General Robert Neyland introduced the seven "Game Maxims" to his University of Tennessee football team during the 1930s. Many high schools and colleges still can use them 70 years later. Restated throughout the season, the maxims remind players what they need to do to win. Each Friday, the Times will apply Neyland's seven maxims to a previous week's game to see how they hold up.
By Times Staff Writer
Published October 10, 2003
The Maxims
NO. 1: The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
NO. 2: Play for and make the breaks, and when one comes your way - Score!
NO. 3: If at first the game or the breaks go against you, don't let up - put on more steam.
NO. 4: Protect your kicker, your quarterback and your lead.
NO. 5: "Oskie." To alert teammates, yell "Oskie" when you intercept, cover, block and gang tackle, for this is the winning edge.
NO. 6: Press the kicking game for it is here that the breaks are made.
NO. 7: Carry the fight to your opponents and leave it there for the whole game.
Applying the maxims
A closer look at Friday's East Bay-Riverview game (which East Bay won 17-14) displays how the maxims hold true:
NO. 1 - MISTAKES: East Bay recovered a fumble on the Sharks 19 and converted it into the first score of the game. A Times study from the 2002 season showed teams scoring first won 80 percent of the time.
NO. 2 - BREAKS: Riverview opted to go for it on fourth and inches from its 29 in the third quarter. East Bay stopped the challenge. A few runs later, it converted the opportunity into its second touchdown.
NO. 3 - DON'T LET UP: Riverview ran 56 plays to East Bay's 28, outrushed (167-150) and outgained the Indians in passing (43-32) and had more first downs (10-9). But East Bay stayed the course and prevailed.
NO. 4 - PROTECT YOUR QB, YOUR KICKER, AND YOUR LEAD: East Bay is a running team, but the only pass it threw was completed for 32 yards. East Bay protected its placekicker on two successful extra points and most important, held firm for a winning 21-yard field goal. Once East Bay got the lead, it did not lose it. East Bay scored first, second and was ahead at the half, strong indicators of winning.
NO. 5 - OSKIE AND GANG TACKLE: Although neither team threw an interception, East Bay's gang tackling held Riverview in check, allowing only one of 53 rushes to go for more than 6 yards. The Indians also piled on the bodies to stop the Sharks on the fourth-and-inches play.
NO. 6 - PRESS THE KICKING GAME: East Bay made a 21-yard field goal while Riverview's last-second attempt from 35 yards went wide right. Riverview's punting game also averaged fewer than 30 yards.
NO. 7 - CARRY THE FIGHT FOR THE FULL GAME: When East Bay needed a big play, its defense got it on the fourth down. Riverview nearly pulled off the comeback in the final minutes, converting a 43-yard pass for a touchdown and recovering an onside kick that put it in field goal range. The 35-yard field goal would have tied it. In the end, it was two strong efforts by two good teams.
- Compiled by Times Staff Writer Scott Purks and Jim Reese.
