The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, November 13, 1914, ANNUAL ATHLETIC REVIEW, Image 1

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    ANNUAL ATHLETIC REVIEW
TUneOally Nebrasksie
VOL. XIV. NO. 43.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, LINCOLN, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1914.
PRICE 10 CENTS.
REVIEW OF THE 1914 FOOTBALL
SEASON.
By H. I. Kyle.
For the first time in the history of
I Mitltall at Nebraska, the Cornhusker
school has a gridiron machine, worthy
! , be considered, as a contender, or
ml her a claimant for the title, "Football
( hampions of the. United States." That
Nebraska has, at last, been recognized,
even in the east, as tit opponent for any
team in the country, is evidenced by the
fact that no less an authority than
(irantland Rice has suggested, in the
columns of the New York Mail, that,
should a post-season game, to decide the
national football championship, be ar
ranged, the Cornliuskers should be one
of the contestants.
After the wonderful record of our
l!i:5 team, which finished the season
without a defeat, and with victories over
Minnesota, Kansas, and Iowa, to her
credit, the showing of the Scarlet and
Cream candidates was most discouraging,
in the early-season games. The first
game of the schedule was against the
Washburn "Ichabods," from Topeka,
Kansas. The strength of this little speed
machine was sadly underestimated, at
Nebraska. It was expected that Wash
hum would furnish a good practice game
for the Cornliuskers, when as a matter
of fact, they put up one of the toughest
.struggles of the present season. The diffi
culty, however, lay, not so much in Wash
burn's strength, as in the proneuess of
the Cornliuskers to fumble, at critical
times, and in the wretched interference
running of the Nebraska players. This,
of course, was due to the fact that Coach
Stiehm's proteges went into the game,
with less than two weeks practice, with
only three men who had had varsity ex
perience, in their positions, and with
most of the green candidates playing in
positions that were absolutely new to
iliein.
The game showed that Stiehin had
plenty of first-class material from which
night be evolved a second all-western
'earn; the colossal task that confronted
'he coach, was to hammer, that raw ma
terial into the proper shape, in short, to
develop a team that could score as well
s prevent the opponent from scoring.
The following week, our ancient:
enemy, the Coyote, from South Dakota,
ame to Lincoln, thirsting for revenge,
or her many defeats at the hands of the
Cornliuskers, in years past. The Dakotans
had been practicing for fully six weeks,
with this combat in mind, and they came,
eautious, but confident, For an hour the
battle see-sawed, with neither side able
to score. The final result was an 0 to 0
tie, and both sides left the field, keenly
disappointed. We had been able to get
only a 14 to 7 score against little "Wash
burn, and it seemed to many of the Ne
braska fans, that our chances for even
the Valley championship, were well nigh
hopeless.
The next game on our schedule, was
with the Kansas Aggies, at .Manhattan,
Kansas. The result of that contest showed
that Stichm had brought his team through
the critcal stage, and that it had at last
hit its wonderful 1!)U1 stride. A large
factor in the sudden awakening of the
Cornliuskers was the return of Quarter
back "Cub" Potter, premier pilot of the
famous 1!H2 aggregation. The game re
sulted in a score of 31 to 0, in favor of
Nebraska, and Cornhusker stock rose,
accordingly.
On October 24th, the Michigan Aggies,
famous for their victories over Michigan
and Wisconsin, last year, by virtue of
which victories, they laid claim to west
ern championship honors, met Nebraska,
in what was expected to prove the hard
est game of the year. It was a struggle,
never to be forgotten, in the annals of
Nebraska University's fotball history.
Three touchdowns and a field goal were
scored by the mighty westerners, before
the final whistle blew. The playing of
both teams was a revelation to the thou
sands of fans who bad the privilege of
witnessing it. No such football had ever
that quarter, the Oornhuskers "got busy"
and made a couple touchdowns, and an
other field goal, the final score being 20
to 7, in Nebraska's favor. In this game,
Nebraska showed conclusively, her ability
to come up from behind, and turn defeat
into victory.
Modest little Monrngside is the latest
victim to be sacrificed on the altar of our
gridiron ambition. A game was scheduled
with the Sioux City College, for the pur
pose of giving the Iluskers a good prac
tice game before meeting the swift and
cunning Jayhawkers. Morningside shares
with Ames and Washburn, the distinction
of having crossed Nebraska's goal line,
this year. The manner in which they
did it, and the reasons therefore, are of
small importance, here. We do not be
grudge them the score, which they
earned, and which means so much to
them, and so little to lis. The final score
was .'i4 to 7, which should be entirely
satisfactory to any Nebraska fan.
