The University eleven had another hard contest Saturday in the game with Brown, and before over 15,000 spectators barely managed to win by the score of 6 to 0. Harvard assumed rushing tactics from the start, and about the middle of the first half, after Kernan, by a 40 yard run had carried the ball to the 5 yard line, made the one touchdown of the game. During the remainder of the play the nearest approach to a score was when Harvard had the ball within 16 yards of Brown's goal and was then held and forced to try for a field-goal against the wind. The opposing team, however, never succeeded in advancing more than a few yards beyond the centre of the field, and at no time was Harvard's goal endangered except once toward the end of the game when a punt was fumbled on the 25 yard line and recovered just in time to save the ball from being secured by a Brown end. Brown proved less strong than was expected on the defense, and allowed Harvard to gain freely during the greater part of the game; but when in dangerous situations the team played very stubbornly and more than once offered a resistance which the Harvard eleven with its lack of aggressiveness was quite unable to overcome. Once the ball was lost by Harvard on downs, again as a penalty, and twice more on fumbles-decidedly a bad record for an important match.
One unsatisfactory feature of the game was the fact that it afforded no real test of Harvard's defense, because, owing to an advantage in the wind, the Brown team, whenever it had the ball, usually chose to punt without attempting to advance by rushes. The old fault of fumbling appeared again in exaggerated form, and often with serious results. There was seemingly an increased desire to help the runner, but this good quality lacked the merit of regularity,-as sometimes the man with the ball was thrown for a loss for want of careful or effective interference. Plays were also frequently betrayed by men starting before the ball was passed; new signals had to be given and the progress of the game was retarded. The line showed some improvement but could do no more than hold its own, as the lighter Brown team was quicker on every play and in most cases kept the men too busily occupied with their own positions to be of much assistance in other parts of the line-up.
Victory was in no small measure due to Kernan, whose long runs of 40 and 35 yards made Harvard's touchdown possible; his fumble, however, soon after the beginning of the game, was a costly one. Clark and Burgess, at ends, both played well generally, but were slow on punts. A. Marshall did excellent work in his position and Wright showed more energy and fight than he has in any previous game this season. Graydon was consistent in his gains; Marshall ran the team with good judgment and made several brilliant runs after catching punts.
Bowditch was taken to the Stillman Infirmary on Saturday night with a slight injury that will keep him out of the game for a few days.
Throughout the game, Harvard made gains which amounted in all to nearly 300 yards, but through fumbling or penalties was never able to make full use of the opportunities afforded to score. At the very start, the ball was carried, principally by means of Kernan's 40 yard run around right end, to Brown's 33 yard line, but Graydon was unable to gain on a centre play. Hurley was thrown for a loss of 4 yards and, in order that the ball might be kept, it was taken back 16 yards to the middle of the field. There Kernan lost the ball on a fumble, but on the next play he tackled Barry for a 5-yard loss, and after a short gain, Brown was forced to punt. From Harvard's 37 yard line, by means of formation plays in which Graydon did most of the gaining, the ball was carried 15 yards past the centre of the field. Kernan then made his second long run to the 5 yard line where he was tackled from behind by Barry, and in two rushes on alternating tackles, Knowlton went over for a touchdown. Barnard kicked goal. Score - Harvard, 6; Brown, 0. During the remainder of the half, the Brown team made its first successful attempt to advance the ball and in nine plays covered 20 yards and then punted to Harvard's 14 yard line. The half ended just after Harvard in seven plays had reached the 45 yard line.
The second half was taken up with a series of punts by Brown and of rushes by Harvard which amounted in separate totals to advances of 15, 74, 44 and 35 yards, the ball being lost once on downs, once on a fumble and again on a penalty. About the middle of the half Brown's 16 yard line was reached, but Knowles was tackled 7 yards back of the line and Marshall's try for goal from a drop-kick fell short. The game ended with the ball in Harvard's possession at the middle of the field.
The line-up follows: Score-Harvard, 6; Brown, 0. Touchdown - Knowlton. Goal - Barnard. Umpire-A. Bull, of Pennsylvania. Referee - Edwards, of Princeton. Timekeeper-Wood, of B. A. A. Linesmen-McGlensey, of Harvard, and Giffen, of Brown. Time - 20 minute halves. The University eleven will hold its first secret practice this afternoon. The practices this week will all be closed except for a short time on Wednesday and Friday
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