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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1905)
.'.Vt.'i MHtSiaiaiftlai&SiSU2aM A Review of the Foot Ball Season N X N. V Tho football soason of 1005 must was with Grand Island College, and half. Morse at quarter showed, that go down In .tho annals of tho Unlver- tho Cbrnhuskors managed to pllo up he had a cool head, but ho had not slty of Nebraska as the leaBt success- 30 points In tho first short half. Dur- learned tho gamo well enough, and It ful of any slnco Booth came to coach Ing tho second half tho entire Hno-up was freely predicted that Benedict tho team in 1000. It Is not tho moro was changed, and as a result there would bo placed at quarter again, fact of tho dofeats at tho hands of was no scoring done. In tho original The following Saturday tho team Minnesota and Michigan that causes line-up thoro wore only five Initial men, took a Uttlo Jaunt to Omaha, and aro us to say this. Last year wo woro do- Borg, Cotton and Johnson In tho lino, said to have playod a gamo with foatod throo times, but that soason and Wellor and .Wilson at tho halves. Crelghton, tho score being something can not bo considered as having boon Tho gamo, of course, gave little oppor- over a hundred points. For tho only as unsatisfactory as tho prosont one. tiinity for giving, a lino on tho mon, timo during tho soason end runs could It Is not tho moro fact of victory or but still prospects woro considerably bo made without a loss. Beokley, who dofeat that must dotermlno whether brightened, and students began to had been giving Mason a hard run for a season is to bo countod as successful havo hopo that wo could mako a good tho full back position, was injured in or not. Many other factors miiBt bo showing against Michigan. this game, and has not 'been out slnco. taken into consideration tho obsorv- Tho second gamo was against tho Denslow played a good gamo at ond, nnco of training rules, tho Bplrit of Lincoln High School team, and ended and showed himself an ndept at dodg- tho studonts and players in tho face of with a score of 20 to 0. Tho gamo ing. dofoat, tho matorial with which tho waB playod on a Very muddy field, and On tho first Saturday in November coach may work, tho sizo and sort of nothing but lino bucks could glvo Nebraska defeated Ames by a score of sohodulo, and many othor elements. any gain. Tho samo old men were In 21 to 0. Tho field was in tho worst In 1004 wo suffered dofeat at tho tho gamo as tho week boforo, and tho shape of the year, and for the third hands of Minnesota, Colorado and tho now mon showed up fairly' woll. gamo tho men played in a sea of mud. HaBkoll Indians. Tho Minnesota do- The next weok South Dakota was As oxpectedBenedlct was put at quar foat was almost equivalent to a vie- (i0foatod by a score of 42 to 6. For tor and showed himself pre-ominently tory, and tho gamo reflected moro Nebraska, Glenn MaSon had returned fltte(1 for the position. Tho Athletic credit on tho Cornhuskors than on tho to school and was in his old position Board nnd decided to comply with tho Gophors. Groatly outweighed, in poor at fuu back, and Wollor was trans- Conference freshman rule by a pro condition on account of our hard field, forroa- to tacklo. In this gamo-it was C0BB of elimination, and Taylor was and playing on a foreign gridiron, our Bhpwn that tho best ground galno'r on dropped from tho line-up. To fill tho mon playod their opponents to a tho team was tho big freshman guard, Bu,ard positions, Cotton was moved Btand-still and woro dofoatod by one Taylor and students at onco began from tnckle, giving way to Burns, and speedy man. Our lino played low to wondor what position tho Athletic Jenkins and. WonBtrand were altor and hard, our backs woro swift and Board would tako as regards tho fresh- natd at the othor position. This com suro, and Nebraska grow stronger mnn rui0 0f tho Conlorenco. Tho dis- Nation seemed to work very well with each play. The Colorado dofoat astrous fumbling which characterized and tno Dest defensive work of tho causod no Nobraskan moro than mo- the work of tho team to too great an soason thus ar was tho result. Ono nontary Borrow, for tho effect of tho ext0nt all season was responsible for of tho touchdowns was the result of high altltudo was a comploto and log- tho solo touchdown of the Dakotans. tno old fako nlay Benedict carrying ical explanation. Haskoll, ono weok The real season began with tho tno bal1 tor flfty yardB- In this gime after tho Minnesota gamo, dofoatod a Knox game on October 17. Tho field Captain Borg was easily tho star, and team composed of nine half-exhaust- wa8 a veritable sea of mud and this on defense often had tho man with "ed players and two wootton figures alono waa