calling grange A
FALLEN GRID STAR
Article Of Contemporary De-
SCribeS Work Of Illinois Flash

most in the minds OF those who fol-
low oAlege football and they are
legion, Is whether Red" Grange
who was hailed last season as the
best football player OF all time, was
simply a flash. or whether he Is as
good as he is pictured.
Despite the announcement OF
coaches who have secuted the I'LL
nois team to watch the Grange play
that the Illinois back Is as great az
everyone says he is, many are doubt
full and the following article taken
from the sport page Of the New Ha-
ven Union for Wednesday. October
2S, will explain to many the status
of RED" Grange today. The article
follows:
They're beginning to call RED"
Grange 1.-THE Failing Star Of the
West" says Bill Cunningham In the
Boston Post.
Illinois has lost three OF her first
starts, and she heads East this week
for a game with Pennsylvania that
looks like another licking. When
that Penn Illinois game was made
last Fall, 1t looked like the stellar
intersectional clash of the 1925 sea-
son. 1t has lost color faster than q
dollar shirt on wash-day since the
present wars started, however.
And all because RED" Grange has
failed to break loose.
Few people realize that the IA
nous son of Wheaton's deputy Bher-
iff is playing the greatest game in
America. "Red" isn't whizzing off
into space for 60 and 70-yard dashes
this year, bue he's doing something
that, if less spectacular, Is all the
more astounding and difficult.
"Red'' Grange is playing a one
man backfeld against every team
Illinois faces.
And furthermore he's getting away
with It.
mo halfback has ever done 1t be-
fore, none may ever do 1t again.
You have heard prolix arguments In
your day, perhaps, about what jim
Thorpe, or Eddie Mahan orTTed Coy
or somebody could do with an I'M
protested smash at some famous
line.
Thes appointed RED" Grange q
one-man backfeld and made extra
linemen Of the rest Of the backs, On
most of the plays they placed the
other three backs in behind the
weakest three linemen, with orders
to help the weak sisters block.
Then Red" got back, as naked
Of all protection as a fish, and pre-
pared 10 most of the running unald-
ed. And he did and does. He's not
busting loose, but he's making gains
He's better without interference
than with it.
Red" is the quarterback, the
fullback and both backs in one. lie
is calling the signals now, taking
direct pass from his center anu
striking out in the direction that MS
conscience dictates.
And here's the way 1t is WORKING
Illinois played Michigan Saturday
Michigan by virtue Of smashing WINS
over Wisconsin and Indiana. is rated
the strongest team in the West. IT is
veteran and powerful, rcsourcelnI
and intelligent, 1t was top-heaNS
favoritc to win.
Furthermore. Michigan played
Grange. They had three tackles IN
lateral tandem running parallel 10
him and waiting for the cut-in on
very play. Yet actual count OF the
nlays Of fine battle shows that
Grange ran himself So per cent OF
the time and averaged five !afds
every time he started.
one man against lone unpro-
c,,d runner against an especially
buil. defense. he carried the balI
n times tor an average Of fve !arus
q trip. His longest excursion was 'or
- wards The flnt that the 'ieid WAS
= sea Of mud bothered him more
than A Huu for he Is cra5-s'yle
sfJl,r like lroWu's Fritz Pollard lie
needs clear grippag" for success
Michigan vas finally forced to WIN
the gamy with pDace-kirk. I'"n
Friedman. the 1N1-pound quarter
hack lof,rl ,hr sudden squash over
The grim. frey yard arm from the