And so that evening Mills and Neil and Sydney gathered about the big
study-table and talked long about gridiron tactics and strategy and the
art of inventing plays. Mills praised Sydney's production and encouraged
him to try again.

"But let me tell you first how we're situated," said the head coach, "so
that you will see just what we're after. Our material is good but light.
Robinson will come into the field on the twenty-third weighing about
eight pounds more to a man in the line and ten pounds more behind it.
That's bad enough, but she's going to play tackle-back about the way
we've taught the second eleven to play it. Her tackles will weigh about
one hundred and eighty-five pounds each. She will take one of those men,
range him up in front of our center-guard hole, and put two backs with
him, tandem fashion. When that trio, joined by the other half and the
quarter, hits our line it's going right through it--that is, unless we
can find some means of stopping it. So far we haven't found that means.
We've tried several things; we're still trying; but we haven't found the
play we want.

"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. 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