Navy vs. Army

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  Evening capital and Maryland gazette, Annapolis, Md., December 3, 1913, page 1

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  CONCERNING SYSTEM USED BY ARMY BOYS They Showed New Things in Art of Forward Passing. WHAT AN EXPERT THINKS. Not The Harvard Methods At All But Full Praise is Given To Brainy Work OF Cadets. j. W. McConaughy, football expert, writing for syndicate of pa pers, has the following to say of for ward passes that featured the late Army–Navy game There is a matter in come ction with the 22–⁠9 defeat of the Navy at the hands of the Army which we would like to have explained. All of the profound students of the dear old pastime agree on one pint. This in itself is remarkable, but that ism what we are booting at. The experts proclaim that the triumph of the Army is really a triumph for the the Harvard system. ’0ur contention in the premises is that if the cluster Of points amassed by the West Point cadets, contrary 20 all advanced dope on the situation, is due to the Harvard system, why the dickens doesn’t Harvard try the Harvard system herself? This gu ‘ry is propounded not in a spirit of levity or light scofing. Not for anything would we spool a team with which Mr.. Brickley is con. nected. We were introduced to him Saturday, and it is our opinion that ne could fight good draw with Cap tain Kechsm. But we earnestly desire to be placed hep on the matter. Doubtless there is some good reason for it, but when the Army can make more touchdowns in thirty min utes than Harvard has made against good team in three years, we GER tainly wonder why Harvard doesn’t try the Harvard system. There is the matter OF forward passes, for instance. This principle of score manufacture nettt twelve points for West Point and should have resulted in eighteen. There is a feature of the Harvard system that Harvard has overlooked entirely. Harvsrd’s attempts at the forward pass have in the past borne as much resemblance to West Points as a venerable lady vender’s singing of mature apples at a newsboy. at is true that using an end tocarry the ball and the activity .of linemen in erd interference was quite noticeable in the tactics of both teams, but these things. especially the latter, aIe basic in well-planned running campaigns. We were not aware that Harvard had them copy righted. 1.-The Harvard system, Ell? No. my children, we require to he shown. Certainly no such forward passing as the Cadets produced has been seen on an Eastern gridiron this fall, except ing wht four or five Western teams had journeyed down here and reno vated the premises with four or FIVE Eastern teams. “Those forward which un. questionably won the game, directly and indirectly-were certain looloos. The Navy defenses were woozy and wably at the first sign of one of them, because the Cadets didn’t follow the established custom hereabouts in such matters. 1t has been rule to grasp the ball firmly as soon as ii is passed and heave it violeutly into the arms of a defensive back on the oppo sing team. ‘‘The Cadet quarterback, on the contrary. clung to the ball as if loath to part with it and the West Pointers seemed to make bluffs at four or FIVE plays before the ball was passed. The result was that the receiver usually had folded the pigskin snugly to his bosom before any one got ne ar him. “And if while Mr.. Prichard was fooling around brushing specks OF the ball some Navy line man descend ed on him, or he saw that he could not make the pass successfully, was he slung violently back into the mud for a 10-yard loss? He was not He merely chucked the ball on the ground, thus making an ‘unsuccessful pass and the ball was put in play at the same. old spot again. This is new stuff around here. Even the experts admit that

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  Arizona republican, November 30, 1913, page 1

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  ARMY SPRINGS SURPRISE AND DEFEATS NAVY All Dope Goes by Board When Land Forces Beat Down Defenses of the Heavier, Speedier Mid dies and Win, p to 9 4 NEW YORK, Nov. 29.-The Army football team furnished a spectacu- lar and confusing final for the east ern football season by defeating the Navy eleven on the Polo grounds 22 to 9. si The Navy was completely out played during the opening period of the game, and the cadets swept the sailors off their feet in the second half of the contest by a combination Of brilliant individual and open team play that quickly rolled up an over whelming lead. With the victory in sight for the first time in four years the West Point team scored rapidly and finished the game with a total that has not been exceeded by either academy in ten years. Despite the complete annihilation of the Navy combination, and it’s hope for a fourth consecutive vic tory over the Army, the game was fought out desperately until the closing moment, and the sailors went down with colors flying. From a technical standpoint the playing of both victor and vanquished did not rise above the usual calibre of the annual gridiron struggle between the two academies. Much of the work of the coaches went for naught when the battle reached it’s height, and there was the usual man to man struggle with football and team work more or less forgotten. From the standpoint of the spectator, how ever, the game in it’s setting lost nothing of it’s thrilling grip and in terest as a result and the forty thousand persons present gasped and cheered by turns at the kaleide- scopic playing the scenes depicted. The repeated use of the forward pass by the cadets opened up the play far more than the more con servative line attack and runs by the middies It was in the eXecu- tion of this play that the Army advantage lay and the final score demonstrated how successful it worked. In the opening quarter the ad- vantage lay entirely with the mid- dies who used their weight and speed for consistent gains. Near their own goal line the Army held firmly and Brown, the middies’ right guard was called back to the twenty ward line whence he kicked a goal In the second period he duplicated the feat after Hodgeson had dropped one of Nfcholls’ punts. which Gil christ recovered The Army got into action this quarter and sent the score sec saving with field goa and a touchdown. The West Point back field could

