The 1919 Pittsburgh Panthers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pittsburgh as an independent during the 1919 college football season. In its fifth season under head coach Pop Warner, the team compiled a 6–2–1 record and outscored all opponents by a total of 119 to 66. The team played its home games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
Schedule
Preseason "The favorable reaction in the realm of sport since the great war, affected Pitt as well as every other university. The year 1919 saw the Gold and Blue represented in almost every branch of sport – football, basketball, track, swimming and tennis. This year sees a revival in baseball and boxing – and a new sport, aviation makes its initial bow, Pitt being the seventh charter member admitted to the Inter-collegiate Flying Association."
William J. Foster was appointed student manager for the 1919−20 football season by Karl E. Davis, and Jimmy DeHart, "the idol of football lovers of Pittsburgh and one of the greatest all-around athletes ever developed at the University of Pittsburgh," was unanimously elected Captain of the 1919 team by a mail-in vote.
According to Karl E. Davis, Graduate Manager of Athletics, in his preseason prospectus for The Pitt Weekly, the team will assemble at Camp Hamilton, Windber on September 8 for three weeks of preseason practice. "The Engineering School students will be there all summer and the camp will be improved in a number of ways, so that it will be more complete than ever." Coach Warner will welcome seven returning lettermen from the 1918 championship team – Harvey Harman, Herb Stein, Herb McCracken, Lou Mavis, Tom Davies and William Horner. In addition,"a number of men from the service who are experienced and who are eligible under the residence rule will help considerably," among these being Andy Hastings, Jimmy DeHart, James Morrow, John McLean, Harold Krotzer, James Bond, Gus Aschman, Frank McDonald, Cliff Brown and Merle Hileman.
Coach Warner warned: "I will say that those who are busily predicting another clean sweep for Pitt are taking a great deal for granted and, I believe, are failing to give due consideration to the probable strength of some of our opponents. Manager Davis has arranged what looks like the hardest schedule Pitt has ever undertaken...There is not a point in the schedule where Pitt will be able to let down. It is too much to expect a team to go along year after year without suffering a defeat, and it may be that the Panthers will meet their Waterloo before the coming campaign is very far advanced."
Coaching staff
1919 Pittsburgh Panthers football staff Coaching staff Pop Warner – Head coach Floyd Rose – Assistant coach Alexander Stevenson – Assistant coach Andrew Kerr – Freshman Coach Support staff W. J. Foster – Student Football Manager Karl E. Davis – Graduate manager of Athletics Charles S. Miller – Director of athletics
Roster 1919 Pittsburgh Panthers football roster Gus Ashman*quarterback55' 10″1801920Beaver H. S.EconomicsBeaver, PA James Bond*guard75' 9″1951921Schenley H. S.Pre-MedPittsburgh, PA Abe J. Breman*fullback55' 9″1741921Indiana NormalCollegePittsburgh, PA Ben Bremantackle05' 8”1611921Peabody H. S.Dental SchoolPittsburgh, PA Cliff Brown*end55' 8″1701920The Kiski SchoolMechanical EngineeringLiverpool, OH Harry Daughertyend16'1601920Jeannette H. S.EconomicsJeannette, PA Thomas Davies*halfback95' 8″1531922The Kiski SchoolEconomicsWashington, PA James DeHart*halfback55' 6″1501920Reynoldsville H.S.Associate CollegeReynoldsville, PA Frank E. Eckert*end55' 8″1681920Ridgway H. S.MinesRidgway, PA Fred Ewing*end75' 11″1701922The Kiski SchoolDental SchoolSaltsburg, PA Alvar