The 1914 Pittsburgh Panthers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pittsburgh as an independent during the 1914 college football season. In its second season under head coach Joseph Duff, the team compiled an 8–1 record and outscored all opponents by a total of 207 to 38.
Schedule
Preseason
The Pitt Weekly noted proudly: "The football team of 1913 brought the University from a position of relative unimportance among the colleges to a place on a level with the ten or twelve leaders in the sport. This success is to be attributed to various causes, but the underlying reasons are found in the inauguration of the new coaching policy under Duff and Harlan, the acquisition of a number of new men who raised the standard of play, the hard course of training undergone in the football camp at Windber during the month of September and the erection of a permanent training house where the proper care and supervision might be given the members of the team."
Coach Joseph Duff, 1911 Princeton graduate, with only one season of assistant coaching experience led the 1913 University of Pittsburgh eleven to a 6–2–1 record. A. R. Hamilton summed it up best in The Pitt Weekly season recap: "The season's record stands as a gratifying monument to Joe Duff's initial efforts as a coach. He asked a free rein and agreed to shoulder all the blame in case the outcome of the season was unsatisfactory. On the same platform he is entitled to all the credit. His job was a hard one. He came on the heels of the most disastrous football season Pitt has ever known....Our squad was dangerously small in numbers and was short of experienced men. We had only two three-year men and the big proportion of the balance were freshmen. Duff was new to the men and they were new to him...Everybody had to feel his way the first few days except Duff...He knew exactly what he had to accomplish and he lost no time heading in that direction. So determinedly had he impressed himself on the entire situation, once he had taken hold, that before a week was up all hands were driving along toward a common goal."
Accordingly, the December 12 edition of The Pitt Weekly reported: "Because of his brilliant work in turning out a winning team this past season Joe Duff, former Princeton player, was re-elected coach of the University football eleven for next year at a meeting of the General Athletic Committee." Edwin H. W. "Nubs" Harlan was retained as assistant coach by Coach Duff.
Guard Wayne "Red" Smith was elected captain for the 1914 season by his teammates at the 1913 team banquet. The Pitt Weekly praised: "Red has been one of the standbys in the line ever since he matriculated three years ago."
Graduate Manager Davis had the 1914 schedule ready by March 18. The first game was considered a "hard" contest with Cornell, "where the (Pitt) men will be fresh from their training period in the mountains." Next a supposed easy game with Westminster was followed by another road game at Navy. The remaining games on the schedule were played at Forbes field. The Pitt Weekly stated: "Altogether this is the best arranged schedule that has ever appeared for our varsity. Not only from the players' standpoint but also in a financial way this arrangement should be very satisfactory." Mr. Davis appointed Alan K. Collingwood (Class of 1916, School of Economics) student football manager for the 1914 season. On September 2, forty-four prospects assembled at Union Station for the trip to Johnstown, followed by a car ride to Camp Hamilton at Windber, PA for three weeks of preseason drills. Coach Duff welcomed fourteen returning letter men and plenty of promising recruits. The Pittsburgh Daily Post noted one in particular: "Another track star who will enter the University this fall is J. B. Sutherland, of Oberlin Preparatory School...His specialties are the discus and the shot, he having a record of better than 125 feet in the former event and 40 feet in the shot. The University discus record is six feet short of Sutherland's record. He will try for the football team this fall also, as a lineman, although he has had little gridiron experience. It is believed that he will eventually develop into a great football player, as he has weight speed and courage." During this camp session, Coach Duff's most significant personnel adjustment was moving Robert Peck from fullback to center, where he would become a three time All-American. Camp disbanded on September 24 and the squad headed to Ithaca to take on the Big Red of Cornell.
The University of Pittsburgh Athletic Council published the seventy-two page Fifth Annual Football Year Book for use as the 1914 game day program. The cover illustration was done by Rowland R. Murdoch, illustrator for the Pittsburgh Press.
Coaching staff 1914 Pittsburgh Panthers football staff Coaching staff Joseph M. Duff Jr. – Head coach Edwin H. W. Harlan – Assistant backfield coach Floyd Rose - assistant Hunter Johnson - Trainer Support staff A. K. Collingwood - Student football manager Karl E. Davis – Graduate manager of athletics Charles S. Miller – Director of athletics
Roster
