But it was not long before the coin had been tossed, and the game was on.  Not a man who has played in the line will ever forget how he tried to block his man or get down the field and tackle the man with the ball.  I recall most vividly those three strapping Yale center men, Brown, Hale and Olcott, flanked by Stillman and Francis.  There was Al Sharpe and McBride.  Fincke was at quarter.

If there had been any one play during the season that we had had drilled into us, a play which we had hoped might win the game, it was the long end run.  It was Lea’s pet play.

I can recall the herculean work we had performed to perfect this play.  It was time well spent.  The reward came within seven minutes after the game began.  The end running ability of that great player, Bosey Reiter showed.  Every man was doing his part, and the play was made possible.  Reiter scored a touchdown along the side of the field.  I never saw a happier man than Bosey.  But he was no happier than his ten team-mates.  They were leaping in the air with joy.  The Princeton stand arose in a solid body and sent an avalanche of cheers across the field.

What proved to be one of the most important features of the game was the well-delivered punt by Bert Wheeler, who kicked the ball out to Hutchinson.  Hutch heeled it in front of the goal and Bert Wheeler boosted the ball straight over the cross bar and Princeton scored an additional point.  At that moment we did not realize that this would be the decisive factor in the Princeton victory.

As the Princeton team went back to the middle of the field to take their places for the next kick-off, the Princeton side of the field was a perfect bedlam of enthusiasm.  Old grads were hugging each other on the side lines, and every eye was strained for the next move in the game.

At the same time the Yale stand was cheering its side and urging the Blue players to rally.  McBride, the Yale captain, was rousing his men with the Yale spirit, and they realized what was demanded of them.  The effect became evident.  It showed how Yale could rise to an occasion.  We felt that the old bull-dog spirit of Yale was after us—­as strong as ever.

How wonderfully well McBride, the Yale captain, kicked that day!  What a power he was on defence!  I saw him do some wonderful work.  It was after one of his long punts, which, with the wind in his favor, went about seventy yards, that Princeton caught the ball on the ten-yard line.

Wheeler dropped back to kick.  The Yale line men were on their toes ready to break through and block the kick.  The Yale stand was cheering them on.  Stillman was the first man through.  It seemed as if he were off-side.  Wheeler delayed his kick, expecting that an off-side penalty would be given.  When he did kick, it was too late, the ball was blocked and McBride fell on it behind the goal line, scoring a touchdown for Yale, and making the score 6 to 5 in favor of Princeton.