WILLIAMS BARELY DEFEATED

The unexpected strength of the Williams football team, coupled with some very listless and stupid playing by the University team, permitted the visitors not only to score but to hold Harvard to an 8 to 6 victory. In the first half Williams started off with a rush and caught the University players off their guard. Two careless fumbles in the Harvard backfield, hard tackling by the Williams ends, who followed the ball exceedingly well, resulted in a touchdown for Williams in less than five minutes after the kick-off. Throughout the remainder of the half Harvard was played to a standstill and the half ended with the score 6 to 0 in favor of its opponents.

In the second half, owing to the terrific line plunging of Minot, and the defensive work of Captain Fish, the University team came to itself in time to win the game by two points. In this half the Williams team was absolutely outplayed, in fact it lost more ground than it was able to gain.

The work of the University team was on the whole disappointing. The first half was slow, the Harvard team fumbled carelessly and in every case but one a Williams man recovered the ball. There was no life in the team and O'Flaherty at quarterback failed to get the men on their toes. He was slow in driving the team, lacking the decisiveness which he showed in the Bowdoin game. In the backfield Leslie and Rogers were rather slow in starting and failed to keep their feet. Frothingham though not as brilliant in the second half made several long gains outside of tackle; his kicking, however, was far from satisfactory.

Minot, in the second half, playing his first game on the University team, as well as his first scrimmage this year, put life into the backfield. He was fast, starting too quickly at times, hit the line very hard, and kept his feet well. His onside kicking was very good, all of the kicks being placed accurately. In the line the men failed to make holes for the backs, Williams stopping a number of line plays without gain. The whole line was a bit slow and no one followed the ball. The ends had the same difficulty, though their tackling was hard. Houston and L. D. Smith were fairly reliable on onside kicks.

For Williams Stevens was the mainstay. His punting was good, though he was very poorly protected, and he recovered several fumbles--once getting his own punt after a fumble. The Brooks brothers and Matschke were very strong on the defence, getting through and spoiling several plays before they were under way. Pratt, at end, was under kicks in every case and his tackling was very strong.

The Harvard defence was very good. Williams only made one first down on straight football, that on a 22-yard run by Lewis. Forster was rather weak, and once West let Prindle by for five yards. Nevertheless, the defensive work was Harvard's best quality. In the second half Captain Fish, who was hardly in condition, played brilliantly in Forster's place, inspiring the team with new life, which made the victory possible.

The Game in Detail.

McKay kicked off to Stevens who passed the ball to Peterson, the crisscross gaining twenty-seven yards, as G. G. Browne had been drawn in by the trick. After one rush Stevens made an onside kick which Leslie fumbled and Williams recovered the ball in the centre of the field. Here Harvard held well, securing the ball on downs. Two line plunges gained but two yards and Frothingham punted outside on Williams's 45-yard line. Williams was penalized for starting before the ball and Stevens punted over O'Flaherty's head, the ball rolling toward the Harvard goal. Three different men fell on the ball before Pratt, the Williams right end, finally captured it on Harvard's 3-yard line. On the next play J. Brooks plunged through centre for a touchdown and Peterson kicked an easy goal. The score was made in less than five minutes of play.

Harvard received the kick-off, O'Flanerty who ran the ball back was downed, after making twenty-five yards, on his own 35-yard line. Frothingham shot by tackle for eleven yards, then Harvard was penalized for being offside, and Frothingham kicked to Lewis, who was downed on Williams's 38-yard line. After two plays Williams punted, but Harvard was caught tripping and Williams was given the ball on Harvard's 53-yard line. Stevens made eight yards, then Lewis tried a forward pass which was declared illegal. Stevens punted, but Houston blocked the kick and Stevens recovered it outside on his own 32-yard line. An exchange of kicks followed, Forster recovered an onside kick. Harvard had the ball on Williams's 32-yard line, a forward pass to G. G. Browne hit the ground and Harvard was penalized fifteen yards. Then followed another exchange of kicks, on which Harvard gained; four rushes put the ball on Williams's 40-yard line and O'Flaherty tried another forward pass which went straight into the arms of J. Brooks. On the next play Lewis ran twenty-three yards around left end, Williams's only long run. A long punt over Frothingham's head put the ball in Harvard's possession on its own 12-yard line. A short kick was recovered by Stevens on Harvard's 32-yard line just as time was called.

The second half opened with Minot in place of Rogers and Captain Fish in his position at right tackle. In three and one-half minutes the Harvard team carried the ball the entire length of the field and over the Williams goal. Minot ran the kick-off to his 30-yard line, five rushes put the ball in mid-field, an onside kick was recovered by G. G. Browne on Williams's 40-yard line, Frothingham ran twenty yards, and in three plays Minot scored. Withington tied the score by kicking the goal.

McKay kicked fifteen yards over the goal line, and Stevens punted to O'Flaherty who ran from his own 43-yard line to Williams's 50-yard line. Williams was penalized for offside, and Frothingham ran 30 yards to Williams's 10-yard line. The Williams defence stiffened and took the ball on downs, even though a forward pass to L. D. Smith was tried. After one play Stevens went behind his own goal line to punt out of danger. The Pass was high and before he could kick Houston and Smith downed him for a safety, giving Harvard two more points.

From then until the end of the game the ball was in Williams's territory. Substitutes were put in and held Harvard from scoring. The play was mostly punting, Williams never being in possession of the ball outside her own 34-yard line. Minot and Pierce both made long runs after catching punts, which kept the ball near Williams's goal. Just as time was called O'Flaherty tried a drop-kick from Williams's 23-yard line; the kick was low and hit one of the men in the line. Time was called before play could be resumed.

The teams lined up as follows:

Score--Harvard, 8; Williams, 6. Touch-downs--Minot, J. Brooks. Goals from touchdowns--Withington, Peterson. Safety--Stevens. Referee--W. S. Langford, Trinity. Umpire--H. H. Hackett, West Point. Field-judge--L. H. Andrews, Yale. Head-linesman--G. V. Brown, B. A. A. Linesmen--W. Wadsworth, Williams; H. F. Corbett, Harvard. Time--Two 20-minute halves.

HARVARD.  WILLIAMS.Houston, l.e.  r.e., Pratt, M. SmithMcKay, l.t.  r.t., B. BrooksWest, l.g.  r.g., Gregory, W. MasonWithington, c.  c., WoodsFisher, r.g.  l.g., MatschkeForster, Fish, r.t.  l.t., Tillinghast, J. Brooks, G. MasonG. G. Browne, L. D. Smith, r.e.  l.e., Austin, OlcottO'Flaherty, q.b.  q.b., LewisFrothingham, Pierce, l.h.b.  r.h.b., J. Brooks, PrindleLeslie, Morrison, r.h.b.  l.h.b., StevensRogers, Minot, f.b. f.b.,  Peterson, Kello