Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 263, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 November 1911 — PUNTING HAS INCREASED IN IMPORTANCE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PUNTING HAS INCREASED IN IMPORTANCE

Nearly all the western conference teams have men of more or less ability in the punting line this season. Capt. Andy Gill of Indiana is probably the best in the west, his work not only being of the long distance variety, hut extremely accurate. Minnesota has a man of great ability in Capron, who is said to be better than Johnny McGovern .in the drop kicking line and far his superior in punts. Illinois has Seller, who won three games from his team mates last year merely through his ability to kick goals and who was hailed as one of the stars of the west on this account, although his work in other departments of the game was no better than ordinary. Chicago has not a man of ability and Coach Stagg has been working aight and day trying to find a player who will be able to cope with the stars Df his three great western adversaries. With the uncertainties of ground saining in the open game, panting has Increased tremenduously In importance. Forward passes are at best unreliable ground gainers, while it is

almost impossible to gain consistently on line or end plays. The days when a heavy or strong team could sweep Irresistibly down the field toward an. opponent’s goal have passed, for even the weakest eleven is able to check a heavier team if its defense is worked out With the uncertainties of ground gaining under the new rules it has become almost habitual for a team to kick on its third down incase it has more than a yard or two to gain. There is nothing more discouraging than for a team to lose the gain of „ten minutes of fierce play simply through the ability of a player of the opposition to send the oval twisting and hurting high in the air back to the place; from which the march began. A fair team may make such a march twice, a good one twice, but it takes the exceptionally well coached and strong hearted eleven to try time after time, realizing that the slightest slip on the part of their offense leaves an opening for the opposing team to put the ball back to the starting liner

Otto Seiler of Illinois.