The 1926 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute in the 1926 college football season. The team was led by their head coach Andy Gustafson and finished with a record of five wins, three losses and one tie (5–3–1). This was the first season played in Miles Stadium.

Schedule

Before the season The 1925 VPI Gobblers football team compiled a 5–3–2 record and were led by B. C. Cubbage in his fifth season as head coach.

Game summaries Roanoke

VPI's first game of the season was a victory over Roanoke at Miles Stadium.

The starting lineup for VPI was: Nutter (left end), Moss (left tackle), Jones (left guard), Moran (center), Miles (right guard), Bailey (right tackle), Petty (right end), MacArthur (quarterback), Peake (left halfback), Tomko (right halfback), McEver (fullback). The substitutes were: Brown, Erickson, Esleeck, Fussell, Gray, Hotchkiss, Hudgins, Jacobs, Looney and Rice.

The starting lineup for Roanoke was: Charles Wilson (left end), George Marsh (left tackle), Maurice Givens (left guard), Harold Nank (center), Claudius Mitchell (right guard), Roland Sturdevant (right tackle), Milton Etris (right end), John Dietrich (quarterback), Merrill Jones (left halfback), John Miller (right halfback), Lloyd Seay (fullback). The substitutes were: W. T. "Ted" Fix, Raymond Haislip, William Logan, James Shannon and G. E. Sheppard.

Hampden–Sydney

After their victory over Roanoke, VPI played Hampden–Sydney College at Miles Stadium.

The starting lineup for VPI was: Nutter (left end), Moss (left tackle), Jones (left guard), Moran (center), Miles (right guard), Bailey (right tackle), Petty (right end), MacArthur (quarterback), Peake (left halfback), Esleeck (right halfback), McEver (fullback). The substitutes were: Brown, Handy, Hotchkiss, Jacobs, Jeffries, Looney, Mahaney, Mattox and Rice.

The starting lineup for Hampden–Sydney was: Charles Turley (left end), Stuart Worden (left tackle), Robert Nance (left guard), Alfred Dudley (center), Hugh Blanton (right guard), Harry Myles (right tackle), Roberts (right end), John Brinser (quarterback), Ward Palmer (left halfback), Alfred Adkins (right halfback), William Richardson (fullback). The substitutes were: Allen, Ayres, Carter, Garrett, Hovy, Ruffner and Savage.

Dartmouth

The starting lineup for VPI was: Petty (left end), Moss (left tackle), Miles (left guard), Moran (center), Jones (right guard), Bailey (right tackle), Nutter (right end), MacArthur (quarterback), Esleeck (left halfback), Peake (right halfback), McEver (fullback).

The starting lineup for Dartmouth was: Jim Picken (left end), Hardy (left tackle), Phillips (left guard), Davis (center), Rubin (right guard), Langdell (right tackle), Cole (right end), Edwin B. Dooley (quarterback), Myles Lane (left halfback), MacPhail (right halfback), Horton (fullback). The substitutes were: Black, Breihut and John C. McAvoy.

Maryland

The starting lineup for VPI was: Petty (left end), Brown (left tackle), Miles (left guard), Moran (center), Jones (right guard), Bailey (right tackle), Nutter (right end), MacArthur (quarterback), Esleeck (left halfback), Peake (right halfback), McEver (fullback). The substitutes were: Anderson, Handy, Jacobs, Looney, Mattox, Moss and Rice.

The starting lineup for Maryland was: Donald Adams (left end), Earl Zulick (left tackle), Arthur Wondrack (left guard), Harold Bafford (center), Omar D. Crothers Jr. (right guard), John Leatherman (right tackle), Jack Keenan (right end), Gordon Kessler (quarterback), Fred Linkous (left halfback), Myron Stevens (right halfback), Lewis "Knocky" Thomas (fullback). The substitutes were: Arthur Boyd, Gil Dent, Frederick Herzog, John Parson, Pugh, Edwin Rothgeb, Floyd Schrader, Gerald Snyder and Winterberg.

Virginia

Kentucky

The starting lineup for VPI was: Nutter (left end), Miles (left tackle), Jones (left guard), Moran (center), Bailey (right guard), Brown (right tackle), Petty (right end), MacArthur (quarterback), Peake (left halfback), Esleeck (right halfback), Looney (fullback). The substitutes were: Handy, Jacobs, Mahaney, Mattox, Moss and Rice.

The starting lineup for Kentucky was: Gilb (left end), Phipps (left tackle), Belt (left guard), Pence (center), Charles Wert (right guard), Henry Portwood (right tackle), Schulte (right end), Jenkins (quarterback), Frank Smith (left halfback), Ellis (right halfback), Ross (fullback). The substitutes were: Ted Creech, Denver DeHaven, Edwards, Franklin, James Kirkendall and Mohney.