H. Ginn*tackle56' 2″1751920Ben Avon H. S.Associate CollegeBen Avon, PA W. Cullen Gourleytackle35' 11″1901921Punxsutawney H. S.EconomicsPunxsutawney, PA Davis Grahamguard06'1751921McKees Rocks H. S.CollegeMcKees Rocks, PA Thomas J. Hamberger*fullback55' 6″1741921Lock Haven H. S.Dental SchoolLock Haven, PA Harvey Harman*tackle86'1851922Peabody H. S.CollegePittsburgh, PA Andy Hastings*halfback95' 8″1781920The Kiski SchoolEconomicsBrookville, PA Adolph Herskowitztackle15' 11″1581921Wilkinsburg H. S.Dental SchoolWilkinsburg, PA Merle Hilemanhalfback15' 7″1701921Wilkinsburg H. S.EconomicsWilkinsburg, PA W. W. Hornerquarterback15' 9″1601921New Castle H. S.Dental SchoolNew Castle, PA Oscar Kratzert*guard65' 11″1881921Woodlawn H. S.Dental SchoolWoodlawn, PA Harold Krotzerfullback15' 11″1751921Beaver H.S.EconomicsBeaver, PA John Laughran*halfback95' 10″1501921Braddock H. S.EconomicsRankin, PA Herbert McCracken*quarterback85' 9″1681921Sewickley H. S.EconomicsSewickley, PA John McCrory*end35' 11″1601921Wilkinsburg H. S.Dental SchoolWilkinsburg, PA Frank McDonaldend26'1651922Carnegie H. S.EngineeringCarnegie, PA John McLean*guard85' 11″1811923Homestead H.S.Dental SchoolHomestead, PA Louis Markowitzguard35' 7″1931921McKees Rocks H. S.Dental SchoolMcKees Rocks, PA Frank Masleytackle25' 10″1701921East Liberty Acad.Civil EngineeringPittsburgh, PA Alex Meanor*guard76' 2″2001921Fifth Avenue H. S.EconomicsPittsburgh, PA Louis Mervis*tackle35' 8″180 1921Braddock H. S.EconomicsBraddock, PA James Morrow*quarterback55' 10″1681919Carnegie H. S.Dental SchoolRennerdale, PA Bernard Petersend25' 10″1601920Tarentum H. S.MinesTarentum, PA Herb Stein*center96'1801921The Kiski SchoolEconomicsNiles, OH W. J. Thomas*guard45' 11″2101921Lock Haven NormalEconomicsErie, PA William J. Fostermanager0 1920 EconomicsPittsburgh, PA * Letterman
Game summaries
At Geneva
The Pitt Panthers kicked off the 1919 season in Beaver Falls on October 5 with a game against the Covenanters of Geneva College. Third year coach Philip Henry Bridenbaugh led Geneva to a 4–2 record in 1918. "The Genevans have been preparing for this battle for some time and are declared to be in the best of physical condition. Geneva has a veteran eleven this year, depending for the most part upon the same classy outfit that won fame last fall by defeating Washington & Jefferson and putting up such a stiff battle against the strong Wissahickson Barracks gridders."
"Glenn Warner's University of Pittsburgh football squad today opened its season with a 33 to 0 victory over Geneva College. The game was unimpressive except to show that Captain Jimmy DeHart and Andy Hastings, stars of the 1917 team, had lost none of their ability. These two alone defeated the Beaver Falls boys. Between them they scored the four touchdowns made in the first half, and Hastings kicked three of the resultant goals. They ran around the ends and through the line at will." Coach Warner played the reserves in the second half. The third quarter was scoreless but in the fourth, Jim Bond blocked a Geneva punt and Fred Ewing pounced on it in the end zone for the last touchdown. William Horner kicked the goal after to close out the scoring. Harry Daugherty veteran of the Argonne, who came through the war unscathed, suffered a broken ankle and was out for the remainder of the season.
On the Tuesday after the game this note appeared in The Pittsburgh Post: "Pitt admits the Covenanters scored a safety, which in the excitement of the struggle was called a touchback. The officials who handled the game have decided that the play was a safety, which entitles Geneva to two points, and the score will go into the official records as 33 to 2."
