The 1907 Western University of Pennsylvania football team was an American football team that represented Western University of Pennsylvania (later renamed the University of Pittsburgh) as an independent during the 1907 college football season.
Schedule
Season recap On February 9, 1907 the Western University of Pennsylvania Athletic Committee hired Yale graduate John A. Moorhead as head football coach for the 1907 season. Mr. Moorhead was originally hired as an assistant line coach on October 29, 1906. Frank Rugh, former WUP player and 1904 Law School grad, was the assistant coach. When 1906 team captain Gil Miller became ill, Cal Marshall was appointed his replacement and did a commendable job. The team officially nominated him team captain for the 1907 season at the season ending banquet. The Athletic Committee also hired Ed LaForce, the well known trainer of the Pittsburgh Pirates, for the 1907 football season. The team lived in a new training house that was built next to campus. The prospects for a successful season were good as end Theodore Perry was the only starter who had graduated. Plus, the Athletic Committee reviewed the eligibility rules and determined that graduate students Jud Schmidt and Joe Edgar could play another season. The same committee then disqualified both players on November 4 for undisclosed reasons. The committee put together a competitive ten game schedule. In its first season under head coach John A. Moorhead, the team compiled an 8–2 record, shut out eight of its ten opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 147 to 27.
Coaching staff
1907 WUP football staff Coaching staff John A. Moorhead – Head coach Frank Rugh – Assistant coach Support staff Alexander Silverman – Graduate manager of athletics Dr. Andrew B. Wallgren – Physical director
Roster 1907 Western University of Pennsylvania football roster Calvin Marshall^tackle106' 1"2001908Gloucester H.S. (MA)Doctor of MedicineMt. Oliver, PA Quincy Banbury^end85' 7"1551908Salina H.S. (KS)Doctor of Dental SurgeryWichita, KS Richard Hoblitzell^end95' 11"1601909Butler H.S.Associate Dental DegreeBoston, MA Frank Van Doren^tackle106' 1"2121911 Doctor of MedicineSeaside, OR Waldemar Zieg^guard65' 10"1821910Allegheny H. S.Engineer of MinesPittsburgh, PA Paul Vitteguard15' 8"1761907Allegheny H.S.went into business Homer Roe^end85' 8"1621910 Doctor of Dental SurgeryPittsburgh, PA John Shuman^lineman96' 2"1801910 Doctor of MedicineSioux City, IA Jack Turner^tackle105' 8"1891908Salina H.S. (KS)Associate LawGregg, PA Millard Frye^end45' 7"1681908Carnegie H.S.Doctor of Dental SurgeryHomer City, PA Edgar Chatham^end35' 7"1501909Allegheny H.S.Doctor of MedicinePittsburgh, PA Karl Swenson^quarterback95' 8"1531908Kansas NormalDoctor of MedicinePortland, OR Charles Springer^halfback75' 10"1681908Dean AcademyAssociate EngineeringPittsburgh, PA Frederick Klawuhn^halfback95' 8"1701908Ridgeway H.S.Doctor of Dental SurgeryRidgeway, PA Winfred Banbury^fullback95' 10"1651907Salina H.S. (KS)Doctor of Dental SurgeryPratt, KS Omar Mehl^fullback95' 7"1631908Topeka H.S. (KS)Doctor of MedicineBraddock, PA Maurice Goldsmith^end55' 10"1641909 Doctor of MedicinePittsburgh, PA John Mackrell^fullback65' 8"1651909Pittsburgh AcademyDoctor of MedicinePittsburgh, PA Raymond Focerend05' 10"1571910 Doctor of Medicine Colliers, WVA James McCormickhalfback15' 11"1601906Coe CollegeAssociate College/Medical School Joseph Campbell^fullback105' 10"1721909 Doctor of Dental SurgeryWoodlawn, PA Robert Richardstackle45' 11"1751910 Mechanical EngineeringButler, PA Samuel Elliott^guard86' 4"1851911 Medical Department Arthur Solter^end45' 11"1751911 Medical Department John Leo Deschend15' 9"1571908 Civil EngineeringBrooklyn, NY James Stevensontackle16'1981912Chester H.S. (WVA)Doctor of MedicinePittsburgh, PA John Coenlineman05' 11"1751911 Doctor of MedicineBristoria, PA Elwood Joseph DeLozierquarterback25' 6"1351909 Doctor of Dental SurgeryPitcairn, PA Joseph Edgarguard66'1781908Geneva CollegeDoctor of MedicineOakmont, PA Albert Schmidthalfback105' 8"1801908Pittsburgh H.S.Doctor of MedicineTurtle Creek, PA Greyguard1 ^ Lettermen
Game summaries
Marietta
On October 5 the Pioneers of Marietta College arrived in Pittsburgh to open the WUP football season at Exposition Park. The Marietta eleven surprised the oddsmakers and fifteen hundred fans in attendance as they held the WUP offense scoreless in the first half. WUP took the ball to the Marietta five yard line on their second possession but lost the ball on downs. The WUP defense kept the Pioneers offense in their own territory for the entire half. WUP played straight football with an occasional onside kick. Marietta tried some forward passes but to no avail.
On the WUP's first possession of the second half Cal Marshall gained five yards on first and second down. Jud Schmidt raced twenty-three yards around right end. Charles Springer gained ten around left end and followed that with a thirty-eight yard dash to the end zone for the lone touchdown of the game. Richard Hoblitzell (former Marietta star) was successful on the goal kick after and WUP led 6–0. The remainder of the game was a defensive struggle with fumbles and penalties hindering any offensive continuity by both teams. Coach Moorhead's opening game was a success.
