1905 VPI football team

The 1905 VPI football team represented the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in the 1905 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Sally Miles, the team went 9–1 and claims a Southern championship.[1] The team had the most wins in a Virginia Tech season for many years to come, and defeated rival Virginia for the first time.[2] Tech outscored its opponents 305 to 24. Hunter Carpenter scored 82 of those points.[3]

1905 VPI football
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–1
Head coach
CaptainThomas Walker Lewis
Home stadiumGibboney Field
1905 Southern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Tusculum   –  1 –0 –0
Stetson   –  4 –0 –1
VPI   –  9 –1 –0
Navy   –  10 –1 –1
Grant   –  6 –1 –0
Kentucky University   –  7 –0 –3
Oklahoma   –  7 –2 –0
Washington and Lee   –  7 –2 –0
Texas A&M   –  7 –2 –0
Marshall   –  6 –2 –0
North Carolina A&M   –  4 –1 –1
West Virginia   –  6 –3 –0
Kentucky State College   –  6 –3 –1
South Carolina   –  4 –2 –1
Maryland   –  6 –4 –0
Central State Normal   –  4 –3 –1
North Carolina   –  4 –3 –1
Virginia   –  5 –4 –0
Catholic University   –  0 –0 –1
TCU   –  4 –4 –0
Delaware   –  3 –4 –1
The Citadel   –  2 –3 –1
Richmond   –  3 –5 –2
George Washington   –  3 –4 –2
Davidson   –  3 –4 –0
Howard (AL)   –  1 –2 –1
VMI   –  2 –5 –1
Oklahoma A&M   –  1 –4 –2
Arkansas   –  2 –6 –0
Kendall   –  1 –3 –0
Georgetown   –  2 –7 –0
Goldey College   –  1 –4 –0
Baylor   –  1 –6 –0
Louisiana Industrial   –  0 –1 –0

Before the season

The team reported for practice on September 1. "Never in the history of the school have prospects for a winning team been so bright."[4]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30Roanoke
W 86–0
October 6Cumberland (TN)
  • Gibboney Field
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 12–0
October 14at Army
W 16–6
October 21Gallaudet
  • Gibboney Field
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 56–0
October 283:00 p.m.vs. North Carolina
W 35–64,500[5][6][7]
November 43:00 p.m.at Virginia
W 11–02,000[8][9]
November 11Washington and Lee
  • Gibboney Field
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 15–0[10]
November 18vs. South Carolina
W 34–01,200-2,000[11][12]
November 25at Navy
L 6–12
November 30vs. VMIRichmond, VA (rivalry)W 34–05,000

Season summary

Roanoke

The season opened with an 86–0 defeat of Roanoke.[13]

Cumberland

In the second week of play, VPI beat Cumberland 12–0.

At West Point
VPI at Army
1 2Total
• VPI 9 6 15
Army 0 6 6

The upset of the week was VPI's 16–6 win over Army.[14] Carpenter was the star of the game, and made a kick from placement.[15]

VPI's starting lineup was: Webber (left end), Willson (left tackle), Diffendal (left guard), Stiles (center), Strickling (right guard), Hines (right tackle), Lewis (right end), Nutter (quarterback), Treadwell (left halfback), Carpenter (right halfback), Harlan (fullback).[15]

Gallaudet
Gallaudet at VPI
1 2Total
Gallaudet 0 0 0
• VPI 41 15 56
  • Date: October 22
  • Location:
    Blacksburg, VA

VPI "had no trouble" in beating Gallaudet 56–0. The starting lineup was Webber (left end), Varner (left tackle), Diffendal (left guard), Stiles (center), Stickling (right guard), Hynes (right tackle), Lewis (right end), Harris (quarterback), Nutter (left halfback), Carpenter (right halfback), Hollan (fullback).[16]

North Carolina

VPI defeated North Carolina 35–6. Carpenter made "several sensational runs."[6] During the second half VPI "scored almost at will."[6]

At Virginia
VPI at Virginia
1 2Total
• VPI 6 5 11
Virginia 0 0 0

Hunter Carpenter had returned to VPI in 1905 for a last shot at beating Virginia in his eighth year of college football.[3] Going into the game, UVA was 8–0 against VPI by a cumulative score of 170–5. The Cavalier Daily ran a story outlining Carpenter's motives and move from VPI to UNC and back to VPI over the preceding eight years. Virginia accused Carpenter of being a professional player, as he had played college football already for nearly a decade.[17] Carpenter signed an affidavit that he had not received payment to play against UVA and played against a backdrop of recrimination.

Hunter Carpenter

Virginia fumbled at midfield, and as a result Carpenter eventually got away for a 30-yard gain around left end. Virginia held VPI on downs at the 3-yard line. Virginia's punt had to go high and short to avoid hitting the goal post. Carpenter called a fair catch in order for a free kick, but was tackled anyway, and the penalty brought the ball back to Virginia's 3-yard line.[8] On third down, Murray Harlan skirted end for a touchdown, and Carpenter added the extra point.

