Criticism of the Freshman Team

The Freshman football team is now approaching the end of its season and it is slowly rounding into form. As a whole, however, it must improve a great deal more before it can make a respectable showing against Yale. It lacks life and speed, and there seems to be no concerted action. The team is weak on the defensive because the line gets no charge, and the consistent high playing hardly renders it a stumbling block for plays sent at it. The backs fail to support the line men with certainty and speed. On the offensive, the interfering is weak, and the team shows no desire to stay by the runner and help him along.

There is constant and inexcusable fumbling, and a marked inability to recover fumbles of their own or their opponents. There is too much easy-going spirit shown which will mean certain defeat unless eradicated. The team seems to expect some one else to do its brain work for it, and is constantly caught napping on a point of rules. The team has the power to make a creditable showing if it will have some determination to correct its own faults and work together as one man.

The candidates, as they are now playing, may be criticised individually as follows:

Burgess, captain and right end, shows commendable spirit and plays the hard, dashing football that counts; but he is slow in getting down under kicks, and often allows the runner to get outside of his end. Thayer, right end, is a willing worker, but seems unable to destroy interference or to be of great effect on the offense.

Jones, right tackle, stands too high, and does not maintain his proper position in relation to the guard. He lacks charge, relying on brute force to get his opponent out of the way, with the result that he gets tangled up with his opponent too often. He has, however, shown much improvement since the beginning of the season. Pierce, right tackle, is rather light for the place, and is too easily turned aside. He has not learned how to resist force coming at him from an angle, now properly to help out his guard.

Jackson, right guard, plays a steady, but not brilliant game, and shows the most consistent form. He has not yet learned to cover territory on each side of him. O'Connor, right guard, does very well at times, but too often is found up in the air in such a position that he cannot offer any resistance to a coming play. He advances without much force, and does not cover much ground.

Bleakie, centre, has shown a conscientious desire to learn since the first of the season. In spite of his general improvement, his passing is erratic, and he fails to meet plays through centre low enough.

Robinson, left guard, gets a good charge, but seems to lack ability to change direction quickly. He often gets straightened up, and does not give his centre enough support. Rainsford, left guard, seems unable to move in any direction but straight ahead, and fails to back up the rest of his line with his weight.

Dodge, left tackle, is very erratic, but is improving slowly. He fails to keep low after once charging his man, and does not clear his opponent out of the way with regularity. Clapp, left tackle, gets entangled with his opponent constantly, and covers practically no ground at all; he is too easily brushed aside and pocketed if two men are sent against him.

Hutchinson, left end, is slow getting down under kicks, and allows plays to get outside of him. He goes into his opponents much too high, especially on the offense. Before his injury he was doing some consistently good kicking. Lane, left end, does very well in going through interference, but has not yet learned how to get clear of a pocket with sufficient speed. Harrison, left end, is very slow on his feet, and some very clever work is marred by his tendency to get pocketed.

Goodhue, quarter-back, is new to the position, but has shown such speed, kicking ability, and willingness to learn that he may yet prove to be a good man for the place. He is erratic and weak in tackling, and consequently will need much coaching. Marshall, quarter-back, seems to lack the ability to drive his team at top speed. His passing is fair, and he has an advantage in that he can drop kick with some certainty. Robinson, quarter-back, is fast on his feet, and leads his team pretty well; but he seems to be very weak in handling punts. His judgment in the choice of plays is about on a par with the other players, but none of them are very clever.

Pruyn, left half, is a good hurdler and strong runner, but is weak on defensive play. He seems to lose heart or interest if things are going wrong, and does not assist the man with the ball enough. His interference is only fair. Blagden, left half, is a good man to follow interference and not bad in a broken field. His chief weaknesses are his defensive play, and slowness in interference.

Of the full-backs, Meier has done some very good line bucking, but is too often turned sideways into the play. His defensive work needs improving Skilton does not hit the line with sufficient force, and runs too high in interference, but seems to follow the man with the ball pretty well. His defense is better than it was earlier in the season.

Mackay, right half, has not had much chance to show what he can do, but before he was injured he ran low and hard, and was effective in interference. He has not yet mastered the details of defensive play. Lindsay, right half, runs too high and fails to use his arms. He shows the same fatal slowness on the defensive. Parker, right half, is very slow in recovering fumbles and poor in interference. His running with the ball is at times good, but he fails to keep his feet when tackled