Evening star., 1926-11-26
BY LAWRENCE PERRY.

H BIRMINGHAM, Ala, November
- 26.--EIaving seen Alabama in
her Thanksgiving Day game
~ against Georgia and having
watched Stanford in action,
The writer thinks that the Palo Alta
eleven Is going to have difficult time
scoring against the Dixie outfit at
Pasadena, Calf, on New Year Day.
And he believes, also, that the Tusca
loosa machine will have an equally
difficult task in scoring against the
Californians, if not more SO.
Defensively, Alabama was altogether
impressive against the team from
Athens, as indeed she has been
throughout the season. Save on
few wide forward passes thrown from
a running back, Alabama was air
tight, and this pass weakness was
eNCusable seeing that she kept seven
men on the line save when the attack
moved into fairly dangerous territory
when the center was turned loose.
Has a Great Defense.
Otherwise the writer has seen no
better defensive eleven all season. The
three defensive triangles, end, back
and tackle on either side and center
and guards in the middle. We're never
broken and not man missed his
assigned duty. AS a rule Georgia S
attack wss checked before it got to
the line scrimmage. This spelled
hard and timely charging of the for
wards, for one thing, and for another
absolute accuracy in diagnosis. The
tackling was literally ferocious-old
time tackling with the runner lifted
into the air and slammed down.
On attack Alabama presented a
h9r r1 hDY DY-cri1l me- l1-ith at CT
guard prominent in the interference.
But throughout the game it must be
said that the line and backtield did
not coordinate as effectively as Tus-
calooSa elevenS the writer saw last
year and in 1924. Alabama's top
heavy victory, 33 to 6, would suggest
the contrary. But scores seldom tell
a true story of a game, and the last
man in the world to base judgment
on scores is Wallace Wade.
The writer imagines that he sacri-
fees something in the way of inter
ference in playing that great end,
Winslett, in the backfield on attack.
But the writer has not the slightest
idea that Wade does not know this.
Offense Is Still Varied.
All the stuff out of which an attack
backed by strong continuity is built
was in evidence in the play of Ala
hama The wing back idea. with the
end playing wide from his tackle, was
strongly in evidence But this was no
fetch with the team. which employ
cd, too, the ~ formation and the
play from kick alignment. The hid
den ball, delayed play and multiple
passes were not neglected. either.
The best thing about all this was
that the formation. whatever it was,
was never a tip-off to the play. The
defense might decide that a center or
off-tackle buck would follow the spread
formation, when suddenly a play that
had been associated with yet another
arrangement of the backtield would
be sprung. In other words. deception
What the writer is trying to say is
that the team revealed every evidence
Of the best coaching that exists any
where in the country. Where inter-
ference is disorganiZed chiefly be-
cause Of the slowness of the backs
and where swiftly opened holes close
before the ball carriers cut into them
no fault Is 10 be found with the sys-
TEN. The onus lies upon the backs.
Taylor EngenGers Pep.
Yet, when young man named Tay-
lor came into the game late in the.
third period. there was a sudden
fusing of the whole team, which
shows what can happen when what
may be called a tonic performer en-
ters a lineup.
The team appeared TO believe in
Taylor and his appearance was fol
lowed by a team precision which ac-
complished several striking feats in
the way of attack Alabamas for
ward passing ought to have accom-
plished more in the way Of long gains
than it did, even granting that Geor-
gia played a tlveman defense through
out. But with forward passing 1t is
a game that is either working or isn't.
With Alabama it was we'll worked in
that 1t always arose out of decep-
tlon and was always beautifully
thrown. 1t Just failed to click Thurs
day, and that is all that may be said.