In writing a before-the-fray article a certain Boston correspondent mentioned the fact that the Harvard-Virginia foot-ball game would be the same old "Grant took Richmond" story. The orange-clad Cavaliers resented this sort of hospitality, and the result was that the Varsity football team went through the roughest, toughest battle seen on Soldiers Field this year, winning by 40-13.
The team emerged from the encounter in a more bruised condition than even after facing the three-deep power-house of Cornell. Wingback Torb Macdonald and right guard Dave Glueck left the clash with deep cuts around the eyes, center Tim Russell and blocker Joe Gardella imported innumerable bumps and bruises, and several other regulars looked battered to the proverbial pulp.
Although Captain Bob Green and left tackle Tom Healey played well over three periods, others on the team received more respite than in any previous game--hence the battering is even more extraordinary. Coach Dick Harlow appeared visibly worried (he could hardly be expected to be overjoyed about the licking Princeton gave Yale, making the Elis a dangerous 1-3 underdog for Saturday, but he declared that he would definitely have a scrimmage this week if possible.
Crimson Unimpressive
The Harvard team as a whole played in a listless and loggy fashion. Their sustained drives were practically negligible. Defensively on the ground they held the visitors to 34 yards, but in the air, both offensively and on the defense, the Crimson were distinctly odorous. They tried 15 forwards and completed two for a gain of less than 30 yards, while their opponents completed eight out of 21 aerials and made 152 yards by them.
The listlessness and the lack of sustained drives may be explained by the fact that the game was a rather unattractive "breather," but the lapses in aerial work were really discouraging. Yale made 13 first downs on 13 yards gained by rushing, and although we did not see the game, it is a cinch most of those first d's came through the ether.
Yale, however, will probably not use many "sleepers," which is fortunate, for after a whole afternoon of "sleeper" practice against Chicago the week before, Harvard was still flatfooted against them yesterday. One Virginia touchdown came on a spectacular 35-yard reverse-field "sleeper" and the second coming after two passes not technically "sleepers" but equally obvious.
Harding, Gardella Shine
Individually Austie Harding and Joe Gardolla stood out, and both probably annexed starting berths against Yale by their work. While disappointing with his passes, tailback Harding nevertheless did the hardest running on the field and three times advanced the spheroid to within inches of scoring on fine runs. Gardella continued to outshine all the Crimson pass defenders, which was a none too difficult feat Saturday, and also had the honor of making the first two first downs.
The first down situation was very odd. Harvard did not make the initial one of the ball game until midway in the second period, since the first period was nothing except an exchange of a dime's worth of punts. No first downs appears even edder when you realise that "Flash" Macdonahl had made one 67-
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The Playgoer