The WUP lineup for the game against Marietta was Richard Hoblitzell (left end), Frank Van Doren (left tackle), Samuel Elliott (left guard), John Turner (center), Joe Edgar (right guard), Calvin Marshall (right tackle), Joe Campbell (right end), Karl Swenson (quarterback), Charles Springer (left halfback), Jud Schmidt (right halfback) and Omar Mehl (fullback). Substitutions made during the game were: Fred Klawuhn replaced Charles Springer at left halfback; Winfred Banbury replaced Jud Schmidt at right halfback; John Mackrerll replaced Winfred Banbury at right halfback; and Winfred Banbury replaced Omar Mehl at fullback. The game was played in 20-minute halves.
Carnegie Tech
The second game of the city series with Carnegie Tech and their new coach Joe Thompson was a hotly contested affair. More than three thousand fans cheered for their teams. The students of both schools engaged in a cheering duel. Each school had a band to lead a parade around the stadium at halftime to the general crowd's delight.
On their first possession, the WUP eleven fumbled deep in their own territory and Tech recovered. The WUP defense held and Tech's Roura was unsuccessful on a twenty-five yard field goal. The WUP defense did not allow the Tech offense into scoring territory for the remainder of the game. The WUP offense used onside kicks and some forward passes to advance the ball, but fumbles and penalties stymied their progress. Jud Schmidt managed to score a touchdown late in the first half from the ten yard line off a double pass and Richard Hoblitzell kicked the goal after.
The second half was a defensive struggle with many fumbles and penalties thwarting offensive drives. The Pittsburgh Gazette-Times reported:"W.U.P. was expected to win by a larger score, but the fact is it was mighty lucky to get away with a 6 to 0 game, or a tie, or even a defeat, for the team that Joe Thompson put on the field yesterday was a small one, but it knew football, was courageous and was always in the game....W.U.P. is a larger team, but there was but little rapidity in the getting off of the plays and the men showed but little of the pulling and helping game, and their most sinful omissions were the lack of adaptability in handling punts and in fumbling the ball. W.U.P. had to show its hand at almost everything it had. In the second half there was a departure from the straight football plays and the onside kicks and forward passes were resorted to, and while some of them were well executed, penalties crept in too often to mark the effect of the good work done."The final tally read 6–0 in favor of WUP.
The WUP starting lineup for the game against Tech was Richard Hoblitzell (left end), Frank Van Doren (left tackle), Grey (left guard), John Turner (center), John Shuman (right guard), Calvin Marshall (right tackle), Joe Campbell (right end), Karl Swenson (quarterback), Charles Springer (left halfback), Jud Schmidt (right halfback) and Winfred Banbury (fullback). Substitutions made during the game were: Omar Mehl replaced Winfred Banbury at fullback; Fred Klawuhn replaced Charles Springer at left halfback; James McCormick replaced Joe Campbell at right end; and Samuel Elliott replaced Frank Van Doren at left tackle. The game consisted of one twenty-five minute half and one twenty minute half.
Muskingum
Fifteen hundred fans attended the October 19 game against the Muskingum College Fighting Muskies from New Concord, Ohio. To generate more offense coach Moorhead inserted both Banbury brothers (Quince and Winfred) and Fred Klawuhn into the starting backfield with quarterback Karl Swenson. The coach looked like a genius as the WUP offense overpowered the Muskies and scored twenty-two first half points. Winfred Banbury scored two touchdowns and brother Quince scored one. Hoblitzell added a field goal from fifteen yards out and three goal kicks. Quince added two touchdowns in the second half – a thirty-five yard dash around left end and a fifty-yard sprint up the middle. Multiple substitutions enabled everyone to get some playing time. The Pittsburgh Press discussed the offensive struggles:"When the coaches saw what an easy proposition they were going to have of the visiting eleven, they turned it into a sort of practice affair, and instead of trying to roll up a record breaking score as has been the case the past years, they put all their plays to test, chief of which was the onside kick. At this particular play, however, they were not very successful and time and again it failed to work, due to it being kicked improperly or the ends being too slow to recover it...The forward pass was also tried several times, but on the whole was not a success." The WUP defense held the Muskies offense scoreless and the final score was 33–0. The Pittsburg Press wrote: "The WUP players appeared on the field with bright numbers on their jerseys, and this improved the game considerably from a spectator's standpoint. The visiting players were also provided with them, although they were not firmly fastened on and were out of the running almost after the first scrimmage." This was probably the first time numbers were attached to jerseys for identification purpose in a college football game. Previous researchers have documented the 1908 season as the start of numerals on uniforms by WUP or Washington & Jefferson but Dr. L. H. Baker in his 1945 treatise "Football: Facts & Figures" had the first game with numbers listed as Chicago versus Wisconsin in 1913. The WUP starting lineup for the game against Muskingum was Richard Hoblitzell (left end), Frank Van Doren (left tackle), Waldy Zieg (left guard), John Turner (center), John Shuman (right guard), Calvin Marshall (right tackle), Joe Campbell (right end), Karl Swenson (quarterback), Fred Klawuhn (left halfback), Quince Banbury (right halfback) and Winfred Banbury (fullback). Substitutions made during the game were: Homer Roe replaced Joe Campbell at right end; John Mackrell replaced Quince Banbury at right halfback; Tex Richards replaced Calvin Marshall at right tackle; Paul Vitte replaced John Turner at center; Quince Banbury replaced Fred Klawuhn at left halfback; Jud Schmidt replaced John Mackrell at right halfback; Jay Frye replaced Richard Hoblitzell at left end; Maurice Goldsmith replaced Homer Roe at right end; Edgar Chatham replaced Winfred Banbury at fullback; Elwood DeLozier replaced Karl Swenson at quarterback; and Charles Springer replaced Quince Banbury at left halfback. The game was played in 25-minute halves.
Bucknell