1909 VPI football team

The 1909 VPI football team represented the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1909 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Branch Bocock, the team went 6–1 and claims a Southern championship.[1][2] Tech outscored its opponents 148 to 27. The starting lineup averaged 172 pounds.[3] This is the first season the team was referred to in print as the "Gobblers", and it became the official nickname in 1912.[2][4]

1909 VPI football
ConferenceIndependent
Record6–1
Head coach
CaptainHoss Hodgson
Home stadiumMiles Field
1909 South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
VPI + 4 –0 –06 –1 –0
Virginia + 3 –0 –07 –1 –0
George Washington 1 –1 –01 –3 –0
William & Mary 1 –1 –06 –4 –0
Georgetown 1 –2 –03 –2 –0
Richmond 1 –4 –03 –5 –2
Davidson 0 –1 –03 –4 –2
  • + – Conference co-champions

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 2Clemson
W 6–0[5]
October 13at Princeton
L 6–8[6]
October 23at Richmond
W 52–01,500[7]
October 30vs. Washington and LeeLynchburg, VAW 34–62,200[8][9]
November 63:30 p.m.vs. North Carolina
  • Broad Street Park
  • Richmond, VA
W 15–02,000[10][11][12]
November 12at George Washington
W 17–8[13][14][15]
November 252:30 p.m.vs. North Carolina A&M
W 18–510,000[16][17]

Players

The following players were members of the 1909 football team according to the roster published in the 1910 edition of The Bugle, the Virginia Tech yearbook.[18]

VPI 1909 roster
Quarterback
  • John Lepburn Hughes

Guards

Tackles

  • William Henry Burruss
  • Edward Raymond Norris

Center

  • Aubrey Gravatt Gibbs
 Ends
  • Thomas Paret Hicks
  • Joseph Talmage Luttrell

Halfbacks

  • Henry Evans Billups
  • Asbury Nathaniel Hodgson

Fullback

  • Vivian Burnett Hodgson
 Substitutes
  • Winston Bozel Davis
  • Frederick Hughes Legge
  • Caesar Pancratius Massei

Season summary

Clemson
Clemson at VPI
1 2Total
Clemson 0 0 0
• VPI 6 0 6
  • Date: October 6
  • Location: Miles Field
    Blacksburg, VA
  • Referee: Shaughnessy

VPI opened its season with the Clemson Tigers, winning 6–0. "Hughes, playing quarter for the first time, starred for V. P. I."[5] Hughes got the touchdown when he picked up a fumble.[5]

VPI's starting lineup was: Sharpe (left end), Jones (left tackle), E. Hodgson (left guard), Gibbs (center), Burrass (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Luttrell (right halfback), Leggs (fullback).[5]

At Princeton
VPI at Princeton
1 2Total
VPI 6 0 6
• Princeton 5 3 8

VPI's strongest showing came in the close loss to Ivy League powerhouse Princeton. In a game plagued by frigid weather conditions,[19] each side scored due to a fumble by the opposition.[20] Princeton's Logan Cunningham scored a touchdown (worth five points in 1909) in the first two minutes of play after VPI fumbled the ball away on its own 10-yard line. Princeton missed the extra point attempt.[21] Later in the contest, a snap from center went over the Princeton quarterback's head, and Tech’s Hoss Hodgson returned the lost fumble 50 yards for a touchdown.[22] Hodgson then made his own extra point. After VPI led 6 to 5 for some time, and with only minutes left to play, Princeton's Cunningham made 30-yard drop kick to secure the 8 to 6 victory.[6]

VPI's starting lineup was: Luttrell (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Jones (left guard), Gibbes (center), E. Hodgson (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Billups (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback).[6]

At Richmond
VPI at Richmond
1 2Total
• VPI 29 23 52
Richmond 0 0 0

Sources:[7]

VPI rolled up the season's largest score on the Richmond Spiders, winning 52–0 and playing well on both sides of the ball, especially the offense.[7] The backfield starred in a game of conventional football.[7]

VPI's starting lineup was: A. Hodgson (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Pitts (left guard), Gibbes (center), E. Hodgson (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Billups (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback).[7]

Washington & Lee
VPI at Washington and Lee
1 2Total
• VPI 11 23 34
W&L 0 5 5
  • Date: October 30
  • Location: Lynchburg, VA
  • Game attendance: 2,200
  • Referee: Barry (Georgetown)

Sources:[8]

VPI "buried" the Washington and Lee Generals by a 34–5 score. Hughes' 65-yard touchdown run and Hoss Hodgson's punting and kicking featured.[8] Fullback Anderson starred for the Generals.[8] The big win was surprising.[8]

VPI's starting lineup was: Luttrell (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Pitts (left guard), Gibbs (center), E. Hodgson (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Billups (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback).[8]

