CRIMSON ELEVEN ONE THAT ANY TEAM MAY WELL FEAR"--FRANCKE

Francke played number 2 back with Mal Logan and Eddie Mahan in the fall of 1914, when the Crimson beat Princeton 20-0 and Yale 36-0. He played during practically the entire time in both contests, being taken out in the last seconds of play in the latter to allow Brickley, who had been out of the game with appendicitis, to execute his famous drop-kick play. In the Yale game Francke scored two touchdowns.

In comparing football teams, many people reason as follows: Princeton defeated Harvard 10-3, Yale defeated Princeton 13-7, therefore Yale is 13 points better than Harvard. This method of analyzing teams is of no value, however, first because a team never plays with exactly the same effectiveness on two different occasions-- it will either be better or worse-- and second, because in closely contested games fate often plays a very important part. It seems certain that Princeton, for a variety of reasons, was not as formidable against Yale as against the University. However, it is equally certain that Yale has a tremendously powerful and aggressive team, which knows football and which plays as a unit. The fact that Aldrich and O'Hearn are stars does not detract from the eleven's team play.

Yale's attack is very sound in that it is not based primarily on forward passes or primarily on complicated deceptive plays but is based on a straight rushing game which is made possible by the proper mixing in, from the same formation, of delayed passes and forward passes which prevent both the defensive line and secondary defense from rushing in too fast, thus allowing the Yale forwards to prepare the way well for a hard-running back. In addition to this, Yale has developed a good kicking game with the ends and often times the tackles covering the punts perfectly. The Bine is therefore a strong scoring team. However Yale is not unbeatable by any means. If Princeton's wide formations and her forward passing game had been as well executed against Yale as they were against the Crimson, Yale would have been a defeated team. It was not due to the Bulldog's superior defense, but rather to Princeton's inferior execution of plays that the Tiger's formations worked better against the Crimson than against the Blue. The Yale line is strong on the defense, and the Yale secondary defense men are hard, sure tacklers, but it has been shown by West Point and Princeton that a strategic attack can find the Blue secondary derense out of position and that Yale is therefore vulnerable.

Working Under Adverse Conditions

In the development of the University team, coach Fisher has been working under the most adverse conditions existing in many years. The material available at the beginning of the fall was very inexperienced and physically far below standard. Added to these difficulties were injuries, which have occurred at an almost unprecedented rate. In addition to 3 men lost to the team entirely through injuries, 13 other men have been incapacitated for periods of more than two weeks, and of these 9 are first string players. How much of a loss this has been to Coach Fisher is self evident. These facts are not cited as alibis, for there is no occasion for alibis. They are cited so that due credit may be given to the team and to the coaching staff.

The Crimson eleven, as it will go on the field Saturday, is one that any team may well fear. The line will be outweighed 7 pounds to the man by Yale, but it will not be outfought. The Yale secondary defense tackles hard, but the Crimson offensive will manage to maneuvre them out of position; the team may be scored on but it will also score. Captain Kane and his men have shown so much gameness, so much fight, and so much come-back that, if injuries are equally divided, the University will win.