But one game remains to be played
)-
"JUMBO" STIEHM
Director of Athletics
been seen on a Nebraska gridiron, as
that displayed by these two giants of the
west. Nebraska's 24 to 0 victory was so
clearly earned, and so decisive, that the
whole country was compelled to recog
nize that out here, on the very frontier up
of football, as it were, there had arisen
a team whose right to stand with the
veiy best, must henceforth be acknowledged.
The injury of Potter, in a practice
on the home gridiron. Up from 1 he south
comes the dearest rival of them all the
Kansas Jayhawk. Under the tutelage of
lack Wheaton, erstwhile cvach at the
Navy, and at Yale, there has been built
at Kansas, perhaps the strongest
team that has ever represented the Jay
hawk school. Pointed for this battle,
since the season opened, the Jay hawkers
come, intent to "feed fat the ancient
giudge they bear us." The next, and
I in iiijiii(? w " i
scrimmatre early in the week, following last game of the season, will be played
ii. m:..i.:o a rTw, (rami, nr.ived : iar- at Iowa City, against the Iowa "Hawk-
i ' pr
..: 1.1... , 4lir Pnr,iliiivl.-ors Ihlukl'llS CVCS.
IMI unit I'J 111 V VI ii . ".
.,! f'uli.v lmfh rrreen and inexperienced til
men. were used at the quarterback post- ers, last year, and the llawley bunch will
iion in the game with the Iowa Aggies, play the game of its life, in its effort to
although both showed considerable drag down the lair hanner ot .Scarlet and
ability, it must be admitted, that the
absence of Potter from the line-up was
i..-t..K' r..wnnnsiblp for the noor work of to
the Nebraskans, in the first three quar- record, set by this, and former elevens,
ters of the game. At the beginning of and if they fall now, it will be only be-
the last period, the score stood 7 to 'A, in cause they have met a team of sup, rior
favor of the husky farmers, but during strength and versatility.
The llawkeves are smarting from
beating given them by the Cornhusk-
Cream. Hut over the Cornhusker camp
has come the spirit of victory; the desire
maintain, undefiled, Hie wonderful
THE LATEST SPLASH FROM THE
DOPE BUCKET.
By Ivan G. Beede.
The loothaii situation at the end of the
intercollegiate season, two weeks from
Saturday, bids fair to be the most com
plicated in the history of the game. It Is
not feasible to attempt to pick the strong
est eleven as the situation stands today,
for some of the teams which look to be
the strongest have been inconsistent in
their work, and it is very possible that
the results of the next two weeks may
upset all the present dope. Viewing the
season thus far, however, six elevens
loom up on the football horizon as the
most powerful fighting machines of the
present year: In the east, Harvard,
Yale, and Washington & Jefferson; in the
west, Illinois, Nebraska, and Chicago.
Although these are probably the strong
est at this time, there are teams beside
those mentioned above which are worthy
of a place in the van of the football
army, as Wisconsin, who tied Chicago,
0-0; Michigan who held Harvard to a
very undecisive score of 7-0; West Point,
with her decisive defeat of Colgate and
Notre Dame, and Syracuse with her vic
tory over .Michigan.
Harvard looks like the best bet of the
eastern teams, and should she be vic
torious in her annual game with Yale,,
many sport writers will concede her the
premier honors of Ameiica. Her 7-0 vic
tory over Michigan is accepted too read
ily by some sport writers especially east
ern men as proof of the superiority of
the east over the west. It must be kept
in mind, however, that Michigan is not
the strongest team in the west, and had
gone through a much more crucial
schedule than had Harvard. Next to the
Crimson eleven comes little Washington
& Jefferson, whose victory over Yah
places her on the top level of eastern
football. And she has defeated decisively
every team she has met this season. Yale
has been somewhat of an unknown quan
tity this year. Her play has been incon
sistent, but by the end of the season, the
Flis should have one of the strongest
aggregations in the country. Her defense
against Notre Dame at crucial times is
Ihe best proof obtainable that Hie Hlue
has material which should be moulded
into a superb fighting machine.
In the west, Illinois' victory over Min
nesota demonstrates the strength and
driving power of the lllini eleven. Chi
cago, in her early season battles with
Iowa, and Purdue, shows strength and
versatility. Nebraska by her decisive
defeat of the Michigan Aggies, and her
display of versatility and power in her
later games, displays her ability to play
football of the highest calibre.
Hut neither Chicago, Illinois, nor Ne
braska, can afford to spend much time
as yet in claiming the western title. Next
Saturday, Chicago ami Illinois meet at
Urbana, when one of the two teams will
be eliminated. Odds are slightly in favor
of Illinois in the coming fray. Later
Illinois meets Wisconsin at Madison, and
Chieaero meets Minnesota at Chicago. If