onoUch to nrovont anv fast th2, balL bfo,ro h, got startod i,, a 0 aMf,,o onougn to prevent any last For tno Colorado game, every condl unown as budsuiuios. work an(i ne bucks woro again re- tlon was- perfect, and the result was OppoBod to these defeats which woro sorted to. In two short halves No- as pretty a gamo as has been playod so in riamo only woro a number of braska mado threo touchdowns, only Nebraska field for a long time. For brilliant victories. Sturdy Knox could one of which could bo converted into a h5S,0 ont IpTgalnTa team not hold us down; Iowa ontored our goal, and ono of tho scores was mado with a strong defense, and it was at half of tho field only on a fumblo; by a fake center buck, Morse skirting onco seen that only on line plays could and abovo all, Illinois, with several tho ends for fifty yards. This gamo consistent gains bo mado. Tho tacklo n,en who woro play.ng tho last ana was marked by tho rot, r Bono- MJfStaSM fiercest gamo of their college caroors, diet, who wont in at ond and signal- then Benedict began on tho old cross was dofoatod in tho beBt gamoxover izod himself -by missing th'o first-play bucjc on tacklo. Tho result was im- seonvon Nebraska field. v aimed at his position. On dofonslvo mediately evident, and tho belief ot ' . . . i Vt i i ' i ii i .. observers was strengthened that no Boforo last year Nebraska had a por- York Nebraska showed up woll, but play of Booth's Is equal to "tho cross feet record for two, years, and in 1000 on account of tho condition of tho buck which dofoatod Minnesota in and 1901 onlv Minnesota and Wiacon- field, little could bo told of tho ability 1002 .and IlllnoiB In 1904. Colorado Bin had boon able to tako our moas- of tho men, to stop a fast back field ?? "ff uro,' and that by low 'scores With working behind a good lino. wjtn tho scoro 18 to 0. meager material to work on, Booth has Then camo tho Michigan gamo, and Tho result of tho Colorado gamo was (Wnlnnnil nvn tnnmn whlnh hnvo rh- Mnhrnaln'a hnnna' uorn alintfnrnl a bad CttBO of OVOr-COnfldonCO on tho tonlsTod tho wholo wost, and has Every man was h the pink ot cond.i &&?$&, SVoady brought Nebraska to a place where tipn, but tho team could mako but a bo seen and tho only question was as she has been looked upon as an oppo- very ordinary showing against tho regards tho slzo of tho score. Tho ln- nont worthy of tho leadors of thq Con- champions. DUrlng tho first half Borg eyltablo result followed. From tho forence, and as the superior of tho worried tho opting center to such S?1?. S& majority of tho Institutions compos- an oxtent that ho caused some dozen 0nly a few Cornhuskors In place, the Ing that body? From this pode.Btal fumbles, which generally gayo tho ball remainder loafing along to tnelr posl- sho must now descend, and it Is for to Nebraska on our awn ten or fifteen H0- Foir touchdowns in thw first i Mo nonr. mr fi.ov, - ,; nii,M i ii i i . j half awakened tho Nobraskalre, but ihjs reason moro than for any othor yard lino, and it was at once booted not tll tnQ ond of tho gamo did they that wo must stigmatize tho present out of danger. Only this constant Bhow form that approached fthat of '.-bupon as. t unsuccessful. Boforo com- fumbling saved our )ai line, for tho tho Colorado gamo. Then Booth .jmentlng upon tho games, however, . Michigan offense could not bo hold, called out most of tho regulars and nnd assigning reasons for tho showlngvon early in tho gamo. Towards tho jjjfn lJt iSShf thrfireldabo0f6ro made, an extended view of tho soasbn" end of tho half fumbles and kicking time" was called. With hardly an ox is perhaps desirablo. gave Nebraska ttio ball well down coptlon, tho mon did not play bflll. For tho first time In a number of towards tho goal line, .hut first down Benedict at quarter was tho whole ,. ii i . fmn,i Hi. ii. I? i -in 1.1 team, and had it not been for his work years a training camp was formod, could bo mado but onco and Michl- tho Bcoro woula haVb boon doubled. and about twenty promising candl- gan got tho ball. In tho second half whllo, playing at ond ho had been un dates were taken to South Bond for tho monworo exhausted from tholr ablo to got through Interference, but ton days, thero to got into good shape ,offorts"and could no longer stand up ,n thlB same ho timo and again pickod for practice, so that tho usual stiff-, agaW tho wonderful Yost machine, SJaThST Soy hadHbrokenthrouh ness would not troublo tho mon as and tho Wolverines scored nlmost at tho ontiro team and had a clear field much as usual. -The return was mado will, making four touchdowns and two for tho goal, with tho exception of Just bqforo registration began, and place kicks, placing tho score at 31 Benedict. At running also ho was a during that weok practice on