For the fifth consecutive time, Harvard defeated the University of Pennsylvania at football last Saturday on Soldiers Field, by a score of 11 to 0. It was the closest game that has been played between the two universities since 1898, but did not result in as great a feeling of satisfaction as is generally produced by a favorable score in a close contest. From considerations merely of physical qualities and training, Harvard should easily have outclassed Pennsylvania, but the comparison, when determination and worthiness of effort are counted in, is not complimentary to the victor. The Harvard eleven had many more chances, to score than the ordinary game usually affords, and had the team possessed the spirit of their opponents, not only would these opportunities have been taken advantage of, but more of them would have been forthcoming. But there was singular lack of team play and aggressiveness, and in critical situations, there was the same stage-fright or over-supply of confidence which has prevented so many touchdowns in previous games. Fumbling, holding, offside play and inexcusable failure to gain ended in a score of but eleven points against opponents who should have been beaten by double the amount.
The game itself was slow and, except for occasional runs of considerable length, or for some individual work of more than usual excellence or the reverse, was rendered uninteresting throughout by the sameness of the play. All through the game Harvard was continually forced to punt, simply because of an attack which was so slow in starting and so poorly protected that the Pennsylvania forwards were able to break it up before it had gathered sufficient power to prove formidable. Four times the ball was brought within easy scoring distance, only to be lost on fumbles--once on the 16 yard line, and again within 4 yards of the goal. It was lost also for holding at the 10 yard line, and the last time on downs in the very shadow of the goal posts. While the Pennsylvania team thus succeeded in stopping Harvard's offense at the proper moment, it never had the ball within 65 yards of a touchdown, and the only chance that was offered to score was when a fumble on a kick-off allowed the ball to roll behind Harvard's goal. It was secured, however, and advanced out of its perilous situation just in time to prevent Pennsylvania from scoring a safety or possibly a touchdown. Only one of Harvard's two touchdown's was made strictly by superior playing, and that was in the first half when, after several ineffectual attempts, the ball was finally carried over the goal line on short rushes from the 28 yard line. The only other touchdown was made on a run of 53 yards by Stillman--practically the only time that the Harvard interference accomplished what it was supposed to do in blocking for the runner. This was the longest single gain of the day.
For a team that is but two weeks from the final contest of the year, the showing of the Harvard eleven was as discouraging as could well be imagined. The team and the University have had a tendency of late to feel that, because Harvard has managed to win all its games so far, a successful ending of the season will assuredly be reached. As a matter of fact, however, the team has not yet encountered a first-class opponent such as will be met at New Haven a week from Saturday. There are only five or six more practices which can be used to full extent in developing the team, and in that exceedingly short time the innumerable faults which appeared in the game on Saturday must be corrected. Of these faults the greatest, outside of the fumbling, seemed to be absence of mutual assistance. This was noticeable particularly when Harvard had the ball. On the tackle-back formation there was no drive to the play, and if the runner could not gain alone there was usually no gain at all. Every man played for himself and gave little thought to the other members of the team. When on the defense, it was the same story, and one man would be left to bear the burnt of the whole attack. Fumbling appears to be an irradicable trouble; it has been a prominent lecture in each of the last three games and from present indications will be an important factor in the Yale game. The linemen were very slow in meeting plays and tackled ridiculously high, in marked contrast to the excellent work in this respect of the Pennsylvania players.
The faults of the team in general do not reflect so great a degree of discredit upon all the members. Some of the men played exceptionally hard, and all doubtless had such intentions, but their efforts were in large measure misdirected. Too much benefit to the team was lost through attention to personal matters which should not have entered into the game. Shea was one of the chief offenders in this particular and devoted himself to it so assiduously that his aid to the team or to his own position was not of a very positive nature. His work in advancing the ball was crude and showed a want of prolonged effort and judgment. Clark, at end, played with life and, as far as his own position was concerned, very commendably. In assisting the runners, however, he has much to learn before he can attain the rank of Bowditch, who gave a good exhibition on the other end of the line. At centre, Sugden filled King's place creditably and by his accurate passing and strong work generally showed that he has possibilities of development. Barnard had some difficulty in handling his opponent but nevertheless did valuable service by his aggressiveness and watchful play. Kernan and Graydon were the most consistent ground-gainers on the team and were largely responsible for what little good work was done by the eleven. The effectiveness of the playing of Putnam. Hurley and Stillman was lessened considerably by their disastrous fumbling.
Harvard at the very beginning of the game forced the play into Pennsylvania's territory and with momentary exceptions kept it there to the end. Captain Gardiner of Pennsylvania kicked off shortly after two o'clock to Shea, who ran in from the 15 to the 30 yard line. Almost immediately there was double exchange of punts between Kernan and Bennett, which gave Harvard the ball 32 yards from Pennsylvania's goal. Short gains by Shea were followed by a 17 yard run around left end by Putnam. With the ball on the 12 yard line, it should have been a simple matter to score, but on the next play Pennsylvania was given the ball for holding. Harvard received the punt at the 43 yard line and again started for the goal. A 13 yard run by Kernan, 7 yards by Putnam and short advances on formation plays brought the ball to the 4 yard line. Putnam started around the end and had almost covered the necessary distance when he fumbled and several Pennsylvania players dropped on the ball at the goal line. Pennsylvania's disparaging estimate of Harvard's line was here shown by the fact that they chose to use rushing tactics rather than take the usual safe course of punting. But after gaining 8 yards a kick was forced and Marshall caught the ball 28 yards away. Harvard's third attempt to score was more successful and when the 3 yard line had been reached on 2 and 4 yards gains by Knowlton and the three backs, Graydon plunged through left tackle for a touchdown. Barnard missed the goal. Harvard, 5; Pennsylvania, 0.
It was on the next kick-off that Putnam fumbled and let the ball roll back of the goal. He recovered it, however, and ran to the 4 yard line before he was brought down. Kernan soon carried the ball out of danger by a 26 yard run, and then punted well into Pennsylvania's part of the field. Near the end of the half substantial line plunges by Graydon and Knowlton landed the ball at Pennsylvania's 25 yard line where time was called.
In the second half two more possible touchdowns were prevented by Stillman's fumble on the 16 yard line and by Pennsylvania's stubborn defense which caused a transfer of the ball on downs 4 yards from the goal line. Bennett then made the longest run of the day for Pennsylvania, breaking through between Wright and Marshall for 30 yards. Harvard received the ball for holding, lost it again on a fumble by Hurley, and finally regained possession of it at Pennsylvania's 53 yard line. Stillman, who had taken Kernan's place in the previous half, circled right end and behind good interference by Marshall made his long run for a touchdown. Barnard's goal left the score: Harvard, 11; Pennsylvania, 0. During the rest of the time the Pennsylvania team made its only series of successful attacks on Harvard's line and advanced 22 yards in all. The twenty-third punt of the game was caught by Motley near the centre of the field and Mills and Harrison were going through alternating tackles 6 yards on every play when time was called with the ball on Pennsylvania's 35 yard line.
The line-ups:
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