Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-12-03
BILLY
Evans
aAf
CREDIT FOR MINNESOTA

Al1QIG EGOCk1lG, FAMOUS COACH kO1
Notre Dame, doesn't believe in making
an alibi for defeat, Yet,.. 4 am sure
if you could get. him to express an
opinion as to the defeat Of the
Fighting Irish by the Army he would
give most of the credit to Minnesota.
Why Minnesota? you ask. Well,
just one week previous to the game
with West Point, Notre Dame played
a TT tie with Minnesota in one of
the hardest battles of the year. The
game was played in cold weather,
ahd both teams suffered severely.
Despite difficult schedule, feel
that Rockne believed he could go
through the season undefeated, pro-
vided he vanquished Minnesota. Both
teams pointed for the game and
were at top form. However, since
Notre Dame met the Army on the
next, Saturday. it was Rockne'S team
that suffered most.
Scoring touchdown early in the
game with Minnesota, Notre Dame
held the lead until the final minutes
Of play, when break of the game
that earlier had given Rockne's team
a scoring chance, this time fell to
Minnesota, enabling the Gophers to
even the count
However, it really wasn't until after
the game was over that Coach
ROchne Of Notre Dame realized the
ton that the Minnesota game had
taken of his athletes.
e. -
TEAM OF GREAT POWER
iEThe day prior. to the clash between
Nbtre Dame and the Army, when
ROckne was asked his size-Up of the
Minnesota eleven, he replied:
hHIt's a great team that really
doesn't know. its own power Once
Minnesota realizes it's remarkable
strength there will be no stopping
that aggregat ation
1T was one of the hardest played
games that I have ever seen, yet
always clean. When a player was
tackled in that game, he knew it,
When back hit the line, the for
wards were well aware of the fact
IT am sorry I scheduled so I'M
portantf a game with so great a team
before the Army contest, because /
feel that my players gave all they
had in that contest and may suffer
for it later.
Regardless, I still believe we arc
good enough to defeat West Point
although the margin may be very
Close"
Rockne, who is seldom wrong iii
a football way, had poor dope, for
the Army heat his great team, 1870
Minnesota had SOftened up his
athletes for the boys from West
Point.
RIGHT DOPE ON MICHIGAN
When asked as to his opinion of
the Michigan Minnesota game, Rock
ne, without the slightest hesitation,
replied:
Minnesota should win by at least
one, and possibly two, touchdowns.
Michigan is smarter, but Minnesota
has too much power If the Gophers
ever get started, Michigan is going
to have more than a busy day trying
to stop them.
@Michigan's chance of winning must
come through the forward pass. The
Wolverines will find the line too
strong and the. secondary too good
to get by with much straight foot
ball." siS ts
At the close of the Michigan
Minnesota game, I realized how well
Rockne had. called the turn, one
week ahead, in these days of topsy-
turvy football. i s.-f BfEI'
Michigan for !. time .outsmarted
Minnesota, scored through the me-
dium Of forward pass and held the
edge until Minnesota's power asserted
itself. The margin of Victory was
ont touchdown
Getting back to the starting point,
if Knute ROcIne would tell what he
really knows to be the case, no aIibi,
it was Minnesota that sOftened his
eleven for the Army.
y X * * X ** Il Il 4 - y X X y
Used Car Bargains : :