The University eleven snatched a brand from the burning Saturday afternoon when in the last few minutes of play, Harte, intercepting a forward pass from the Massachusetts Agricultural College quarterback, ran forty-five yards for the only touchdown of the game. The final score was 7 to 0.
The showing of the Harvard team cannot be said to be disappointing, for nothing much was expected of it early in the season. Although the eleven has improved noticeably during the past week, the squad still seems to be foundering in fundamentals. Only the simplest football was attempted, and that with no remarkable success.
The Haughton through policy, however, is developing the conservative way which hitherto has been so effective with Crimson teams. Although yet in the primary stage of development, the men seemed to have grasped important rudiments of the game which promise the building of a strong machine. Playing on a muddy field and with a slippery ball, Harvard did not make a single fumble Saturday, a fact which is particularly encouraging when reports from New Haven state that Yale's defeat was brought about by fatal blunders in handling the ball. The comparison is far from odious.
Mahan Out of Game.
Harvard lined up Saturday without two of her most valuable me, Mahan and Gilman. With only a few substitutions the eleven fought its way through the contest, awaiting its opportunity to break the scoreless tie. Coach Haughton saw fit to disregard his custom of rushing in substitutes in the second half, and so he left practically the original team intact to work out its own salvation.
The lone touchdown came neither through powerful drives nor through long end runs, but through the inevitable fluke which so often occurs in games between two teams almost equally matched.
After the Harvard stands had aban- doned hope for a score in the last short quarter of the game, Palmer, the "Aggies" quarterback called for a forward pass, with his team on his own forty-five yard line. It was one of those plays, which had it been successful, would have brought glory to the quarterback apparently felt that he must throw the ball somewhere, so he hurled it wildly to his side just as Harte was rushing down upon him from right end. Harte caught the ball and scored.
Some say that the play was lucky. The Agricultural College had benefitted from all the "breaks" in the game until that moment, and Harvard was due some luck. But the touchdown was really warranted, for Palmer was surrounded by Crimson players, with a definite plan for such an emergency, who took immediate advantage of the cherished opportunity. It was only such an episode, too that could have saved the day for Harvard for both end runs and line bucks had proved futile.
Early in the afternoon Rollins had skirted the clever M. A. C. ends for considerable gains. His fort seemed to be mainly in his dodging, for he threaded his slender path through the opposing defence with a vigilant eye for openings. His speed was slackened by the heavy field, and he was always tackled from behind.
Enwright was not called on for enough offensive work by which to judge him. Even Willcox, however, who was called on to substitute for Enwright at the last of the game, was unable to keep his feet in the slim. King made several substantial gains, but he could not depend on the feeble line to burst holes in the "Aggies" defense.
The Crimson line was weak. Parson stood out among the centre Linemen like a giant among pygmies, and was as effective as ever. Bigelow was fair. Dadmun, however, is still inexperienced, and cannot yet be counted as a powerful figure. Duncan seemed to be deplorably weak. Gilman was out of the game with a sprained ankle, and there apparently was no substitute worthy to replace the big regular. Cowen, too, was hors de combat with an injured ligament in the calf of his leg.
Wallace is still ineligible. There is a rumor that last year's stalwart centre, may yet be able to play later in the season. The rule at Harvard is more strict that that at Yale in regard to men who have played major sports at other colleges, and it is understood that a conference of Harvard, Yale and Princeton officials will soon decide upon a uniform regulation for all three colleges. Until something is done, however, Wallaco will not play.
Without Gilman, Cowen, or Wallace, the line is severely handicapped, but the development of substitutes soon should bring out some new men who are able to be of material assistance in replacing the regulars.
Summary:
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First Meetings of Courses
