Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-11-02
BY GRANTLAND RICE.

ny 6HANTLAND RICE.
IN ERNIE BIERMAN, the coach Of
x suppressed emotions, was pae-
ing back and forth In his hotel
room after the Northwestern
overturn. For the 'first time since
1882 he had seen one Of his Minnesota
teams beaten. and the gloom around
him was thicker than \ dune fog.
II wasn't 50 much that his
team had lost. It was the way
they had lost that cut into the
silent coach.
They were game enough to the last
play. but there was that smuggling pen
atty against big Ed Widseth, his cap
tain, planting the ball on the l-yard
hne-and after this there was the
panicky Decentralization of o great team
in a wild furry of impossible laterals
down the stretch-nine Of these alto
gether with a rain-soaked ball.
We tried to offer a little cheer In
relating the downfall of such unbeaten
teams as Yale. Holy Cross. Villanova,
Army, Auburn and others and Har-
wards amazing tie with Princeton.
After all" we said, twenty -one out
Of ~ isn't so bad"
Confidence Turned TO Panic.
RIERMAN shook his head. THE
main trouble" he said, ais that we
all forget at times that these foot ball
teams are made up of kids from 10 to
Il years Of age. They are not sea-
soned emotionally over any consistent
stretch. In the upper circles they are
about the same size, they have about
the same power and about the same
speed. Take the case of Widseth.
know he did no intentional slugging
I've just talked to him. I have one or
two others who might have momen-
tarily lost their heads under pressure,
but Widseth had never been penalized
in his three years Of play.
For three years We have always
been sound in our use of tactics
especially in the use of the lateral.
an effective, but dangerous weapon.
The mental poise Of our teams has
been one Of the main reasons for our
three-year record, he continued. But
In this game We saw q Minnesota
punt strike and bound back 20 yards,
a tumble on our 13-yard line, and
then what amounted to a touchdown
penalty-all happen within three min
utes.
They were no longer seasoned
veterans. They were kids, des-
perate and panicky. throwing
laterah where there was no
chance, or little chance, Of any
success.
Northwestern played magnificent
foot ball. But We took things much
too easy in the first two periods, and
I could see between halves our men,
tai attitude still carried too much
overconhdence. I couldn't change
this attitude And this early state
of mind after IL victories over the
pick OF the field was largely respon-
sible for the quick change from poise
to panic that came later.
And then there was Vanzo and
Kovatch and Heap Of Northwestern.
Don't forget them"
There Was Fred Vanso.
IVES, there was Fred Vanzo, a ais
pound quarterback, who last Sum-
mer was q Coast Guard or q life
guard captain. Vanzo at quarter
didn't call any signals or run with
the ball or throw the ball or kick the
ball. Minnesota's big. fast-charging.
hard blocking line has q habit Of
opening up boulevards, but. on this
occasion, when the boulevards opened,
there was Vanzo, the life guard. Upon
his bull chest he might have carried
this sign-"Road Closed-No Detour."
Once in . while the fleet Andy
Uram, ball-carrying brilliant. slipped
around him. But, in the main. Vanzo
was always there in the middle Of
the road, smashing and cracking play