The championship foot ball game with Yale, the last match of the season for Harvard, was played at New Haven, on Saturday. Spectators to the number of 2000 were gathered on Yale's new athletic grounds to witness the match. Among them were about thirty Harvard men, who went down from Cambridge, and several others, graduates, who had come on with ladies form New York, Boston and elsewhere. The conditions for a foot ball match were almost perfect. There was no wind, the air was mild and the ground was more than fair.
At twenty minutes of three, Mr. Look of Princeton, the referee, gave the word to begin. The Harvard men had the sun in their backs, and Yale had the kick off. Their game was to dribble the ball to Coxe (230 lbs.), who attempted to make a run, but was promptly tackled and downed by Burgess. The ball was then passed to Richards, who made a long kick which Kimball muffed. It was Harvard's "down," but close to their 25-yard line. Bemis passed it poorly and Kimball lost it, so that Yale had the ball "down" close to the touch line. It was slipped to Coxe, who threw himself forward and landed over the line, thus securing the first touchdown in less than three minutes after the commencement of the game. Ricbards kicked the goal, 6-0.
Harvard then worked hard, and by active play of the rushers, despite loose work of the halfbacks, kept the ball near the centre and then forced it slightly onto Yale ground. Hurd and Finney did well and Peabody exchanged long kicks with Terry. Soon Yale was again forcing and Kimball missed a kick on his own end. This gave Yale much ground. Kimball was tipped over after making a kick and partially stunned, but with great pluck continued to play throughout the game. Harvard had it "down" within the ten yard line, when Flanders broke through and securing the ball as it was being passed to the rear made a touchdown. Richards kicked a second goal, 12-0.
Soon after the kick off Peabody made a kick, and Hurd being put "on side," got the ball and made a short rush. After a kick by Willard, Bayne muffed the ball and Bemis handsomely tackled Terry, who tried to run with it. This good work took the ball into Yale ground, but Harvard was soon put on the defence again, where Finney did some good tackling, and our rushers stopped some of the Yale attempts to pass. Next an unfortunate high punt by Peabody was caught by Bayne, only a few yards in front of the posts. From this fair catch Richards tried to kick a goal, but failed. Then Finney had another chance to down Terry, who tried a rush. The next attempt to score was made by Richards, who caught the ball on the 35 yard line, and carried it back ten yards to let Terry try for a goal from the field. The try was a failure, but a fine pass across the field by Bayne, landed right in Robinson's arms. He was playing outside of Hurd and made a fine run until tackled by Peabody at the 5 yard line. From the "down," Bayne, with the ball, dashed through an opening in our rush line and scored behind the posts. Richards kicked the third goal, 18-0.
The ball after being put in play was usually in the hands of Yale. Richards, and Bayne made good rushes, while Hurd, Finney, Burgess and Peabody distinguished themselves by their successful tackling. Just five minutes before the inning was over, Richards made a fine run one-third of the length of the field and scored a touchdown. He kicked a goal, 24-0. Time was called with the ball on Harvard's end of the field.
The second inning began at a few minutes before 4 o'clock. Harvard presented the same team, but Yale made one change. Flanders who had strained himself retired, and Storrs took his place, Harvard had the kick off and, while Willard was punting the ball, our rushers got down in time to tackle Richards, who had secured it and was trying to run. Terry's kicking sent it to the Harvard end, where it remained, owing to a fluke by Kimball. Richards soon got it and kicked it over the line in a poor attempt for a goal. When brought out and kicked by Willard, Terry secured it and made a run, then passed it to Richards, who lost it. Peters made the next rush, and he was tackled by Peabody, but too late, for both fell over the line and Peters had a touchdown. No goal was kicked. Score, 28-0. The ball brought out again, Hurd tackled Terry who was first to get it. This he soon did again and Yale found some other man must be tried. Coxe was selected, and getting the ball he went twisting and turning down the field, with Peters at his elbow helping him to ward off the Harvard men. Owing to a foul a delay was caused in their progress. The "down" was so near the line that Coxe was able to force it over by his weight and make a touchdown. Richards failed to kick a hoal. Score, 32-0. The ball thus remained at Harvard's end so that a run by Terry and a roll-around (nothing can better express the motion), by Coxe, soon brought it near the line, still in Yale's hands. Harvard watched for a force through, but, instead, Coxe got it and ran around, making a touchdown. No goal was kicked, and the score was 36-0.
The play which followed for a few minutes after was enlivened by the fine catches of Willard, who received considerable applause. His good kicking, could not, however, without some rushing by Harvard, keep the ball far from the line. Harvard's tackling, too, which in the first half had been fair, became worse, owing, perhaps, to the more blown condition of the men. Richards got the ball some distance up the field. and making another of his beautiful rushes crossed the line and made a touchdown after a maul in goal. Terry tried for the goal and succeeded. Score, 42 to 0.
Willard kicked the ball off and b good work Harvard had the ball "down" on Yale ground. Then the only real attempt at offensive play was made by Harvard. The ball was given to Hurd, who attempted to run around, but was stopped before he had gained much ground. Then Peabody dodged prettily and got in a good kick, and the ball having hit a Yale man was caught by Hurd, who made a pretty rush, the best made by any Harvard man. Harvard worded hard, but Yale forced the ball, when Terry, getting a catch in mid-field, made his only successful run of the day, and carried the ball close to the line. Bayne slipped through the Harvard rush line and made the last touchdown, from which Terry kicked goal number six. Score, 48-0. But few minutes remained. Bemis downed Richards, who tried to run, Coxe tried to gain ground, and from the "down" he made the ball was passed to Bayne, who slipped through. Time was called ere he could reach the line. Some papers gave this a touchdown, but Mr. Look, the referee, said that, both time was called before Bayne went over, and also that the ball was not properly put in play.
Yale depended largely on the work of the halfbacks; and the kicking of both and Richard's rushing was very fine. Peters, Bayne, and Robinson, also distinguished themselves, while Coxe made his weight useful. Yale's passing and blocking were good, and the men got down on the ball in good shape. They had little tackling to do, so that one cannot judge of them in that respect. The perfection of team play was not quite up to the Princeton standard.
Harvard tackled better than a week ago, but played a defensive game, never attempting to gain ground except by kicking. The fumbling by the backs except Willard, was bad, and Kimball made several flukes in kicking. The rushers blocked fairly but failed to get down on the ball in any kind of shape. Hurd, Finney, and Burgess, did the best work in the rush, each tackling low and hard. Peabody also tackled well. Willard caught and kicked superbly.
Mr. Look, Princeton, '84, was referee. Mr. Hull was umpire for Yale, and Adams, '86, for Harvard. The Yale team was as follows: Rushers, Robinson, '85, Bertron, '85, Flanders, '85, (Storrs, '85,) Peters, '86, Coxe, '87, ronalds, '86, Goodwin, '88; quarter-back, Bayne, '87; half-backs, Richards, '85, (captain), and Terry, '85; back, Marlin, '86.
Harvard: Bushers, Hurd, '88, Thayer, '85, Gilman, '85, Burgess, '87, Brooks, '87, Homans, '85, Finney, M. S.; quarterback, Bemis, '85; half-backs, Willard, '87, and Kimball, '86, (captain); back, Peabody, '87.
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