South Carolina

The starting lineup for VPI was: Petty (left end), Brown (left tackle), Miles (left guard), Moran (center), Jones (right guard), Bailey (right tackle), Nutter (right end), MacArthur (quarterback), Peake (left halfback), Esleeck (right halfback), Looney (fullback). The substitutes were: Handy, Jeffries, Mahaney, Mattox and Rice.

The starting lineup for South Carolina was: Samuel Burke (left end), E. Power Rogers (left tackle), Ralph Guarino (left guard), William Boyd (center), W. R. Price (right guard), Floyd Thomas (right tackle), George Keels (right end), Bill Rogers (quarterback), J. F. Cooper (left halfback), Eli Wingfield (right halfback), Robert Wimberly (fullback). The substitutes were: W. W. "Red" Swink, James Verner, Mike Windus and Harry Wolf.

Washington and Lee

The starting lineup for VPI was: Nutter (left end), Miles (left tackle), Jones (left guard), Moran (center), Bailey (right guard), Brown (right tackle), Petty (right end), MacArthur (quarterback), Esleeck (left halfback), Peake (right halfback), Looney (fullback). The substitutes were: Handy, Hotchkiss, Jeffries, Mattox and McEver.

The starting lineup for Washington and Lee was: J. E. Bailey (left end), Robert Holt (left tackle), Burnell Tips (left guard), Ira Rector (center), Henry Groop (right guard), Earl Fitzpatrick (right tackle), John Towill (right end), Eugene White (quarterback), Perry Whitlock (left halfback), William Palmer (right halfback), Ty Rauber (fullback). The substitutes were: Charles Eigelbach.

VMI

The starting lineup for VPI was: Nutter (left end), Miles (left tackle), Jones (left guard), Moran (center), Handy (right guard), Bailey (right tackle), Petty (right end), McEver (quarterback), Peake (left halfback), Mattox (right halfback), Looney (fullback). The substitutes were: Brown, Esleeck, Jeffries and MacArthur.

The starting lineup for VMI was: John Fain (left end), Herman Kulp (left tackle), Ralph Smith (left guard), Joseph Mondy (center), Luther Hewlett (right guard), J. C. Smith (right tackle), Luther Thornhill (right end), Al Barnes (quarterback), Frank Harner (left halfback), Frank Nabers (right halfback), Carlton Walker (fullback). The substitutes were: Ferdinand Harrington, Theodric Moor, Claude Moorman, Karlyle O'Berry and Kenneth Rugh.

After the season In December 1926, the VPI players elected V. E. Miles as captain of the 1927 VPI Gobblers football team.

Players Roster VPI 1926 roster George Claiborne "Speck" Anderson Albert Ewell Bailey Joseph Murray Brown Karl Esleeck M. B. Fussell John Gray Edward Malvern Handy Philip Smith Hotchkiss William Coles Hudgins J. R. Jacobs John Mercer Jeffries Alfred Owens Jones J. B. Jones John Ote Looney Scotty MacArthur Arthur Randolph Mahaney Cloy Mattox Herbert McEver Vernon Edward Miles (Capt.) Joseph Henry Moran (Capt.) Jack Wellford Moss Lloyd Broderick Nutter Frank Peake Douglas Cooper Petty J. H. Rice Spear Cyril Method "Tommy" Tomko Von Erickson

Monogram Club members Fourteen players received monograms for their participation on the 1926 VPI team.

Player Hometown Notes Albert Ewell Bailey (Capt.) Roanoke, Virginia Joseph Murray Brown Staunton, Virginia Karl Esleeck Portsmouth, Virginia Head football coach at the University of Richmond from 1948 until 1950, compiling a record of 10–18–2. Edward Malvern Handy Hilton Village, Virginia Alfred Owens Jones Richmond, Virginia World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veteran (Army). John Ote Looney Roanoke, Virginia James Bushell "Scotty" MacArthur Newport News, Virginia Born in Greenock, Scotland. Cloy Mattox Leesville, Virginia Major League Baseball catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics during the season. Herbert McEver Bristol, Virginia Head football coach at VPI in 1942 and 1945, compiling a record of 9–8–1. He was also head basketball coach at VPI from 1937 to 1944, amassing a record of 49–71, and the head baseball coach from 1933 to 1939, tallying a mark of 41–72–1. Vernon Edward Miles Norfolk, Virginia Joseph Henry Moran Radford, Virginia Lloyd Broderick Nutter Blacksburg, Virginia World War II veteran (Captain, Army). Frank Peake Hampton, Virginia Douglas Cooper Petty Hilton Village, Virginia

Coaching and training staff Head coach: Andy Gustafson Assistant coaches Line coach: Zeke Wissinger Manager: Samuel McDowell Martin Freshman head coach: Henry Redd Freshman Manager: John Edmund Tankard

References