North Carolina
North Carolina at VPI
1 2Total
UNC 0 0 0
• VPI 6 9 15
  • Date: November 6
  • Location: Broad Street Park
    Richmond, VA
  • Game start: 3:30 p. m.
  • Game attendance: 2,000
  • Referee: Pat Barry (Georgetown)

Sources:[10][11]

Hodgson starred in a closely contested game between VPI and the Tar Heels, making a field goal in the second half to lead VPI to a 15–0 win.[11]

VPI's starting lineup was: Luttrell (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Jones (left guard), Gibbs (center), E. Hodgson (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Legge (left halfback), A. Hodgson (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback).[10]

George Washington
VPI at George Washington
1 2Total
• VPI 11 6 17
GW 3 5 8

Sources:[23]

VPI won over the defending Southern champion George Washington Hatchetites in Washington, D. C. 17–8. Hodgson's punting again featured.[23] The weather was much better than last year.[13]

VPI's starting lineup was: Luttrell (left end), Burruss (left tackle), E. Hodgson (left guard), Gibbs (center), Jones (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Billups (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback).[23]

North Carolina A&M (Now known as N.C. State)
North Carolina A&M at VPI
1 2Total
N.C. A&M 0 5 5
• VPI 12 6 18
  • Date: November 25
  • Location: Athletic Park
    Norfolk, VA
  • Game start: 2:30 p. m.
  • Game attendance: 10,000
  • Referee: Myers (Harvard)

Sources:[17]

VPI defeated the North Carolina Aggies, (now known as N.C. State) 18–5. Despite the 18–5 score, VPI had to play aggressively throughout.[17] The first score came twelve minutes into the first half, Vivian Hodgson going over.[17] Later, on a fake kick, Luttrell ran 30 yards around left end. The A&M squad followed Hoss Hodgson's helmet, which he tossed as if it were a kicked ball.[17]

The last touchdown came on a new trick play from coach Bocock, apparently similar to a statue of liberty play.[17] Vivian Hodgson prepared to pass, and Hughes took it out of his suspended hand and ran 75 yards for a touchdown.[17] North Carolina's Aggies showed fight in the second half.[17]

VPI's starting lineup was: Luttrell (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Massie (left guard), Gibbs (center), E. Hodgson (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), A. Hodgson (left halfback), Billups (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback).[17]

Postseason

VPI claimed a Southern championship at year's end.[2]

References
  1. e. g. "VPI Southern Champions". Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  2. "University Archives in Special Collections and University Archives". Virginia Tech Special Collections University Libraries.
  3. "Sidelines".
  4. "What is a Hokie?". University Relations, Virginia Tech. 2006. Archived from the original on December 11, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  5. "Clemson Loses To Virginia Techs". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Congress. October 3, 1909. p. 51. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  6. "V. P. I. Team Gives Princeton A Scare". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Congress. October 14, 1909. p. 7. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  7. "Techs Pile Up Score of 52-0 Against Spiders". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Congress. October 24, 1909. p. 5. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  8. "Virginia Tech Buries W. & L. By Large Score". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Congress. October 31, 1909. p. 11. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  9. "Techs Roll It Over 'Varsity in Fast Play" (PDF). The Ring-tum Phi. Washington and Lee University. November 3, 1909. p. 4. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  10. "Techs and Carolina Are Anxious for Game To-Day". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Congress. November 6, 1909. p. 3. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  11. "V.P.I. Beats Carolina in Fiercely Fought Game". Daily Press. Library of Congress. November 7, 1909. p. 6. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  12. "Hodgson 15-Carolina 0". The Tar Heel. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. November 10, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  13. "Techs Off to Play George Washington". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Congress. November 12, 1909. p. 5. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  14. "V.P.I. plays well, defeats us 17 to 8". The University Hatchet. November 18, 1909. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  15. "V.P.I. gets revenge". The Washington Post. November 13, 1909. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "V.P.I. -- A. & M. Game in Norfolk To-Day". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Congress. November 25, 1909. p. 5. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  17. "V.P.I. Wins From A. & M. In Great Struggle". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Library of Congress. November 26, 1909. p. 5. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  18. "The Bugle 1910" (PDF). Virginia Tech Bugle. 1910. p. 167. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  19. "Football". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 14, 1909. p. 9. Retrieved December 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  20. "Drop-Kick Wins Again". Daily Princetonian. Vol. 34, no. 97. October 14, 1909.
  21. Associated Press (October 14, 1909). "V. P. I. Football Team Gives Princeton A Scare". Daily Press. Vol. 14, no. 23.
  22. "Princeton 8; Blacksburg 6". The Evening News. Vol. 20, no. 97. October 14, 1909.
  23. "V.P.I. Gets Revenge". The Washington Post. November 13, 1909. p. 8. Retrieved May 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
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