A LONG, HARD PRACTICE.

The University football team started on its final series of practices yesterday with an afternoon of hard, severe work. There was a very short preliminary practice in punting and in signals, after which a long scrimmage was held against the second eleven. Little encouragement could be derived from the playing. Except for a brief period in the second half when the team collected itself sufficiently to gain consistently, and forced the ball down the field for the only touchdown of the afternoon, it was clearly outplayed by the second eleven. Big holes were opened continually in the first eleven's line, through which advances aggregating nearly 100 yards were made in the first half alone. The latter part of the game showed some improvement, and the slow charging and lack of aggressiveness was partly overcome. As a rule, however, the backs started too slowly, formed a ragged interference, and hindered each other. All the plays seemed badly in need of smoother execution.

The stubborn resistance encountered by the eleven may have been due largely to the presence on the second team of O. F. Cutts 3L., tackle on the team last year, and W. A. M. Burden '00, captain and right guard in 1899. The usual large squad of coaches included B. H. Dibblee '99, W. H. Lewis '95L., P. D. Haughton '99, W. G. Lee 3M., N. W. Cabot '98, J. Cranston '91. J. Lawrence '01, J. Lawrence, Jr., '01, and R. W. P. Brown '98.

The poor defence of the University team was shown immediately after the kick-off, when the second team started with the ball at their own 20 yard line and carried it on straight rushes through tackle and guard to a point 10 yards beyond the centre of the field. The first team finally obtained the ball on downs, but was forced to punt. A few minutes later the ball was again secured on downs and from the 40 yard line Marshall attempted a goal from the field, but failed. Obtaining the ball, after an exchange of punts, at its own 35 yard line, the second team made another series of gains to the first eleven's 35 yard line where the ball was lost on a fumble. The first eleven after punting received the ball on a fumble at the middle of the field and time was called. In the second half the ball was carried on short gains by the first team from the first team's 35 yard line across the second's goal line. The total playing time of the practice was about 40 minutes.

The line-ups: FIRST ELEVEN.  SECOND ELEVEN. Clark, Mills, l.e.  r.e., Macdonald Shea, l.t.  r.t., Cutts A. Marshall, l.g.  r.g., Burden, Hovey Sugden, c.  c., Lyon Barnard, r.g.  l.g., Wilder, King Knowlton, r.t.  l.t., Dodge Bowditch, r.e.  l.e., Clothier C. Marshall, q.b.  q.b., Parker Kernan, l.h.b.  r.h.b., Ives Hurley, Putnam, r.h.b.  l.h.b. Leonard Harrison, f.b.  f.b., Piper