The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-03
/ ALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS
NEW YORK. Dec. 3.

NEW OIbINs OCt. u
TIME elusiveness of football form
l. and golf form has been linked
in the same controversial breath
before. A conspicuous example Of
this was to be noted in the Notre
Dame-Army game which concluded
the eastern season. In that game
more than 10000 persons were
treated TO the spectacle Of an Army
team which hadn't been able to win
q single major game all year rising
to superb heights. In spite OF its
defeat by a single touchdown, this
team displayed a potency and CO.
hesion that stamped it one Of the
great teams Of the year.
II
On that particular afternoon the hIther-
to cratic Army team which had been tied
by Harvard beaten BY Yale and routed by
Illinois would have been i match for any
team in The country. 1 don't think it is
taking anything away from Notre Dame
when IL is said that If the breaks had
gone the other way the result might have
been sharply different.
n
THERE were two notable breaks
4 in the game and both of them
went against the Army. The first
was when a touchdown pass from
eagle in the second quarter went
futtering into the arms Of Elder, the
fastest man in football, who made
the catch near the Notre Dame goal
line, swung Immediately into high
and did not stop until ne had
crossed the Soldiers goal ninety
eight yards away. Had the ball been
intercepted at that point by any
PLAYER other than this 9 As Splinter
the chances are the run would have
been broken up before midfleld was
reached.
The other break came in the fourth
quarter when another pass from eagle,
deep in Notre Dame territory. failed by
inches when Hutchinson, the Army half
lack. fell SPRAYING on the icy field with
q, clear road ahead. True. there were
-'-eoks that went against the visitors from
sulh Bend. but there we're comparatively
,nimportant in character.
There was something about this
f~uy team that was missing in the
e-rlier games Of the year. 1t had
power and drive and fight. The
same line that had been erratic, I'M
certain and awkward against Yelc
was a flawlessly functioning unit.
e II
TT0HE dope was that the Army
< line would be outsmarted ano
outplayed by the Twomeys, the
Cannons, the Laws, the Leahys, and
tie ColrickS. But it was not at all.
on the contrary, if there was an
edge in this respect, and I thought
there was a definite one, Army
had it.
OF course there is the possibility that the
long, tough schedule had taken its toll
from the Notrr Dame forwards. but with
Rockne- trained squads this is not as seri-
GUS a consideration as with the average
squad because of the great number of sub
stitutlons he employs. 1t is also true some
allowance must be made for the fact that
the Army hadn't had a hard game Tor
two weeks for this meant a minimum of
punishment and ample time to prime the
team.
But admitting all this, it was a
revelation to watch these eleven
courageous Cadets who started and
finished the game without 4 sub
Stitution in their final effort to score
a notable victory before what might
be called a home crowd.
THE frozen surface of the field
4 minimized offensive fireworks
on both sides, and it Is not easy to
say whether the cadets or the South
Benders suffered the most. AS the
game was played the two most ef-
fective backs on the f1eld-except-
ing the fleet-footed Elder and his
epic dash-were eagle and Murrel.
OF the two, the red-headed boy
from the bayou lands of Louisiana
was the one who caught and held
the imagination every time he
swung into action. There was al
ways a chance that he would get
loose and go somewhere. He was a
constant threat whether running
with or throwing the ball.
II
OAGLE spurns the orthodox.
~ Probably no player in football
was accorded more liberties in &C
ton by his coach than the Army
captain. He may pass or run as he
elects. He has no set routine in
following his interference. He is just
as likely to start on an end run,
stop sharply and go slicing of
tackle of his own accord as not.
And no forward passer in years possibly
rot in the history of football. has con-
sietenty dropped back as far as eagle be-
fore firing his shots. 1t is nothing for
him to fall back twenty or thirty yards
before pegGing to an uncovered receiver.
Yet in spite of the obvious hazards in
volyed. this practice has brought him and
the ARMY team unusual success.
New Grid ChamuS in