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About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1898)
Vou. VIIL No.4, NEW HAVEN, CONN., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1898. YALE'S FOOTBALL PROSPECTS. Mr. Ball Sketches the Situation—The Holes to be Filled, The Yale alumnus now insists on his morning meal of pigskin. The clash of nations is as nothing to him com- pared with the clash of rush lines, and as he reads his daily newspaper he hurries past the Washington and foreign columns, and the profound editorial page, to the sporting columns, when he gathers all the crumbs of com- fort and food for thought that the news from Chamberlin’s men can _ furnish. He smiles or knits his brow over the latest evolution in the science of coach- ing at Cambridge and looks with respectful earnestness at the conserva- tive doings of old Nassau. The gray- haired bank president is equally “guilty” with the youngest alumnus. Dignity of position or height of ambition avail not to check the keen interest in foot- ball prospects. ‘The war is over and no other contest is so stimulating. Thrice fortunate are we who dwell within hailing distance of the gridiron and can attend with the regularity ot revered old “Pop Smith,” (younger and more sprightly at eighty-five odd _ years than twenty yeats ago), the daily evolutions of the army of players, the captain and his advisers. But at times in the excitement of practice we are moved to wish that a long-distance telephone were at hand that we might yell to the distant ones: “Brown is rip- ping up things. If he can only keep it up, he’ll make another Heffelfinger.” “deSaulles is zigzagging as Beecher did ten years ago.” Chamberlin is not to be moved at right wing. It is Rhodes come again—Rhodes who held Hector Cowan at bay.” ‘‘McBride’s kick booms like a cannon. Those 1098 pounds of bone and muscle move ahead every time the charge is made, and he tackles in the spirit of the old refrain— ‘and you'll remember me.’” But we can try the WEEKLY in place of a telephone. Of course the question first asked and usually hardest answered is; ‘‘Have we a strong team?” then, “Will it be up to last year’s?’ and “What are the chances anyway?” At this writing it seems safe to an- swer yes to the first; a provisional “yes” to the second, and to the third, “better than last year at this time and encouraging with the likelihood of the stronger word ‘good’ being warranted ~ later.” The situation to-day may be summed up in this way: While the nucleus for a winning team is present in the shape of more good backs than ever tried for a Yale team in one year in any past season; in the possession of one reli- able quarterback and an able substi- tute; in a line of forwards unusually strong at one guard point, at right tackle, and at the most conservative estimate four likely youngsters from which to get two good ones to fill the gaps at ends; the material wherewith to complete the center trio and to fill former Captain Rodgers’ place at left tackle is by no means of the best or plentiful, particularly as regards heavy men for center rush and right guard. To be sure, the big framed Marshall essays to play the companion. part to Brown at guard and is now doing fair work. But will he meet the expecta- tions of the coaches who demand not only a rock-like stand on the attack, in order that each and every play may get the proper start, but an aggressive, intelligent defense? Probably, yes; that is to say, he is far more likely to succeed than the candidates now in sight for center and left tackle. | And of these latter two the proba- bility is that a good tackle will be found before a reliable center rush. Indeed, snapper-back and left tackle may be said at this time to be the only serious questions, though it must not be forgotten that weeks intervene in which to hammer into shape either McGee, Durston, Cook or some at present lesser light for ‘tackle, and Andrews, Walton, Cutten or Phillips for center rush. Of these men, McGee and Durston have ideal physical qualifications, but their neural systems are yet unequal to the occasion of getting the very most out of the muscles under their control. While Walton and Andrews lack beef, Cutten and Phillips have enough and to spare, but are wanting sadly in energy and quickness. It should not be taken for granted that the ends are just right, for there is no man in the candidate list who shows as yet a Hinkey stamp. But this much is true; out of four very promising players, two quite as good as last year’s ends should be the result of the few next weeks play. Hence the end positions cannot be considered as . serious now, even though new men must play them. Speaking of the work of the Eleven from material gathered from the ‘aily practice and the matches with visiting teams thus far, this much may be said without fear of contradiction: For so early in