Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1901 — THE TIGERS WERE TOUCH. [ARTICLE]

THE TIGERS WERE TOUCH.

And Rensselaer Played Loosely and Won Narrowly. While Rensselaer was victorious in Saturday’s foot bell game with the Chicago Tigers, the game was a revelation to the team in the matter of its own weakness in both offensive and defensive play. The Tigers had an average weight of

about 155 pounds as compared with 175 pounds by the home team, but they were almost the equals of their opponents, notwithstanding the weight difference. Time after ; time the tackles, guards and ends < of the Tigers broke through* and destroyed the work of the backs — the same work that had proven so I successful in all previous games. The team members cheerfully confess their own ragged playing and have set to work to correct the many defects made evident by Saturday’s contest. The game was started off with a poor kick . by Rensselaer and the speedy Tigers started in with such snappy play that they were not held for downs until they had number of good gains and carried the ball to Rensselaer’s 40 yafd line. For a short time Rensselaer; got down to work and by gains of from 3 to 8 yards, mostly by Gwin and Sayler, the ball was carried to the Tigers three yard line and lost on downs, 'the first time in the locaKeam s history that the ball was ever forfeited on downs so close to the goal of an opposing team. The Tigers punted to the 40 yard line and Rensselaer again returned the ball to the 4 yard line and were twice held for downs and Gwin barely went over on the last attempt. Sayler kicked goal and these 6 points were all that Rensselaer got during the entire game. The second half was far the most brilliant part of the contest from the spectators’ standpoint. Rensselaer should have scored again and could have done so by better generalship, but a punting contest was chosen, and while Sayler outclassed the Tigers’ punter, he was not in his usual form and the ends did not, only on one or two occasions, do the work expected of them and in their own. On two occasions McGrerrar, the Tigers fleet left half skirted the ends for runs that made the hair on the think tanks of the side liners in a way it has not stood before this year. On both occasions he almost got off for a clear field and was traveling at a pace that would have made a twelve second man go to the bottom of the class. Fortunately he was tackled by Gwin, who was playing defensive full back, and the threatening danger averted. One of these runs netted Chicago 40 yards and the other 25 yards and Rensselaer wisely decided tb protect its goal from future similar dangers by punting when they recovered the ball. Gwin, Sayler, Wright, Gain and Leopold are credited with the best

work for Rensselaer. Hardy at end played an aggressive game, marred by over anxiety, and Woodworth lost out on several occasions by reason of trying a new style of end play. Rhoades was handicapped by a loose and all the backs suffered from the same cause. The wide formation of the line and the failure of each man to watch his own opponent were responsible better J results. But with all these defects Rensselaer came out'victorious and protected the sanctity of its uncrossed goal line, and the spectators, who had tired of one-sided contests, were furnished a real live, breathtaking gridiron fight. The atten dance to the Tha iksgiving game will be larger, doubtless, in con-

sequence of the close score Saturday, and the expressed determination of the Bennetts to bring a winning team, means that the red and black will be up against something that will require all the foot ball talent that can be mustered to offset. , The following is the summary of Saturday’s garnd: Touchdown —Gwin. Goal —Sayler. Time of halves —2O-25 minutes. Officials —Fendig, Walker. Time-keepers—Smith, Flick.