That the Yale eleven as it played last Saturday was a much stronger organization than has represented the Elis so far this season seems established by the remarkable showing it made against the husky West Virginia Mountaineers. The undergraduates who had begun to fear that "Tad" Jones would not live up to their expectations, were partly consoled for the defeat at the hands of Boston College and are now hoping that their eleven will repeat its performance of 1916 when, after a mid-season defeat at the hands of Brown, it turned around and beat both Harvard and Princeton.

Although Yale made a remarkable showing against West Virginia, it placed itself in a precarious position by losing for the season, it is feared, two of her best men, Tom Dickens, who was regarded as the best tackle on the squad, wrenched his knee so badly that he will be shelved until next year. As Bob Lay, who was first string backfield material last year until injured, bruised both his arm and leg Saturday, it is now expected that he will be lost to the team for the second consecutive season. At present the hospital list totals 10, including Dickens and Lay; Peterson, halfback; Thorne Murphy, quarterback; Captain Callahan, center; Acosta, guard; Aldrich, halfback; French, halfback; Sauerback, end; and Quaile, guard. Of this set, Quaile is the only player who seems at all likely to get into the Colgate game.

Eli Morale Bettered

But in spite of the fact that they lost a few men as a result of injuries, the moral effect of the victory over West Virginia will do much to prepare Yale for the big games with Harvard and Princeton. Even Saturday a marked improvement was shown in every department of the game. The blue-clad team played hard, fast football. The eleven that a little over a week ago was heavy of foot and slow of wit was changed into a hard-tackling, fast-running, and alert aggregation. There were few missed tackles, almost no fumbles, and the interference, ragged in the extreme against Boston College, showed a decided improvement. However, it is not that the development of the team has been advanced, although that is an achievement of great importance, but the fact that there has been such an amazing change of spirit which shows that the Eli eleven will fight all the harder to down Harvard and Princeton.

Line-Up at Last Stable

But besides this decided change of esprit, the Yale team which has been so unsettled in nearly all of its games this season seems at last to have become stable; the quarterback problem which has worried Coach Jones for so long has finally been settled.

Kempton, the Yale quarterback, who has fizzled in so many critical games has at last found his position. At halfback, in Saturday's game, he starred and is now rated as on a par with Aldrich, who is generally considered Yale's best back.

Murphy an Abler Field General

It is fortunate that Coach Jones has a man of Thorne Murphy's ability to replace Kempton. While he was in the game last Saturday he ran the team well and showed better generalship than Kempton has heretofore exhibited.

With the addition of Captain Callahan Acosta and Herr, the 250-pound guard, the Yale line will be as strong or stronger than it was last year. The fact that Dickens was put out of the game for the season on Saturday will make a pretty race between MacKay, Walker, Munger and Into for the line positions. Walker and Into, both of whom had University experience last year and who have shown up favorably this season, are the probable winners.

Coach Jones seems to have settled the end problem. Eli Cutler and Dilworth, both of whom played against West Virginia, seem to be the final selection.

Having safely displosed of the eleven which last season so decisively defeated Princeton, the Yale players will start preparation for the game with Colgate. Due to the latter's poor showing this season, they are not expected to offer much opposition. However, Yale is taking no chances of losing any more of its first-string men, and this slight rest will be distinctly welcome.