THE FOOTBALL SEASON

The problematic outlook for the football season is always of paramount interest at the beginning of the college year. The presence of exceptional material never lends certainty to the final success of the team, for the possibility of serious injuries always exists. Like wise when there are few veterans included in the squad, there is always the chance of developing a high standard of team play and a spirit of fight which are often responsible for victories in the later games.

The 1916 season opens today with Colby as an opponent. A comparison of the Harvard team that faced Colby a year ago and this year's team shows-fewer regulars in the line-up, and also a conspicuous lack of substitutes who have won their letter. Judging from the practice of the last two weeks a conservative policy of football tactics similar to that of last year will be followed with emphasis upon the kicking game, which proved its value in the Princeton and Yale games last fall. At the present moment both the Princeton and Yale squads are more promising than the University squad. Princeton has seven of last year's team in the line-up with numerous substitutes to fill the vacancies, while Yale has four veterans of last year besides a number of ineligibles who may play this fall. Two encouraging features in the Harvard situation are the abundant number of good punters and a unison in execution of plays which is remarkable at this stage of the team's development.

At a glance the football outlook for 1916 is far from gloomy. With a squad of men eager to learn and with the invaluable asset of Coach Haughton and his now traditional system another victory at New Haven seems exactly two months off.