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  The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram, Richmond, Ind., December 1, 1913, page 1

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  ARMY TR|UMPHS OVER NAVY, 22–⁠9 Cadets Spring Surprise By Defeating Annapolis Elev- en- With Ease. NAVY WAS FAVORITE Much Bad Football Mixed With Good Class in First Half. NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-The Army football eleven defeated the Navy here Saturday afternoon in their annual game by the score of 90 to 9. AS a climax to the 1913 football season the cadet eleven furnished the biggest gridiron surprise of the year in their triumph over the midshipmen. Before the game the sailors were a 10 to Z favorite in the wagering, as the result Of a seasons play marked by victory after victory by big scores. Against the Army, however, their err ratio but conservative play failed to gain the points or yards rolled up by the Army through the use Of forward passes, long runs and general open field play at critical points Of the game. Passes Help Army Team. The play was of the usual desperate character which always marks the in ter-academy contests, and individually there was little choice or advantage in the play of either the line2men or the back field. The Army, however, used better judgment in it’s selection Of and manipulation Of their plays. To this and the accurate handling of the forward pass Wnen near the mludleS goal line is due the cadets triumph after three years of straight defeat. The Navy scored first on a goal from placement, but the score was soon tied by the Army. TIL Army forged ahead, only to be again tied, to g. After that the Army scored it’s second touch down and was never again headed. The Army led the Navy at the end 10 kHa hole h1yt 0P fN In this half there was much bad foot ball mixed with good football. The Navy was the first to score on a goal from placement by Brown, only to have the score tied by Woodruff of the Army on a goal from placement, following a blocked kick. The Navy line appeared to be more powerful than that of the Army, and the West Point line could do little with it.

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  The weekly times-record, Valley City, N.D., December 4, 1913, page 1

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  ARMY UPSETS DOPE and wins 22–⁠9 FROM THE Navy eleven Triumph of West Point Men Surprise to Friends and 0pponentS---40 900 Spectators Witness Great Game. New. York, Nov. 29.-Breaking in upon the conservative east, western brand of football swept across the polo grounds here this afternoon and the Navy goat, bewildered and blinking at the dazzling array of plays and passes it had not learned to eat, was left prone upon the field, while the Army mule kicked its heels high in the air and celebrated the hrst victory over the fighting forces from Annapolis since 1908. The Army defeated the Navy % to 9, in one Of the most spectacular games Of the gear. More than $4,000 persons, including President Wilson, his cabinet and high officials of the government service as we’ll as foreign diplomats cheered on the two teams as they bitterly fought out the issue. It was the most brilliant crowd ever gathered in New York for sporting event. Society flom New York and practically every other big eastern city was represented. In the south stands the battalions Of cadets from West Point sang, yelled and then simply went mad as their classmates on the field battled their way to victory. Across the field were the midshipmen in their dark blue service coats, a brilliant wide banner Of yellow ribbon crossing every mans chest. The great stands of the Brush stadium were massed with brilliant colors. The ca diets in their gray banked the south and extending completely around the great oval appeared the gay colors of flowers and hats and waving pennants of the two academies in the hands of fair admirers. It was a great victory for the Army. The Navy started a rushing attack and swept the cadet eleven back to their

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Officially, Navy leads 64–⁠55–⁠7; as played, 63–⁠55–⁠7 in the 125 games on file; the official count covers all 126 meetings, counting the 108 since this game.