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Harvard defeated the University of Maine on Soldiers Field Saturday afternoon by a score of 22 to 0. The game, or at least the first half of it, was a struggle in which a light team of slight experience, through mere pluck and determination, made a much heavier team fight extraordinarily hard for the ground it gained. During the fifteen minutes of the first half, the Harvard eleven was rarely able to gain its distance in less than three downs, several times lost the ball, and was frequently forced to punt. Had not fresh players been used in the Harvard line-up in the latter part of the game there seems no reason to believe that the score would finally have been larger than it was at the end of the first half, 5 to 0.
The fact that the Harvard eleven was composed almost entirely of substitutes, makes it difficult to compare the playing of the team with the work in former games. The backs certainly did not start quickly nor show any noticeable signs of improvement, but the line played much lower, and though on the offense it failed to open holes for the backs, it showed better defensive work than hitherto.
Foster, as right halfback, played a creditable game, but frequently showed his comparative inexperience. Several times when the opposing end was boxed, he had exceptional chances for long runs, but instead of taking advantage of them, he turned in toward the scrimmage and was promptly tackled. Whitwell was entirely ineffective at left tackle and had he been removed sooner, the gains of the Maine backs through that side of the Harvard line would have been less frequent. Marshall was still slow in giving signals, but atoned for this fault somewhat by his skillful handling of punts in the backfield. Jones and Bowditch at ends, though both had a tendency to over-run their man, filled their positions well. Knowles' ground-gaining was one of the features of the latter part of the game.
The Maine team started the first half in much the same way as several other teams that have played on Soldiers Field this fall have done,--by plowing their way through Harvard's line for yards at a time. It was not until the forty yard line was reached that Harvard began to hold and forced Maine to punt. The ball was then blocked and secured by Harvard. An eight yard loss by Foster on a tumble, however, caused Stillman to kick. Bailey caught the ball on Maine's ten yard line. The ball was advanced twenty yards by short gains before Harvard again made a stand. Brilliant tackles by Bowditch, Foster and Stillman resulted in an aggregate loss of sixteen yards, and a fumble by Parker gave the ball to Harvard on Maine's twenty yard line. Foster went through tackle for four yards, a few moments later added six yards more, and after a similar gain by Piper, plunged through the right side of the line for a touchdown. Barnard's failure to kick goal left the score: Harvard, 5; Maine, 0. During the remainder of the half, Harvard played a kicking game and by means of Stillman's long punts succeeded in forcing the Maine eleven back within fifteen yards of their goal. Just before time was called, Marshall attempted a field-goal from the thirty-five yard line, but the ball was blocked and secured by Maine.
Stillman began the second half by running in Maine's kick-off for thirty yards behind compact interference. His punt was soon followed by a fumble by Bearse, and Barnard secured the ball on Maine's thirty-six yard line. Piper's gain of thirteen yards around right end was offset by a ten yard penalty for offside play, and Marshall tried another goal from the field from the forty yard line. The direction was slightly inaccurate, and the ball passed several feet to the left of the post. Little was lost by the attempt, however, as after the kick-out, Foster made a clever run of twenty yards, carrying the ball to the place from which the kick was tried. Another continued attack on Maine's line advanced the ball by short gains, and after a fifteen yard run by Foster to the three yard line, Piper scored the second touchdown. Barnard kicked the goal. Harvard, 11; Maine, 0.
Another touchdown was added soon afterward when Piper blocked a kick on Maine's thirty-five yard line, picked up the ball and ran to the goal before being overtaken. Barnard missed a very easy goal.
The most consistent ground-gaining of the afternoon was then shown by Harvard's team of substitutes during the last few minutes of play. Knowles, who had gone in at left halfback for Harvard, caught a punt on Harvard's thirty-three yard line and ran it in twenty yards. Three gains by Knowles of fifteen, eleven and six yards, together with several shorter advances by the other backs, took the ball to the seven yard line, whence Knowles went around right tackle for the last touchdown. Barnard kicked the goal. On the next kick-off, Ives made a long run of forty-five yards to the centre of the field, but a fumble gave the ball to Maine and time was called. The line-up follows: Score -- Harvard, 22; University of Maine, 0. Touchdowns--Foster, Piper (2), Knowles. Goals from touchdowns--Barnard (2), Umpire--Guy Murchie '95, Referee--J. Lawrence '01. Timekeeper--Wood of B. A. A. Linesmen--Graydon, of Harvard, and Finnigan, of University of Maine. Time--15 minute halves.
Score -- Harvard, 22; University of Maine, 0. Touchdowns--Foster, Piper (2), Knowles. Goals from touchdowns--Barnard (2), Umpire--Guy Murchie '95, Referee--J. Lawrence '01. Timekeeper--Wood of B. A. A. Linesmen--Graydon, of Harvard, and Finnigan, of University of Maine. Time--15 minute halves.
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