To many Saturday's game against Holy Cross gave promise of a Crimson team that would go down in history side by side with the combinations of the last decade in which Mahan, Casey, and Owen have starred. A few, on the other hand, as they left Soldiers Field entertained grave doubts that the Harvard team was even up to the average.
Such a divergence of opinion can be explained by the fact that Captain Greenough's team at times was brilliant to an extreme and at others wallowed in the mire of mediocrity. Each opinion could be well backed by Saturday's performance.
Team Feeble in First Half
With the exception of Hammond's punting the Crimson had little to be proud of in the first half. Harvard and Holy Cross had the ball about an equal length of time, and while both were able to make substantial gains at times, neither could do so when a scoring opportunity was in sight, except for the Purple's lucky tally on a fumble by Miller.
It was distressingly noticeable in the first half that the Harvard eleven was unable to make the best of the chances that were thrust upon it. Three golden chances turned black as Holy Cross either forced the Crimson team to kick, held it for downs, or recovered a costly fumble.
The records of the second half tell a very different story. It was during the third and fourth quarters that Harvard displayed a brand of football that warrants an optimistic outlook. A brilliant runback of the opening kick-off by Hammond was the forerunner of the policy the Crimson backs were to adopt the remainder of the game.
The first attack of the second half failed, but Harvard was soon back with another threat when Glennon punted after McGlone's attempted dropkick had fallen short. Coach Fisher's team had and used the right play at the right moment. Two linebucks netted little. Then Hammond negotiated a perfect pass to McGlone who tore to the three-yard line from which Howe carried the ball over. There was no hesitancy, no faulty, sluggish play in the whole procedure.
Improvement Continues To End
Overconfidence was as remote from Harvard's play following the first tally as the sun from the moon. The line gained rather than lost its driving power. The climax of the battle came when Miller made his spectacular run in the closing period. To some that run might look like chance, but it was not. It was merely a play that worked more perfectly than a dozen admirably executed ones. It was made possible by Gamache's sensational taking out of the last Purple defender.
No Harvard team for several years has shown greater potential strength than Captain Greenough's team did during the second part of Saturday's fray. Best of all no injuries of a serious nature have been reported. That means, barring unforeseen developments, full strength against Dartmouth next Saturday. Cheek, Gehrke, Spalding, and Daley, kept out of Saturday's game for safety's sake, should be at their best by the coming weekend.
The summary:
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