The only change in the Blue’s line-up at the beginning of the third period was at left end, where Meadows had displaced Sandford. The Orange team returned intact. Yardley brought renewed joy to her supporters in the first few minutes by two long gains, one by means of a forward-pass and one by means of a seventeen-yard run by Deering, that took her well into Brown and Young’s territory. But after that the Orange refused to give and the ball changed hands on her twenty-seven yards. That Coach Lyle had tried hard to solve the enemy’s running game was evident on the occasion of the latter’s first attempt to gain around Yardley’s left. Instead of trying to get through the enemy’s excellent interference at once, Yardley adopted waiting tactics. So long as the man with the ball kept on toward the side-line the Blue was content to let him alone, and the surprising and even amusing spectacle of fully half of each team streaking in parallel courses across the field resulted. By these tactics Yardley gained an advantage. Whereas before she had plunged blindly at the Orange’s interference, often not knowing where the ball was, she now had time to size up the situation and bend every energy toward the runner. Brown and Young’s play brought the whole back-field out laterally, the runner carrying the ball, either a half or the full-back, well guarded by three interferers, to whom, once having diverted the opponent’s charge toward the center, was added an end and tackle who formed what was virtually a rear guard. To be successful, however, the play demanded that the opposing defense be drawn through soon after it had started, the interference engaging it and the man with the ball shooting free at the last moment and turning in. So as long as the opponent did not challenge, the Orange formation continued on in a lateral direction until, for a moment, it seemed that it would simply continue across the side-line and into the stand! Eventually, however, the runner saw the futility of further waiting and took the law into his own hands in a desperate effort to save the play. But as he had to drop back to let his interference pass before he could turn in he was very promptly nailed and the Orange netted a six-yard loss. But of course it didn’t work out so well for Yardley the next time, for the Orange changed her tactics and shot the runner in at the first opportunity. Nevertheless, the play lost most of its effectiveness and, toward the end of the contest, was entirely ignored.
In that third period the honors were fairly even, with each team gaining two first downs and neither penetrating nearer to her opponent’s goal than the twenty-seven-yard line. Brown and Young’s punters showed themselves fully equal to either Roover or Snowden and the rival lines exhibited a similar strength against attack. Perhaps the Orange’s superiority, if she showed any, was in her aggressiveness, although it brought no returns so far as scoring was concerned. Each team in the period might have attempted a field-goal but chose to stand or fall on rushing. The seven points scored to the credit of Yardley had regained something of their original value when time was called for the quarter, although Brown and Young’s rooters were still hopeful and, across the field, there were many anxious hearts.
Of the sort of playing with which the visitors had been accused, none had been seen. To be sure, the Orange players played hard and fierce, and when they tackled the runner always stayed where he was put, but nothing mean nor underhand had appeared. They did a lot of talking across the line, and some of their remarks were not in the best taste, but many of Yardley’s opponents were what the fellows called “gabby” and the Blue was used to verbal attack.
Play started in the final period with the pigskin in Yardley’s possession on her opponent’s forty-four yards. Candee had taken Simpson’s place at center and Twining had substituted Rose at left guard. On the opposing team two changes in the line and one in the back-field had been made. Deering plugged through the Orange left for a short gain and Roover got outside tackle for two yards. Curran threw to Meadows, who missed the pass, and Roover punted. An Orange back cut through the Yardley field for nearly twenty yards after catching and the ball was on Brown and Young’s forty-one. It was then that the visitors opened their bag of tricks.
CHAPTER XVI
TUBB WINS PROMOTION
First, the Orange changed her back-field formation entirely. Instead of standing close to the line, three abreast, the two halves and the full-back retired to a position a good ten yards behind the scrimmage and spread widely. The quarter stood five yards behind center, crouched to take the pass. The right tackle shifted to the other side of the line, toward which, at the start of the signal, the three backs made a quarter-turn. But as the ball went back to the quarter the three swung to the right and started diagonally toward the end of their line, left half and full aiming at a point just outside it and right half deploying further to the right. At the same moment the right end began sprinting straight toward the side-line, drawing the Yardley left tackle and a defensive back with him.
Having taken the ball from center, the quarter-back started also to the right, running parallel to the line until, left half and full having crossed in front of him, he was behind right end’s original position. There he slowed and shot the pigskin away at a lateral pass to the right half. The throw was some fifteen yards and perfectly made, and the right half, as yet unmolested, had no difficulty in getting it. Whereupon he set forth on his adventures, heading straight along the side-line and about twelve yards away from it. The opposing end had been blanketed by the full-back and it was not until the runner crossed the line of scrimmage that serious opposition to his advance developed. And then, with his own end and left half guarding his flank and the quarter making trouble for the rear attack, he proceeded brilliantly across the middle of the field and set his eyes on the goal.
Yardley, suspecting something unusual and spectacular, had played her ends back and out and deployed three backs up the field. Halliday, at right end, had been rudely set aside, and it was Curran and Roover on whom the task of stopping the runner devolved. Roover, nearer at hand, did his best to get past the interference but failed, although in failing he upset the Brown and Young’s full-back. By now the whole field was in pursuit, with, however, most of it hopelessly out of the race. Yet Casement, who for a guard was remarkably fast on his feet, somehow managed to get to the fore and sent the Orange quarter-back spinning aside, after which he put out for the runner. But Curran was the man for the job.