The Washington times., 1931-11-20
FORWARDPASS
TO FEATURE
NAVY GAME
By HARRY COSTELLO
Georretown Star Back, 191O-1013

Georsetown Star Back. 191O-1018
Probably in no football game
in the North this season viii the
football fan have such an op-
portunity to see the forward pass
actually used as a weapon Of OF"
fenSe as in the Navy-SOuthern
Methodist University game, at
Annapolis, Saturday.
The Mustangs from Texas
really employ the overhead heave
as a weapon Of attack. The idea
of using the play merely as q
threat never enters the minds Of
the Methodist players. To. them
the forward pass IS just as safe,
just as valuable and just as eff
cacious as any other sort OF q
play.
When southern Methodist
played Notre Dame, and lost the
contest by q whiSker, Coach Ray
Morrison very soberly announced
in a South Bend hotel that his
boys threw the ball just as often
as they ran with it.
No Exaggeration
His statement, made III Nor
rison's matter-of-fact way, also
made a tremendous hit with the
football critics in attendance, and
they promised to check Rays
statement the day of the game.
They did, and discovered that the
Mustang coach had not exaggera-
ted a bit.
In Saturdays Nays. M. U. tilt
there should be many sensational
plays. The Mustang backs, par
ticularly Mason, are sensational
runners, and decidedly graceful in
action. Several of the backfleld
can hurl passes with an unusual
degree of accuracy and GOODNESS.
Then, too, the very formations Of
s. M. U. tend to open the game up.
Develop Rare Plays
From a double-wing back forna-
ton, the Mustangs develop plays
of rare deception and beauty. Be-
cause they enjoy this latter dis
tinction does not mean that they
lack the hard-driving qualities Of
successful offensive actions.
The main point is that the MUS
tangS seem to spread the defense
more than any other team this
writer has ever seen in action on
gridiron. Perhaps this is due to
the fact that the s. M. U. accepts
the forward pass as an attacking
weapon rather than as a threat
to aid a strong running attack.
In fundamentals, charging, tack
ling and blocking particularly, the
visiting Texans are superb. They
are trained and coached very care
fully and very thoroughly by the
painstaking Morrison, who has es-
tablished national reputation be-
cause of his successful methods.
Like the immortal Rockne, Nor.
rison is a fundamentalist before
all else, and many times leaves the
impression that his talk Of skimp-
ing the running attack to develop
the forward pass Is propaganda.
individuals Shine
In the matter of kicking, han
ding Of kicks, down.the-field
tactics, finesse of execution of
plays and in polish of action,
the Texans leave little to be de-
sired. All in all, the Mustangs
comprise football machine, but
one in which individuality shines
forth very clearly.
Incidentally, this does not mean
that individual players strive for
the glory of themselves. It means
that S. M. U. is a distinct type
Of football team, loaded down
with personality. It is what the
dramatic critics call an "it"
team. s. M. U. has "It," per-
sonality, individuality, unusual
ness, unique qualities.
The Navy.Southern Methodist
University game is for charity,
but 1t stands absolutely on its
merit as football attraction.
A n - n