The Fracas at Cambridge

I have been used to seeing Harvard Dartmouth games played under perfect football conditions for so many years that the day was a surprise to all of us. Instead of having visions of the Green's fleet backs galloping over firm hard .turf, the day dawned with a Limehouse aspect of a gentle drizzle and fog which increased to flood proportions as the afternoon arrived. Even the most optimistic football followers who repeatedly declared that all would be well by game time were seen buying newspapers and oil cloths for protection and the game was fought out under the most miserable weather conditions since Dartmouth invaded the Yale Bowl in 1926.

Dartmouth had a forward passing attack and Harvard's laterals were reported to be as strong as ever, but weather conditions reduced both teams to the expediency of matching man for man in the line and sending back after back in crashes at each other's forward wall. The Dartmouth superiority of 7-2, which was the final score, was not disputed and for once a Dartmouth team had the jump, and the first period touchdown which Bill Morton scored on a line crash was the margin of victory in a game which teetered in the balance during the greater part of the afternoon.

What impressed about this Dartmouth team this year is that the squad has been brought along slowly by Jack Cannell and the men have been drilled in only th mere fundamentals of attack of which such necessary adjuncts to football, as blocking and tackling, have been paramount. At Harvard the line, particularly Capt. Hal Andres, Gay Bromberg and Paul Ciehan, tackled and blocked to perfection and proved themselves real iron men.

In that first period against Harvard, one thing stood out above all the rest, and that was Bill Morton's kicking. Morton is a boy whom I frankly counted out of the 1980 picture when predictions were in order, for I felt that he was not the Dartmouth type of quarterback inasmuch as he was no great runner or passer, but I now eat those words after the entire schedule has been played save the Stanford game, for ever since A 1 Marsters was carried off the field in the Yale Bowl last year, Bill Morton has started every major game, and has played nearly every minute of the Harvard and Yale games and turned in a non-relief job against Cornell

Against Harvard it was phenomenal punting by this fellow which saved the day. Figure it out for yourself—it was continually raining during the entire contest and the ball was as heavy and sluggish as if it had been filled with water, and yet Morton outpunted his Harvard rivals and not only got off zooming boots but placed them outside in uncanny fashion on the three- and fouryard lines! Dartmouth played a close game, and the Green backs behind a hard charging line were able to execute their plays without much slipping and they played for the break.