Crowded out of the spotlight of Eastern football by the Yale-Dartmouth and Pitt-Ohio clashes, the Harvard-Florida game was however very significant to followers of the Crimson. Harvard shook off the gloom still hanging over from the Dartmouth rout and showed itself to be a rejuvenated eleven in setting the Alligators out to sea.
The Crimson eleven played under wraps throughout, wary of showing anything to Fielding H. Yost, former Michigan mentor, who was in the stands scouting for the Wolverines. Only once did Harvard show anything new, when on the march for the initial touchdown, the backfield lined up in a semi-kick formation. The touchdown made, the old formation with a back in motion was resumed again.
Harper Inspires Team
It should not be gathered that Harvard suddenly climbed to football, heights in handing Florida a 14 to 0 defeat, but the University players served notice on their three remaining opponents that they have trouble ahead of them. It was a different story altogether from the Dartmouth game. It was a new team, inspired by the return of the regular fullback, Harper, and under the leadership of a new quarterback, Wood, which showed marked improvement in its most apparent weakness, its defense. The much heralded trie of Cawthon, Bethea and Sauls could not produce any real offensive threat against the Crimson forward wall. Only on one occasion did the "Gators get deep into Harvard territory.
For the first time in three games Captain Barrett was relieved of his duties as running guard and he subsequently played a much better game at defensive tackle. Kuehn justified his assignment at right tackle and Talbot again proved that he is still to be considered for a first team guard berth. His tackle of Bethea on the kickoff opening the second half was one of the cleanest and fiercest seen in the Stadium this year. The line as a whole clicked much better than it did against the Big Green, bad tackling being its only weakness.
Mays is Elusive
Coach Horween went through with his plan of starting Wood at quarter and Putnam at half and that the switch was for the better was seen at the very start when Putnam dashed off-tackle for a 22-yard run. More convincing, however, was the performance of the slippery and elusive Mays. The Sophomore flash, injected in the game in the second quarter, led the Crimson in its drive for its first score, dashing and squirming through the Southerners in a manner similar to Marsters. He crossed the Floridans line again in the fourth quarter but the score was disallowed because of a penalty.
The work of the reorganized backfield although still crude, was better than any done by a Crimson ballcarrying quartet this year. Wood established himself as an able and alert quarterback. He played a heady and cool game throughout and although not carrying the ball once he was responsible for the last touchdown when he threw another last-minute aerial to Harding, duplicating his feat of the Army game. Harper was back to his old form again when, in the opening quarter, he made two successive first downs single handed.
Harvard's reserve strength was pro bably the outstanding deciding factor. Coach Horween used 32 men in the game, and permitted his second team to play the entire third quarter. Twice the injection of substitute backs revived the Crimson offensive and started drives of which one culminated in a score. No injuries were reported.
The summary:
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