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"No," laughed Sydney, "it's a play from close-formation. I drew it this morning." "Oh," said Neil. "Let's see; what Here, explain it; where do I come in?" "Why, your position is at the left of quarter, behind the center-guard, and a little farther back. Full stands directly behind quarter. See?" "Pshaw! if we get into a crowd like that," said Neil, "we'll get all tied up."
Now was the time for Erskine to test her offensive powers. On the first play, using the close-formation, Gillam slashed a hole between the opposing center and right-guard and Mason went through for two yards. The next play netted them another yard in the same place. Then Paul was given the pigskin for a try outside of right tackle and reeled off four yards more before he was downed.
The idea is to open holes quickly and jab a runner through before our heavier and necessarily slower opponents can concentrate their weight at the point of attack. For the close-formation we have, I think, plays covering every phase. And so, while a good offensive strategy will be welcome, yet what we stand in greatest need of is a play to stop Robinson's tackle-tandem.
"If we're to win that game we've got to play on the defensive; we've got to stop tackle-back and rely on an end run now and then and lots of punting to get us within goal distance. Then our play is to score by a quick run or a field-goal. The offense we're working up we'll call it close-formation for want of a better name is, we think, the best we can find.
"Look here, Neil, you don't really think, do you, that you'll have any trouble getting back into your place?" "I hardly know. Of course two weeks of idleness makes a big difference. And besides, I'm losing a lot of practise. This new close-formation that Mills is teaching will be Greek to me." "It's simple enough," said Sydney.
"The only course," answered one of the coaches, "is to get to work and put starch into the line as well as we can, and to perfect the backs at kicking and running. Luckily that close-formation has the merit of concealing the point of attack until it's under way, and it's just possible that we'll manage to fool them." And so Jones and Mills went to work with renewed vigor the next day.
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