"The second half was even more hotly contested than the first." Carpenter "finally" got off a long punt, down to Virginia's 5-yard line. VPI blocked Virginia's ensuing punt, and on third down Carpenter dashed through left tackle for the final score.[8] Carpenter was later ejected for throwing the ball at the face of a Virginia defender, but stayed on the sidelines to watch as neither team was able to score against each other. Carpenter left immediately after the game and moved to Middleton, New York, never to return to the Commonwealth. Carpenter retired 1–7 against UVA, but Virginia still refused to play VPI again until 1923.[17]

VPI's starting lineup was: Webber (left end), Willson (left tackle), Cunningham (left guard), Stiles (center), Strickling (right guard), Hines (right tackle), Lewis (right end), Nutter (quarterback), Treadwell (left halfback), Carpenter (right halfback), Harlan (fullback).[8]

South Carolina

VPI beat South Carolina 34–0. Captain Lewis asked for the game to be called after eight minutes' phlay in the second half, as the crowd surged on the field and play was impossible. South Carolina did not earn a single first down.[11] Carpenter had one run of 68 yards.[18]

VPI's starting lineup was: Webber (left end), Willson (left tackle), Cunningham (left guard), Tomson (center), Strickling (right guard), Hines (right tackle), Lewis (right end), Harris (quarterback), Nutter (left halfback), Carpenter (right halfback), Hanley (fullback).[11]

At Navy
VPI at Navy
1 2Total
VPI 0 6 6
• Navy 6 6 12

VPI suffered its sole loss of the season against Navy, getting revenge for when Carpenter and VPI won in 1903.[19] VPI scored when Carpenter returned the second-half kickoff 95 yards, after a hand-off from Murray Harlan who caught the kick.[19]

VPI's starting lineup was: Webber (left end), Willson (left tackle), Cunningham (left guard), Stiles (center), Strickling (right guard), Hines (right tackle), Lewis (right end), Harris (quarterback), Nutter (left halfback), Carpenter (right halfback), Harlan (fullback).[19]

Vs. VMI

The season closed with a 34–0 win over old rival VMI. "The story of the contest may be summed up in the statement that the Lexington boys were outclassed."[20] The crowd did not exceed 5,000 due to the cold weather.[20] Byrd, Fraser, Harlan, and Beckner were all injured.[21] Nutter, Cox, Harvey, and Harlan starred.[20]

VPI's starting lineup was: Webber (left end), Diffendal (left tackle), Cunningham (left guard), Stiles (center), Stickling (right guard), Hines (right tackle), Lewis (right end), Nutter (quarterback), Cox (left halfback), Hanvey (right halfback), Harlan (fullback).[20]

Postseason

Six players made W&L coach R. R. Brown's All-Southern team.[22]

Players

The following players were members of the 1905 football team according to the roster published in the 1906 edition of The Bugle, the Virginia Tech yearbook.[23]

VPI 1905 roster
Quarterback

Guards

  • George Hamilton Cunningham
  • Frank Henry Stickling

Tackles

  • Bernard Daxon Hynes
  • George Cralle Willson

Center

  • Joseph Clay Stiles
 Ends
  • Thomas Walker Lewis (Capt.)
  • Webber

Halfbacks

Fullback

  • Murray Valentine Harlan
 Substitutes
  • C. Ballard Cox
  • Charles Edward Diffendal
  • Conner Hanvey
  • Edwin Rollins Harris
  • Clarence Hildebrand
  • Ewing Waters Lawson

References
  1. "Football in the South". New York Times. December 24, 1905.
  2. "Football - History of Virginia Tech". Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  3. "Hunter Carpenter". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
  4. "V. P. I. Football Outlook Good". The Washington Times. August 27, 1905. p. 34. Retrieved February 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. "Gridiron Game will be Furious". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Virginia. October 28, 1905. p. 10. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  6. "V.P.I. and V.M.I. Win". Daily Press. Library of Virginia. October 29, 1905. p. 4. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  7. "Carpenter Was Right There". The Tar Heel. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. November 2, 1905. p. 1. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  8. "Virginia Shut Out By V.P.I. Cadets". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Congress. November 5, 1905. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  9. "V. P. I. 11 Virginia 0". The Cavalier Daily. November 8, 1905. p. 1. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  10. "V.P.I. 15 W. & L. 0" (PDF). The Ring-tum Phi. Washington and Lee University. November 18, 1905. p. 1. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  11. "V.P.I. Victorious". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Congress. November 19, 1905. p. 1. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  12. "South Carolina Defeated". The Roanoke Times. Library of Virginia. November 19, 1905. p. 1. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  13. "V.P.I., 86; Roanoke, 0". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Virginia. October 1, 1905. p. 2. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  14. "College Elevens Have Easy Games". New York Times. October 15, 1905. p. 13. Retrieved January 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  15. "VA. Techs Vs. West Point". The Morning Post. October 15, 1905. p. 10. Retrieved January 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  16. "V. P. I. 56; Gallaudet, 0". The Times Dispatch. October 22, 1905. p. 2. Retrieved November 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  17. Brady, Erik (November 22, 2007). "Virginia allegiances driven by rivalry on football field". College Football Update. USA Today.
  18. "Virginia Poly's Big Score". The Washington Post. November 19, 1905. p. 39. Retrieved January 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  19. "Middies Beat V. P. I." The Washington Post. November 26, 1905. p. 1. Retrieved January 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  20. "V. M. I. Beaten By Blacksburg". The Atlanta Constitution. December 1, 1905. p. 7. Retrieved February 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  21. "Virginia Polytechnic Wins". The New York Tribune. December 1, 1905. p. 10. Retrieved February 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  22. "Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Football". The Washington Post. February 18, 1906. p. 13. Retrieved March 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  23. "The Bugle 1906" (PDF). Virginia Tech Bugle. 1906. p. 131. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
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