RESUME OF HARVARD SEASON

With the possible exception of the Maine game, in which only one touchdown was scored against a smoothly running, well-developed team, the University football team has not once been forced to its limit. The schedule was arranged with the hope that the Brown game might, at least for a brief space, put the University team severely on the defensive. In spite, however, of an advantage in weight of several pounds per man, the Brown team lacked that aggressiveness on the defensive which had been looked for.

Nevertheless, while the University team has not been called upon to face as strong opponents as might be desired, the improvement which has been made since the first game of the season has been quite satisfactory. While it was realized from the first that the backfield would be strong and heavy, much doubt has continued to be expressed as to the ability of the line which could be developed. Although there has been a wealth of good material, the only experienced men were rather lighter than the style of play resulting from the changed rules demands. The line, however, has shown itself to possess hard fighting qualities to make up for what disadvantages it may suffer through lack of weight, not a score having so far been made through straight line plays.

Early Season Work.

The season commencing rather later than usual and the early weeks being given over almost entirely to rudimentary drill, a distinct lack of team-play resulted in the Maine game. After a week of hard scrimmages, however, the game with Holy Cross showed a very encouraging development. A marked versatility of play was evinced which had hardly been expected and the backfield first gave evidence of ability to play an open game.

The first score by an opponent came in the Williams game, when as the result of a splendid succession of forward passes during the second period, Williams approached close enough to score a goal from the field. The line-up at the time, however, was composed almost entirely of second string men and can hardly be taken as proof of the lack of ability of the team as a whole. During both this game and the contest against Amherst a week later, the University team has shown that its greatest strength lies in line rushes and what is known as "old-fashioned" football. It has given evidence that in Brickley it possesses a drop-kicker dangerous within the thirty-five yard line, and most to be feared when kicking at a difficult angle.

Although the University team has not to its credit such a victory as that of Princeton over Dartmouth, at no time this season has it shown any conspicuous weakness, and in the Brown game which was intended to start the final series of the season, it showed itself so easily superior that a second string of men was enabled to go in at the end of the third quarter. The early season games have conclusively proved that the 1912 team is well up to the average of Harvard football teams of former years; whether it is of championship calibre today's contest will undoubtedly declare.