The Yale Team

The football season at Yale began this year with a very promising outlook for a winning eleven. The eight members of last year's team who returned furnished a powerful nucleus. Uncommonly heavy men were available, and the great development brought about in them by the continued efforts of the coaches has resulted in a team which combines speed and strength to a degree equalled by few former Yale elevens. As the team was selected comparatively early in the season, the men have been given excellent practice in playing together. This team-play has been the main feature of the eleven throughout the season and the cause of the large scores made this year.

From tackle to tackle the line has been almost impenetrable, while the end positions, though a source of weakness at the beginning of the year, have at last been filled by exceptionally good men. The backs have proved themselves to be strong on the defense and consistent ground gainers, owing to the fact that they follow their interference accurately and play well together.

Captain Chadwick has remained at left halfback, a position which he has filled for the last three years with marked ability. He is fast and aggressive, a hard tackler and a reliable runner both on end runs and line plunges. With Captain Chadwick behind the line are Bowman and Metcalf, who, notwithstanding the fact that they are somewhat under the average weight of Yale backs, have made up for this deficiency in weight by their admirable offensive play. Bowman is a punter of extraordinary ability, combining in his kicks both distance and accuracy. Rockwell at quarterback is a good man for his position, but in running back kicks is hardly qualified to maintain the standard of his predecessor, De Saulles. He tackles well, and runs the team with excellent judgment. Shevlin and Rafferty have developed into competent ends, getting down well under punts and giving valuable assistance in the interference. At the tackles, Hogan and Kinney have been used more, perhaps, than any of the others in carrying the ball. Their excellent work has been particularly noticeable in the tackle-back formation, which is the characteristic element in Yale's style of play. Right guard has been occupied by Goss, who is playing the same excellent game which he played at tackle last year. Glass, who played on the team a large part of last season, has filled the other guard position. He is a brilliant player in his position, but allows himself to be drawn into the opponents' play rather too easily. Holt, at centre, passes well and always shows good judgment in his playing. He uses his weight to advantage and is very aggressive. Hare and Coffin at ends, Hamlin at tackle, and Farmer at half or fullback, are perhaps the most capable substitutes of the eleven, but they are weak on the defense. The new material for this year has been of a very high order. The four freshmen, Shevlin, Bowman, Kinney and Rockwell, though somewhat inexperienced, have developed into fast, consistent players and rank fully as high as the other members of the team. Tackle-back formation is still the main reliance of the team in the offense, but the style of play has been supplemented by a few trick plays, notably the quarterback kick and the delayed pass.

Field-coach J. R. Swan, who played end on the 1901 eleven, has been assisted in his work during the season by W. Camp '80, W. H. Corbin '89, W. W. Heffelfinger '91S., L. T. Bliss '93S., F. S. Butterworth '95, W. O. Hickok '95, P. T. Stillman '95, G. T. Adee '95, S. B. Thorne '96, B. C. Chamberlin '97, G. B. Cutten '97T.S., F. O. Murphy '97, M. U. Ely '98, G. W. Hubbell '99, F. Townsend '99, M. S. McBride 1900, R. Townsend 1900S., S. L. Coy '01, F. G. Brown '01, C. S. Stillman '01, A. L. Ferguson '02, F. A. Hinkey '95, W. T. Bull '88.