The lineup for Pitt against Geneva was John McCrory (left end), Harvey Harman (left tackle), Oscar Kratzert (left guard), Herb Stein (center), John McLean (right guard), Gus Aschman (right tackle), Herb McCracken (right end), Thomas Hamberger (quarterback), Tom Davies (left halfback), Jimmy DeHart (right halfback) and Andy Hastings (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Pitt were Fred Ewing, Alvar Ginn, Harold Krotzert, John Laughran, Merle Hileman, James Bond, Harry Daugherty, Cullen Gourley, Frank Eckert, Alex Meanor, Bernard Peters and Frank Masley. The game was played in two 12-minute quarters and two 10-minute quarters.
West Virginia
The fifteenth meeting with the West Virginia Mountaineers took place in Pittsburgh on October 11, 1919. The unbeaten (2–0) Mountaineers were led by third year coach Mont McIntire and had scored 116 points in two games, while giving up 0. The Mountaineers did not play in 1918 but had a veteran team and a consensus All-America fullback in Ira Rodgers.
Coach Warner "realizes that the Mountaineers are going to invade Pittsburgh 'loaded for bear,' and that they are confident of returning home with a victory. He also realizes that their confidence is well grounded, and that it is going to take a much better brand of football than the Panthers showed against Geneva to stave off the invaders."
On Wednesday (October 8) Harry Keck of The Gazette Times wrote: "West Virginia has one of the greatest teams the country has seen in several years and a loss to her will be far from a disgrace."
On Sunday he changed his tune: "A combination of the 'breaks,' superior football and a sloppy field enabled the University of Pittsburgh eleven to trample the husky West Virginia Mountaineers in a sea of mud at Forbes Field yesterday afternoon 26 to 0. Four touchdowns were scored by Pitt. The largest opening day crowd in the history of Pitt football turned out for the game and packed all parts of the grandstand. It was estimated that the attendance ran close to 20,000."
Pitt scored in the first period on a 3 yard plunge by Andy Hastings. Hastings missed the goal kick. The second quarter was scoreless. Pitt led 6–0 at the halftime. In the third stanza two touchdowns were scored. Herb Stein scooped up a fumbled punt on the Mountaineers' 30-yard line and ran across the goal line. Hastings kicked the goal. West Virginia fumbled a few plays later on their 6-yard line and Pitt recovered. Hastings passed to Tom Davies for the score. The kick was unsuccessful. Pitt led 19–0 after three quarters. The final score came after an eleven play sustained drive from midfield and ended with a three yard dash through left guard by Hastings. Hastings kicked goal to end the scoring: Pitt 26 to West Virginia 0. West Virginia finished the season with an 8–2 record.
The Pitt lineup for the game against West Virginia was John McCrory (left end), Harvey Harman (left tackle), James Bond (left guard), Herb Stein (center), John McLean (right guard), Lou Mervis (right tackle), Fred Ewing (right end), Jimmy DeHart (quarterback), Tom Davies (left halfback), Andy Hastings (right halfback) and James Morrow (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Pitt were Thomas Hamberger, John Laughran, Oscar Kratzert, Frank Eckert, Cliff Brown, Herb McCracken, Louis Markowitz, Frank Masley, Abe Breman and Gus Aschman. The game was played in 12-minute quarters.
At Syracuse
The second road game for the 1919 Panthers was a train trip on the P. & L. E. to Syracuse, New York to take on the Syracuse Orangemen at Archbold Stadium. Frank "Buck" O'Neill was in his eighth and final year at the helm of the Syracuse eleven and he had a veteran team that stood 3–0, having just beaten a strong Army team. Starting guard, Doc Alexander, was a 1919 consensus All-American and center Harry Robertson also received mention.
Carlton Ketchum of The Pittsburg Press set the scene: "Is the old Pitt Panther in for a tail-twisting today? Well, if you buy your eye-glasses in Syracuse, there's nothing else to it. The Syracusans are reported to be in the best condition of the season. They have been thinking of little else than the Pitt game ever since their campaign opened. They want to beat Pitt and that's all there is to it." The Panthers are fairly healthy as DeHart, Mervis and Morrow have mended. Pitt's attack should be able to make it interesting for the Orangemen.