1914 Pittsburgh Panthers football roster Wayne Smith*guard85' 9"2001915Bellefonte AcademyDoctor of Dental SurgeryPittsburgh, PA Robert Peck*halfback95' 8"1701917Pawling School N.Y.EconomicsCulver, IN Rendall Soppitt*guard86' 1"1851917Greensburg H.S.School of MinesLatrobe, PA Charles Reese*end86' 1"1801915Bellefonte AcademyDoctor of Dental SurgeryWarren, PA James McQuistonguard25'1751917Slippery Rock NormalDoctor of Dental Surgery Isadore Shapira*center75' 10"1801916East Liberty AcademyBachelor of Science in EconomicsPittsburgh, PA Carl Hockensmith*center75' 11"2201916The Kiski SchoolAssociate EngineeringPenn Station, PA James Jones*tackle95' 10"1551917Johnstown H.S.Associate Mine degreeJohnstown, PA Claude Thornhill*tackle86' 0"200 1917Beaver H.S.School of MinesBerkeley, CA John B. Sutherland*tackle86' 2”1751917Oberlin AcademyDoctor of Dental SurgeryPittsburgh, PA Ralph N. Clicquennoitackle16'1701918Warren H.S.EconomicsKinzua, PA James P. Herron*end95' 10"1351915Monessen H.S.Bachelor of ArtsPittsburgh, PA H. Clifford Carlson*end95' 10"1701918Bellefonte AcademyDoctor of Dental SurgeryPittsburgh, PA William Harrington*end35' 8"1551918Conway HallAssociate EconomicsBentlyville, PA Joe Matson*tackle75' 11"1651918Shadyside AcademyDental SchoolPittsburgh, PA Thomas Healy*end35' 10"1501917St. Francis CollegeDoctor of Dental SurgeryAltoona, PA Frank Rughhalfback05' 7"1451917Jeannette H.S.EconomicsJeannette, PA Thomas J. Beattietackle15' 7"1501916Bellefonte AcademyDoctor of Dental SurgeryWheeling, WVA Guy Williamson*halfback55' 9"1551916New Mexico Military AcademySchool of Mines Roy Heil*quarterback65' 6"1351916Topeka, (Kan.) H.S. Doctor of Dental SurgeryTopeka, KS Fred Ward*halfback65' 7"1501916New Kensington H.S.Doctor of Dental SurgeryBeaver Falls, PA James DeHart*halfback85' 6"1501918Reynoldsville H.S.Associate CollegeReynoldsville, PA Charles “Andy” Hastings*halfback85' 9"1701918Brookville H.S.EconomicsWilkinsburg, PA William H. Miller*halfback95' 7"1551918Wyoming Seminary (Kingston, PA)EconomicsGilberton, PA Philip Dillon*halfback65' 7"1701916Bellefonte AcademyAssociate MiningEllsworth, PA Karl C. Morrow*halfback65' 10"1551918Indiana State Normal (PA)Associate EconomicsClymer, PA John S. Morrow*halfback25' 9"1551919Pittsburgh H.S.EconomicsPittsburgh, PA Leo Collins*end65' 10"1801915East Pittsburgh H.S.Bachelor of LawsEast Pittsburgh, PA George K. Fry*fullback65' 11"1651917Rochester H.S.Associate CollegeRochester, PA Edward T. Hanley*fullback75' 10"1701917East High (Cleveland, OH) Associate DentalCleveland, OH* Lettermen
Game summaries
At Cornell
To kick-off the 1914 season, the Pitt team traveled to Ithaca, NY to take on the Big Red of Cornell on Saturday, September 26. Cornell was led by third year coach Albert Sharpe and came into this game with a 1–0 record, having beaten Ursinus 28 to 0 on September 23. Cornell would finish the season with an 8–2 record. This would be the last football game played between these two schools. Pitt had a 2–4 all-time record against the Big Red.
The Pittsburgh Press reported: "Displaying at times a mid-season form that dazzled her opponents and taking advantage of every Cornell misplay, the University of Pittsburgh football eleven duplicated its performance of one year ago and sent Cornell down to defeat here this afternoon by a score of 9–3....the visiting team clearly outclassed the Cornell machine in all-round football, and pulled away with another victory that was even more unexpected than that of last season."
Pitt received the opening kick-off and fullback Edward Hanley fumbled on first down and Cornell recovered on the Pitt 32-yard line. The Cornell offensive backs "Barrett and Taber took turns hammering the Pitt line until in less time than it takes to tell, Cornell had the ball on the visitor's 10-yard line." "After Taber was thrown for a loss.... Barrett dropped back from the ten-yard line and booted the ball between the uprights." Cornell led 3 to 0 after three minutes of play. Pitt kicked off and forced the Big Red to punt. Guy Williamson received the ball on his 30-yard line. "Running like the wind, dodging, sidestepping, and stiff-arming, the Pitt quarterback worked his way down the field behind an interference that was really remarkable. The last guardian of the Cornell goal was bowled over by an avalanche of blue-and-gold-stockinged athletes." Pitt led 6 to 3 as Andy Hastings missed the point after.
The second and third quarters were scoreless as both teams possessions see-sawed between the thirty yard lines. "Seven Cornell men were put out of the running before the final whistle blew...It was the power and aggressiveness of the Pitt interference that put so many of the local players hors de combat." In each quarter Pitt advanced the ball inside the Cornell 20-yard line. A fumble thwarted the second quarter drive. In the third period Pitt Captain Smith picked up a Taber fumble and raced 50 yards to the end zone. "After considerable discussion, the ball was brought back and the Ithacans were penalized ten yards for grounding the pass behind the line of scrimmage." The Pitt defense held and the offense then advanced the ball to the 10-yard line of Cornell and turned it over on downs.
Pitt extended its lead to 9 to 3 with another Hastings field goal early in the fourth quarter. "Then Cornell pulled together and by a series of viscous assaults, carried the ball from Cornell's 25-yard line to the visitors' one yard line...Cornell was finally halted by the desperate resistance of the Pitt line." "For the second consecutive year, the Pitt football team brought joy to the hearts of its followers and gloom to the Cornell rooters by winning a hard earned victory over the Ithacans."
The Pitt lineup for the game against Cornell was H. Clifford Carlson (left end), Claude E. Thornhill (left tackle), Wayne Smith (left guard), Bob Peck (center), Charles Reese (right guard), James Jones (right tackle), James P. Herron (right end), Guy Williamson (quarterback), Andy Hastings (left halfback), William Miller (right halfback), and Edward Hanley (fullback). Substitutions made during the game were: Jimmy DeHart replaced Andy Hastings at left halfback and Rendall Soppitt replaced Wayne Smith at left guard. The game was played in 12-minute periods.
Westminster
For week two of the 1914 season, the Titans of Westminster College from New Wilmington, PA arrived in Pittsburgh to try to win their first game ever against the Pitt eleven. The previous week the Titans lost to a strong State College team 13 to 0.
The Pittsburgh Daily Post warned "Coach Duff of Pitt is preparing for a very strenuous clash with Westminster College tomorrow. Pitt has not been taking things easy this week and every effort has been made to preclude any feeling of overconfidence"