PRINCETON
Princeton is one of the schools in which football found its origin in the United States, and the game has been played there on a systematic basis ever since 1876, when relations were established with Yale. In the following year a similar agreement was entered into with Harvard and continued until 1897.
Among the football stars developed at Princeton are Cowan, Poe, Ames, Wheeler, King, Trenchard, Lea, Church, Kelly, Cochran, Hillebrand and Edwards.
Most faithfully throughout the history of football has Princeton maintained the strictly regular system of play. All the offensive operations are directed with seven men in the line andh rarely is the ball entrusted to any member of the team not a regular occupant of the backfield. This gives a much less varied style of attack and is a consequent deterrent to success, beyond a doubt, but the wonderful spirit which has been the possession of every Princeton team has assisted its successive elevens to maintain a high place in the athletic world, nevertheless. The Princeton defense places the ends rather wide, the tackles similarly free and the three backs supporting the line.
The Princeton style of game is generally the most freely imitated all over the United States. This is partially on account of its simplicity and partially on account of the large number of Princeton graduates who have taken up football coaching after leaving college.
MICHIGAN
The University of Michigan is one of the oldest western schools in point of football experience. Her most universal rival has been Chicago, although relations have long been maintained with Wisconsin and intermittently with Minnesota.
Such players as Baird, Ferbert, Henninger, Senter, Bloomingston, Bennett, Widman, McLean, Weeks, Snow, McGugin, Herrnstein and Heston have left bright records on the football tablets of the "Wolverines".
Coached in past years by graduates of several styles of play, Michigan has been since 1901 under the tutelage of F. H. Yost, under whom has been developed an offense generally described as shifting, men being drawn back frequently from the line for the purpose of attack. The ends are also frequently drawn into the backfield, their places being taken by the backs. A shifting interference, in which the point of attack is veiled, is also a feature of the Michigan play.
On defense the Michigan teams adapt their tactics to best meet the attack of their opponents, sometimes leaving three men in the secondary line of defense, sometimes two. Generally considered, it might be termed shifting, like the offense.
HARVARD
Football has been played at Harvard University since the earliest days of the game in the United States. Mutual relations with Yale were established in 1876 and have been maintained up to the present. Annual games were played with Princeton from 1877 to 1897. Harvard and Pennsylvania have maintained their mutual rivalry almost continuously since 1881.
The annals of Harvard football redound with the names of such players as Comstock, Dean, Newell, Waters, Lewis, Wrightington, Dibblee and Daly, all of whom are among the greatest players the game has ever known.
In the offensive system of play in vogue at Harvard, the tandem is the most prominent. This formation is usually made up of the three backs, although sometimes one of the linemen is called back for use in the play, the back left out of the formation taking the place of the lineman in the latter's regular position. The tackle-back play has also been a feature of Harvard's attack until very recently.
The Harvard defense is what may be termed regular, although the ends play in close to tackle.
Graduate coaching has been the rule at Harvard and the result has been a maintenance of old football styles and traditions which have been little varied in the passing of the years.
MINNESOTA
The football team of the University of Minnesota has long held a high position among the other western teams, athletic relations of an intermittent character having been maintained with Illinois, Northwestern, Chicago and Michigan, and a regular series having been played with the University of Wisconsin eleven.
Among the players who have been prominent as stars at Minnesota are Harding, Pillsbury, Flynn, Schacht, Rogers, Thorpe, Van Valkenburg, Strathearn, Knowlton and Irsfield.