tho grid- points. In this gamo only two mon faHed oTcoT dodging oi ? stS Iron was carried on. Tho largest squad showed up well as against tho cham- arming Marshall, tho crack Minnesota In tho history of football at this col- plonS Borg and Johnson. Benedict ond. Johnson was crippled -fpm tho. lego turned out for practice, but very, .did wonderful work punting, but at Sa with Colorado and hadino right few old mon -were back and prospects end ho proved easy, and was boxod'in gfcS?. Onslow not even were not very bright. Tho first gamo without any trouble during tho second ablo to got Into tho Hno-up. Tho Cora- husker offense was so weak that tho Gophor ends had nothing to do but stand on the outskirts and look for fake plays, but Benedict managed to get ono long run, anyway. In fact, he stopped every play and made every gain. Tho Doano gamo last Saturday gave little room for comfort Tho fumbling of tho team was wretched, and as a rule ond runs brought but few results. On line 'plays good gains could bo made, but of course that was agajnst a light line, and Is no criterion of what can bo done against Illinois. To summarize, then, the team has played good football in four contests,, those with Ames, Michigan, Crelghton and Colorado, and has fallen down miserably In tho crucial gamo of tho season, that against Minnesota. A good offenso in lino plays has been de veloped, but on plays directed around tho ends thero has been but little suc cess. On defense, tho center of tho lino has been strong, and when the regular ends woro In tho game, those positions have been well filled, but tho tackles have been pregnable throughout the season. Tho secondary defenso has been weak, with the ex ception of Mason's work at full. Why, then, aro wo to conslddr the season as being-unsuccessful? As we said before, chiefly because it has shown that wo aro not on a par with tho four leadors qf the Conforenco teams.ln regard to this point, It is only another manifestation of tho fact -that tho big toams aro growing blggor nnd tho small teamB becoming smaller. Michigan, Chicago and Minnesota aro constantly drawing to themselves young athletes from over tho West, who naturally go to tho colleges with tho big records. If this continues, eventually there will bo only three or four big teams In tho West Secondly, because tho dofeats wero duo not only to tho superior weight and work of tho opposing team, butalso to the fail ure of tho men on our team to strictly observo training rules. As Chancellor Andrews says in this number, ono of tho groat advantages of football Is tho' disciplinarian training it gives, and when players break training rules, par ticularly Just before tho big game of tho season, this advantage Is lost Tho results of tho season may bo many. A great cry has gono up (con fined almost entirely to outsiders, wo aro glad to say) that a new coach bo secured. Thero, Is absolutely ' no. ground for this objection to Booth, and wo feel sure that tho AthloUc Board will do Its best to retain hlnu Thero Is, however, a wide-spread sen timent that if. Booth can not bo se cured for another, season, tho now coach should bo a Yalo man, as tho Yale system seems to bo tho winner now. Another result is tho general belief that the only thing for Nebras ka to do is to get out and solicit athi lotes, tho same as do othor colleges. How tho soason will affect our chances for tho Conforenco Is a subject of do bate. If wo havo been kept out bo cauBO tho other colleges, have boon afraid of us, wo will now be admitted; If because we aro not good enough, there Is no hopo now. Tho causes for tho disastrous de feats aro varied. Chief and foremost Is tho lack of matorial, and, when this, Is taken Into consideration it seems wonderful that wo -put up as good a . showing as wo did mako. It Is pnly when looked at in tho light, of our past successes that 'the season seems so unsuccessful. Although tho squad this year was about as big as any in tho "Weatr-lt was as largo as itwas bo causoTthe fact that tho-toam is mado up of light men brings out othor light men, and thero was a great dearth of heavy-weights. Many a timo it has boon remarked that if Booth had tho subs lying on tho side-lino at Minne sota ho could develop a champion team, and in the light of past experi ence, this seem true. Wo doubt if over Minnesota or Michigan oan bo beaton by any team weighing moro than five pounds less to tho man, and until Nebraska gets a heavier team victory will bo impossible. rAnother 'cause 1b tho breach of training rules, by 'tho mon, and until a .man is willing to. keep tho reasonable rulqs pro scribed, for m.en on the team, ho should not bo given an opportunity to win'his-initial. i n 1 Trf w i 4 ' ., fV- if$$$''-'': i . "Ha.' iw. . M i t.J