the season the play is quite good, the form shown being far superior to that of last year, at least three weeks in advance of this time. In the Wil- liams game the concentration of effec- tive intereference for end runs was quite remarkable; the defence on the whole strong, the running of the backs steady and speedy, and the kicking quite satis- factory. Further, the Eleven is playing to- day as fast football as Pennsylvania or Harvard and altogether a_ stronger game than Princeton. But with the present green Princeton team. whipped into shape by the succeeding weeks of this month of practice, and strengthened by the return of Kelly to halfback and possibly Wheeler at fullback, there will be perhaps a different story to tell. All things considered, however, the prospects must be counted bright at this time, particularly when it is borne in mind that McBride is almost sure to improve on his punting of last year, which means superiority over all oppos- ing fullbacks of the year, and Cham- berlin is working upon the drop kick with at least a fair chance of becoming expert by the end of the month. At present, the veterans of the team are all doing good work, and that of deSaulles in particular deserves. men- tion, from the fact that his 140 odd pounds is counting for many times that amount in effective interference and all round help for every play the team is using to-day. Mention should also be made of the younger brother of Professor Corwin of the Eighty-Six team; for the earnest- ness of his work in interference and defence, and his lightning-like start, jumping with the ball with great regu- ‘larity, are bound to prove prime factors in bringing up through sharp competi- tion the standard of halfback play of stich veterans of last year as Dudley and Benjamin, both of whom must put forth unusual efforts to gain the chance for further honors on the field this year. W... T. BULL. COL. THEODORE ROOSEVELT, HARVARD LIEUT. JOHN CC. GREENWAY, YALE ~ Price Ten Cenrs. °80, AND "95 S. TALES REGISTRATION. ~~ More Academic and Scientific Fresh= men than Last Year. The WEEKLY has been able to secure definite registration figures from all the departments of the University, except the Graduate School and the Musical Department. The probability is that the former will show about the same figures as last year, while substantial gains are reported in the Musical De- partment. This means that Yale’s total of 2,500 of last year will not be appreci- ably changed this Fall. The interesting changes of the year are in the incoming classes. The gain here in the Academic Department is 34 and in the Scientific Department 8. The Law School has 62 this year against 82 in the Freshman Class twelve months ago. The figures in the Aca- demic and Scientific Departments, and in the Law, Medical and Divinity Schools follow: ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT. 1896-’97 1897-’98 1898-99 Seniors,.-.--- 280 301 301 PUTS oo, Sake 295 302 327 Sophomores,- 310 343 279 Freshman, --. 354 296 330 Hots, 5.20. 1230 1242 1237 SHEFFIELD SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL. 1896-’97 1897-98 1898-’99 Graduates,--- 54 60 53 SeniOrs; = 25. 182 121 143 WMNIOTS, — 35 133 162 170 Freshman, _-. 170 187 195 SPpesial ss coo4 14 14. £1 motals> ..- 322 553 543 572 LAW SCHOOL. : 1896-’97 1897-98 1898-99 Graduates,_-. 21 25 ie MERIOES, <<... - 109 28 69 WidGdicts,.. (20 oo 56 39 PUNiOTs,: Ss. 81 82 62 BRCEIAIS. «(555 2 7 9 saotals, 222: 213 198 196 ev enaeenen 2a PRE AL. Bee el 8 Dey GR: 1896-97 1897-98 1898-’99 Seniors, ee: 37 38 8 J UNIDIS 22 - es 41 6 26 Second Year, 9 33 28 Pirst Year... 48 45 42 Spetials,. 22> . - 2 (Undecided Gracuates, 2.5 = 4 Undecided Lotaise a 138 128 104. DIVINITY SCHOOL. 1896-97 1897-98 1898-’99 Resident Licentiates, 4 II 8: Graduates... - 10 13 IO Seniats, =. = 34. 28 22 Middiers...- 28 20 26 Juniors, ...-- 28 30 30 Sotgigg ss. sz. 104 102 96 TOTALS, EXCLUSIVE OF GRADUATE SCHOOL AND MUSICAL DEPARTMENT. 1896-97 1897~'98 1898-'99 Academic, ..- 1239 1242 1237 Scientific, -s.=- = 553 543 B72 Law School,_.: “273 198 196 Medical,---.- 138 128 104. Divinity, .-.-. 104: 102 96 "EONS, + es 2247 3273 2205 a> <>» a The Week at the Field. The work of the University Eleven in the games against Amherst and Williams and in the practice through- out the past week has shown consider- able improvement, but great weak- ness is still manifest in the line. An- drews, the substitute guard, after a trial at center, gave place on Monday to Richardson. Richardson played guard on last year’s Freshman Eleven and has done fair work in his new position. Marshall and Brown have filled the places at guard with reasonable regu- larity, and during Durston’s illness McGee has done the bulk of the work at left tackle. Perhaps the greatest advance has been in the play of the ends, especially that of Coy, Sharpe and Hubbell. The work of the backs
