The Harvard Team

In comparison with the University football team of last year, the eleven this fall is in a very undeveloped state. Since the beginning of the season, an unusually difficult problem has been encountered--that of forming a well-balanced, united team out of material which, on account of differences in coaching, experience and physical characteristics, seemed very poorly fitted for the purpose. Five of the players on the 1901 championship eleven returned as candidates, but the material for the vacant positions was unpromising, under-weighted and of a decidedly unaggressive nature. A temporary team was formed, which has, with allowance for the usual number of changes, come through the season in not greatly altered form. In many of the preliminary games the team had hard struggles to avoid defeat, and it was only through the inability of the opposing elevens to keep up the strain imposed upon them by the superior weight of the Harvard team that such disastrous results were not encountered in more than one instance. Last Saturday, a lack of team-play all but ended in defeat at the hands of the Dartmouth eleven, but the experience of that was invaluable on account of the particular emphasis it gave to this cardinal weakness in the Harvard team. Whether it will be victory or defeat that will crown the efforts of the men in the contest today will depend largely on whether or not they have overcome this great fault in their work during the past week.

The five veterans of the 1901 team who were available again this season were Graydon, fullback; Marshall, quarterback; Bowditch, end; Barnard, guard; and Captain Kernan, halfback. These men, together with nearly a hundred others, reported during the first week of practice, which began September 17. There were to be filled on the team the two tackle positions formerly occupied by Cutts and Blagden, left guard where Lee played, Campbell's old position at left end, Ristine's place at right halfback, and centre, played last year by Sargent and Greene. The greatest need was immediately felt for heavy, active, aggressive men for the line positions, but there seemed to be no one who could satisfy all the requirements or come up to the standards set by the previous players. Among the men who had been substitutes on the team in former years were: Wright, Jones and Knowlton, tackles; Burgess, Clark and Matthews, ends; Daly, quarterback; and Meier, Stillman, Knowles, Hurley, and Putnam, backs. A gradual process of elimination finally left these men, together with King, A. Marshall, Mills, Shea, Bleakie, Hovey, Lyon, and a few others, as the players best suited for the vacant positions.

The competition for Campbell's old place at left end has been very keen and has been settled only during the last week. There were a number of good men for the position, and all of them--Jones, Clark, Burgess, Randall and Motley--were given trials. At last Mills, who had been used at tackle all season, was moved out to end, where he plays as good a game as the other candidates and in addition is very valuable in carrying the ball. He is, however, a trifle too slow in determining where plays are going and gives practically no help to the other members of the team. Clark is a faster man than Mills, but has in an even greater degree the fault of not assisting the other players. At tackle also the struggle has been hard and long protracted. Both Shea and Wright have been given exhaustive trials, with the result that the former has at last proved himself the more effective player. He is exceedingly slow, but his better defensive ability, although coupled with an almost entire lack of aggressiveness, has made him more valuable than Wright. Knowlton, at right tackle, plays his position with a fair amount of judgment, but is often misled in regard to where the attack is directed and has a tendency at times to play high. At guard, A. Marshall is a man of good physique and has had considerable experience, but from his lack of watchfulness and fight seems often to take an indifferent part in the play. The team has been unfortunate in losing a player who has filled center so well all the season as has King. In his place neither Sugden nor Lyon has shown much ability; Force is a rather uncertain player, but one who may be relied upon perhaps more thoroughly than either of the other men. Right halfback has been a very hard position to decide and the competition has only recently narrowed to Hurley and Putnam. The latter has had the greater experience, but his fumbling is a great objection. Hurley is probably the quickest man on the squad and may usually be counted upon for good gains. Stillman's punting makes him valuable in case of injury to Kernan; his poor defensive work has prevented him from being put in as a regular member of the team.

The older players on the eleven are continuing their good playing of last year but nearly all of them have some faults that have not up to this time been remedied. Bowditch is one of the best players on the team in helping the man with the ball and in stopping plays around his end, but on punts he frequently overruns or is so slow in getting down the field that the ball is often returned some distance before he arrives. Barnard is a heady player but does not show as much fight as his position requires. Graydon can be relied upon for substantial gains, but when the other side has the ball he makes too little effort to stop the attack. Marshall has developed steadily, and with his experience of last year is proving very necessary in directing plays and in running back punts. He is also cool and skillful in drop-kicking goals though sometimes slow in getting the ball away. Kernan, so far this season, has played a conservative game and has made most of his gains by feeling his way along rather than by main force. His method is effective and has produced some good results. He has not however, improved greatly in defensive play. Meier and Harrison, fullbacks; Daly, quarterback; Clothier, end; Mason and Bleakie, tackles; Whitwell, guard; and Knowles, halfback, are all fairly strong players and reliable substitutes in their positions.

The team today is, as it has been throughout the season, a sort of enigma. From one day to the next its form has been one long series of contradictions, until even at the very last day it is impossible to state how strong the team really is. At times the men have shown ability to play together, though never for any prolonged period. It is possible, however, that the secret practice, which has continued without interruption during the past four weeks, may have wrought great changes in the team. The improvement during the last week, at least, has been extensive, and with the proper support the team will be certain to give a good account of itself today.