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Show Modern Football Is Big Improvement Over 1 Early Day Play Here 1 J. U. Eldredge, Jr., Tells of First Big Clash With Utah Aggies, and Other Old Time Features. BY AJL WARDEN. MODERN' methods and tactlvs have placed football on a plane wtth tho loading spOrtlng events of America, tho game at this time being less dangerous than at any time in its history. This is the opinion of J. U. Eldredgo, Jr., halfbar k of the first U nlversLy of Utah gridiron machine of 1894. In those days when football was 1 n Its infancy little Interest could be stirred up, tho game being played at a big financial deficit annually by school: featuring the sport. Football was given its big start In Utah by tho late- Bert, llolden. one time brilliant performer at Yalo. who for many years coached tho old i M. C A. sloven and aided materially ln installing the game at the University Univer-sity of Utah. Iloldn was a isllllant performer und is the ono man responsible re-sponsible for tho Initiating of tno game into the colleges of the state, according to Mr. Eldredgo. HOLD FN STARTS BALL ROLLING. "Holden's efforts enabled our eleven to make good showings in our contests." con-tests." said Mr. BldredgS. "ln fact, the members of the firm offlfial "U" team of 1894 well remember his tactics tac-tics and his methods to have, us carry out his instructions. "Prior to 18'J4 our games wore mostly played with the Y. M. C. A-and A-and with other clubs of Salt Lake. Colleges up to that time hud failed to enter teams In the field. I "Our first battle of Importance as a college team was played against tho Utah Aggies, at Logan In 1S94. That game will live forever In my memory, it being one of the hardest fought contests In which I had over played. Our team was composed of light men almost entirely. Light in enn sense, and heavy ln another. Our team avoraged about 160 pounds ils compared with the Agglo eleven, which weighed 185 pounds on an average. av-erage. "In this particular contest it was I no uncommon feature to see men taken from the field after being injured, in-jured, ln some lnsianccs tho contest was halted for several minutes to allow al-low the players injured a chanco to resume play. KAJUTjI GAME WAS UNPOPULAR, "The game uurlng that time was unpopular on account of the brur 'tality which many protested, stating that the players were foolish to risk their lives at such a pastime. Despite De-spite the fact that many of our men Wi re injured ln this battle, wo man-gi man-gi 1 to give th Aggies plenty of competition- During the first half of the game ; We held them scoreless after our goal line hud been threatened several I times. In th. first half tho captain Of the Aggie machine was escorted , from the field for using unnecessary ' rough tactics. Rough stuff in many i 'nstanc'-s featured team's play, pen-s pen-s being inflicted at times, while on other ocoaslons the player or players play-ers would be ushered from the game. Tho Aggies sent In a chap named Rayboul late ln tho game and by constant con-stant use of the diamond wedge formation for-mation they went down the field for B touchdown. Ir was the only scor of the game; which was considered at that time one of th greatest battl-Ji ever etaged ln the state. PEW PLAYS WERE LISTED. "Playa ln those days wno few. The diamond wedge formation was the big feature, this play being barrod a few yearo late-r on account of tho dangers encountered by using it. Many play-l play-l ors were knocked unconscious when this play was usod. "Forward passen split bucks, Rnd trick plays wero unheard of, straight football only being used to gain the necessary yardage. "Brutal methods which many believed be-lieved football developed tended in a great respect to keep tho fans from attending the games. The game "during "dur-ing the past 2' years, however, has Improved materially and is now placed on such a plane that Injuries , arc getting fewer annually. 1 ough football was not officially official-ly listed at tho University of Utah until 1900, our games, which were the firs; oA-u played, furnished considerable consid-erable excitement. "In those days tho players enjoyed the moments after r hard struggle rnoro thun tho game, celebrations being be-ing held by players and student ! bodies. INTEREST EVER GROWING. "Since that memorable, game with the Aggies In which we were licked h'. one touchdown, interest has been cen-tcred cen-tcred annually in the Aggie-Utah Classic; It has now como to be the big event of this section, shining here as the Yale-Harvard, Army-Navy, an l other big games do ln other part. ; of tho country. In my opinio the I grand old game has undergone hundreds hun-dreds of changes, which have placed thc sport at a high ranking, making Injuries less liable and creating In tsrest that will attract thousands and thousands to a single contest." (Seth Thomas, quarterback of the first University of Utah gridiron machine ma-chine of 1894. will tell of his great- est football experience on the playing field In the Wednesday Issue of this paper. Watch for 1L) - |